Should Health Gains by Children be Given the Same Value as Health Gains by Adults in an Economic Evaluation Framework?

© Oxford University Press, 2014. Evidence suggesting that a unit of health gain by a child is not of equal value to a unit of health gain by an adult would suggest that age should be considered as an important criterion in health care resource allocation decisions. This chapter focuses on whether units of health gain, and specifically quality-adjusted life year (QALY) gains, should be given the same value for children as for adults. It begins by presenting empirical evidence from the revealed preference and stated preference literature on the economic value of health outcomes for children and adults. This is followed by a discussion of methodological issues that require consideration when valuing health gains by children using preference-based techniques. Finally, a future research agenda in this area is outlined.