A PT intervention improves QALYs while reducing healthcare costs. What would this suggest?

• A. ICER
• B. Payer perspective
• C. Right-skewed cost data
• D. Favorable cost-effectiveness

Answer: (D)

When an intervention delivers more health benefit (more QALYs) while also lowering overall costs, it represents the most favorable outcome in economic terms. This means the intervention is cost-saving and more effective than the alternative, a situation often described as dominant in cost-effectiveness discussions. The cost per additional QALY gained would be negative, signaling that you gain health while spending less. So the best way to describe this result is that it shows favorable cost-effectiveness. It isn’t simply about the ICER as a number by itself, nor about the statistical shape of cost data or whose perspective is considered—the key takeaway is that the intervention is both cheaper and more effective.