COST-EFFECTIVENESS ANALYSIS OF AI-ENHANCED MEDICAL ROBOTICS
Author(s)
Daria Nefedova, MS1, Shiji Valsan, MS2, Donald Shepard, MPP, PhD3;
1Brandeis, researcher, Waltham, MA, USA, 2Brandeis University, Waltham, MA, USA, 3Brandeis University, WELLESLEY HILLS, MA, USA
1Brandeis, researcher, Waltham, MA, USA, 2Brandeis University, Waltham, MA, USA, 3Brandeis University, WELLESLEY HILLS, MA, USA
OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of AI-enhanced robotic-assisted radical prostatectomy (AI-RARP) compared with conventional open radical prostatectomy (ORP) for the treatment pf localized prostate cancer in a high-resource health system setting.
METHODS: A decision-analytic cost-effectiveness model was created, with quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) as the main health outcome. Clinical data on complications, recovery times, and long-term disease course were taken from recent published peer-reviewed studies. Direct healthcare cost data are reported from a health system perspective in 2025 US dollars. Incremental costs and outcomes are summed to present incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs). The cost-effectiveness of treatments is evaluated against a socially accepted US willingness-to-pay threshold.
RESULTS: Compared to ORP, AI-RARP resulted in better clinical outcomes, such as fewer complications and faster post-surgery recovery. Though the procedure was associated with higher upfront costs, the additional health care costs were somewhat offset by lower downstream costs. AI-RARP provided an additional gain of 0.162 QALYs at an additional cost of $1,800 per patient and had an ICER of $11,095 per QALY gained. This ICER is well below the often-cited US cost-effectiveness threshold of $115,180 per QALY.
CONCLUSIONS: AI-enhanced robotic-assisted radical prostatectomy is a cost-effective surgical option for the treatment of localized prostate cancer in well-resourced countries. The increasing adoption of AI-enhanced surgical approaches may further increase its cost-effectiveness. Policymakers are recommended to support aftermarket surveillance, algorithmic explainability, and necessary human intervention to achieve just adoption of AI-enhanced surgical solutions.
METHODS: A decision-analytic cost-effectiveness model was created, with quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) as the main health outcome. Clinical data on complications, recovery times, and long-term disease course were taken from recent published peer-reviewed studies. Direct healthcare cost data are reported from a health system perspective in 2025 US dollars. Incremental costs and outcomes are summed to present incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs). The cost-effectiveness of treatments is evaluated against a socially accepted US willingness-to-pay threshold.
RESULTS: Compared to ORP, AI-RARP resulted in better clinical outcomes, such as fewer complications and faster post-surgery recovery. Though the procedure was associated with higher upfront costs, the additional health care costs were somewhat offset by lower downstream costs. AI-RARP provided an additional gain of 0.162 QALYs at an additional cost of $1,800 per patient and had an ICER of $11,095 per QALY gained. This ICER is well below the often-cited US cost-effectiveness threshold of $115,180 per QALY.
CONCLUSIONS: AI-enhanced robotic-assisted radical prostatectomy is a cost-effective surgical option for the treatment of localized prostate cancer in well-resourced countries. The increasing adoption of AI-enhanced surgical approaches may further increase its cost-effectiveness. Policymakers are recommended to support aftermarket surveillance, algorithmic explainability, and necessary human intervention to achieve just adoption of AI-enhanced surgical solutions.
Conference/Value in Health Info
2026-05, ISPOR 2026, Philadelphia, PA, USA
Value in Health, Volume 29, Issue S6
Code
EE463
Topic
Economic Evaluation
Topic Subcategory
Novel & Social Elements of Value, Thresholds & Opportunity Cost
Disease
SDC: Oncology, STA: Personalized & Precision Medicine, STA: Surgery