Abstract
Objective
To measure the gain in quality of life due to hormone replacement therapy for women with mild and severe menopausal symptoms.
Design
Prospective study where data on quality of life and willingness to pay were collected by interview.
Setting
Department of Gynaecology at Sodertalje Hospital near Stockholm.
Participants
One hundred and four women aged 45 to 65 years treated for menopausal symptoms for at least one month.
Methods
Quality oflife was measured by the time tradeoff and rating scale methods. The willingness to pay for hormone replacement therapy was investigated using the contingent valuation method.
Main outcome measures
The quality adjusted life year weight measured with the rating scale and time tradeoff methods, and willingness to pay.
Results
The increase in the quality adjusted life year weight due to hormone replacement therapy for women with mild symptoms was 0.26 according to the rating scale method and 0.18 according to the time tradeoff method. For women with severe symptoms the quality adjusted life year weight increased by 0.50 according to the rating scale method and by 0.42 according to the time tradeoff method. The mean willingness to pay for hormone replacement therapy per month was 2300 Swedish krone for women with mild symptoms and 4800 Swedish krone for women with severe symptoms (£1 = 10.3 Swedish krone).
Conclusions
Hormone replacement therapy leads to a major improvement in quality of life for women with menopausal symptoms. Both for women with mild and severe menopausal symptoms the willingness to pay for the treatment also greatly exceeds the costs, indicating that hormone replacement therapy is economically beneficial for women with menopausal symptoms.