BACKGROUND: Many politicians and decision-makers in health care consider assisted reproduction an expensive and exclusive treatment despite the results of in vitro fertilization/embryo transfer (IVF/ET) treatments having improved considerably during the last few years. With the improved results the costs in relation to successful outcome are decreasing. AIM AND METHODS: The aim of this study was to evaluate the cost-benefit of IVF/ET treatments in a group of infertile couples. The benefit was measured as willingness to pay (WTP) for IVF/ET treatment and was related to the cost of IVF/ET: For the calculation of costs, data from one private and one public IVF clinic in Sweden during the period from January 1992 to March 1993 were used. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: The cost analysis showed a direct cost for IVF/ET of 3,170 pounds per started treatment and 9,410 pounds per delivery. Including the indirect cost, the total cost was 3,880 pounds per started IVF/ET treatment and 11,490 pounds per delivery. The survey of the WTP showed that the infertile couples gave high economic priority to infertility treatment. A majority of the couples were willing to pay more for a child than the calculated direct cost.
BACKGROUND: Many politicians and decision-makers in health care consider assisted reproduction an expensive and exclusive treatment despite the results of in vitro fertilization/embryo transfer (IVF/ET) treatments having improved considerably during the last few years. With the improved results the costs in relation to successful outcome are decreasing. AIM AND METHODS: The aim of this study was to evaluate the cost-benefit of IVF/ET treatments in a group of infertile couples. The benefit was measured as willingness to pay (WTP) for IVF/ET treatment and was related to the cost of IVF/ET: For the calculation of costs, data from one private and one public IVF clinic in Sweden during the period from January 1992 to March 1993 were used. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: The cost analysis showed a direct cost for IVF/ET of 3,170 pounds per started treatment and 9,410 pounds per delivery. Including the indirect cost, the total cost was 3,880 pounds per started IVF/ET treatment and 11,490 pounds per delivery. The survey of the WTP showed that the infertile couples gave high economic priority to infertility treatment. A majority of the couples were willing to pay more for a child than the calculated direct cost.
Entities:
Keywords:
Empirical Approach; Genetics and Reproduction