The cost-effectiveness plane

Drag the point around the chart. It represents a new technology compared with its comparator: left/right = how much health (QALYs) we gain or lose, up/down = how much more expensive or cheaper it is. Colour: green = cost-effective,red = not cost-effective.

The verdict is calculated from the incremental net benefit: threshold × ΔEffect − ΔCost. A point below the teal threshold line → cost-effective. Practical note: in the "more effective and cheaper" and "less effective and more expensive" quadrants the ICER alone can be misleading (a negative ICER tells you nothing meaningful) — which is why we look at the position relative to the threshold, not at the number itself.