Utilities are the preferences that individuals or the society may have for a particular set of health outcomes. These utilities were used to calculate Quality Adjusted Life Years (QALYs), which are defined as ‘a measure of a person’s length of life weighted by a valuation of their health related quality of life’ [31]. QALYs are used to make a comparison between the effects of different treatments and to evaluate cost-effectiveness of RGFP966 ic50 interventions. The value of the QALY can range from below

zero, representing the worst possible health state, up to 1, representing the best possible health state. Cost measures Medical and non-medical costs were measured at baseline and at 3 and 6 months postoperatively using a standardized 3-month retrospective patient costing questionnaire. Patients were asked to report the frequency and location of consultation with the general practitioner, physiotherapist and

other paramedical care givers, as well as professional homecare for assistance with activities of daily living and household activities of daily living, and assistant devices and medical aids. Medication was registered from the patient’s medical chart, the medication list as provided by the general practitioner or pharmacy, supplemented by registration of medication packages. Length FK506 supplier of stay in hospital, rehabilitation clinic, nursing home and home for the elderly were calculated using admission and discharge dates. The number and duration of face-to-face visits and telephone calls were calculated using the dietician’s time registries and used to next calculate the costs of a face-to-face visit and telephone call. The quantity of the ONS was calculated based on the number of ONS as advised by the dietician. We assessed nutritional intervention costs, health-care-related costs and patient and family costs. Nutritional intervention costs were defined as the costs of the dietetic counseling by the dietician (face-to-face visits and telephone calls) and nutritional

supplementation (oral nutritional supplements and tube feeding). Health-care-related costs were hospital-related costs (hospital admissions and outpatient specialist care), other in-patient-related costs (admissions to rehabilitation clinic, nursing home or home for the elderly and day centre activities), general practitioners, paramedical care (physiotherapy, occupational therapy, other alternative therapies), professional home care, assistant devices and medical aids and prescribed and over-the-counter medication. Patient and family costs included the costs of home adjustments, paid domestic help and meal services. Productivity costs were considered irrelevant for this population because 89% of the patients in the control group and 96% of the patients in the intervention group were retired; therefore, these costs were not included in the calculation. To calculate the costs, the volumes of each cost category were multiplied by the cost price of each cost category.