New study published in Cost Effectiveness and Resource Allocation

VDB affect more than half of adults aged 65 and older and generate substantial healthcare costs.

Based on the multicentre, cluster-randomised controlled trial MobilE-PHY2 (98 participants, mean age 78 years), we analysed from both a societal and a payer perspective, over a six-month follow-up, how the care pathway affects costs, QALYs (quality-adjusted life years, a generic measure of health-related quality of life) and disease-specific effectiveness (Dizziness Handicap Inventory, DHI). Cost-effectiveness was determined using two metrics: the incremental cost-utility ratio (ICUR; additional cost per QALY gained) and the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER; additional cost per disease-specific effect).

The findings are twofold: in terms of QALYs, the intervention was dominated by routine care, as it was more costly without providing any advantage in generic quality of life (ICUR: -121,847.54 €/QALY). For the DHI, by contrast, the intervention was more effective – albeit at higher cost: the ICER amounted to 81,246.85 € per additional person achieving a clinically relevant improvement. From a payer perspective, the intervention was less costly than routine care. The main driver of the cost differences was informal care, which was considerably higher in the intervention group and substantially influenced the overall analysis.

Zimmer, V., Horstmannshoff, C., Bauer, P., Borchers, P., Scheibe, S., Voigt, K., Müller, M., & Köberlein-Neu, J. (2026). Health economic evaluation of an interdisciplinary care pathway for older patients with vertigo, dizziness and balance disorders in primary care (MobilE-PHY2) – a cluster-randomised trial. Cost Effectiveness and Resource Allocation, 24, 74. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12962-026-00779-0