Table 2 League table of the 21 New Zealand cost-effectiveness studies identified and published in the period 1 January 2010 to 8 October 2017 (ordered by decreasing cost-effectiveness, with additional details on each study in the Additional file 1: Tables A2, A4, and A5)

 Leung et al. [20]

Pedometer-based promotion in primary care versus time-based activity goals via green prescriptions

Cost-saving

 O’Keeffe et al. [21] and Scott et al. [22]

Diagnosis and treatment pathways for insomnia for a range of practitioners including: pharmacists, general practitioners (GPs), psychologists, other health professionals, and alternative health practitioners

Cost-saving

 Lew et al. [23]

Primary human papillomavirus (HPV) screening with partial genotyping in both unvaccinated women and cohorts offered vaccination

Cost-saving relative to current practice; One strategy (S2a): $20,600 per QALY saved in unvaccinated scenario; $9770 in vaccinated scenario (both compared to next best strategy) (2015 NZ$)

 Friedman et al. [24]

Proposed national programme to prevent paediatric abusive head trauma (AHT, often known as “shaken baby syndrome”)

Cost-saving in most scenarios, i.e., where reduction in AHT is 30% or more and intervention cost is between $20 and $100 per new-born. However, some estimates were as high as $471,000 per QALY (2012 NZ$)

 Gander et al. [25]

Diagnosis and treatment pathways for obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome (OSAS) from GP level through to surgical intervention

$94 per QALY (2005 NZ$)

 Lake et al. [26]

Campylobacter control in NZ poultry meat supply: interventions at all points from farm to consumer (as per the situation in 2005)

Range: from NZ$1200 per DALY (primary processing interventions) to NZ$43,400 per DALY (irradiation at primary processing stage) (2009 NZ$)

 Webb et al. [27]

A “soft regulation” national policy for dietary sodium reduction that combines targeted industry agreements, government monitoring, and public education (modelled on the UK programme)

I$989/DALY (using 2013 I$)

 Maddison et al. [28]

Improving exercise capacity and physical activity through a mobile phone / online intervention in addition to usual care, for people with ischaemic heart disease (IHD)

$2690 per QALY (for the 12 month timeframe) (2012 NZ$)

 Dalziel et al. [29]

A broad range of interventions to prevent neural tube defects (from targeted promotion of folic acid supplement to voluntary/mandatory folic acid fortification of the food supply)

$2700 per DALY for physician advice for supplement use; $6500 per DALY for a health promotion campaign for supplement use; (both targeted at women around the time of conception) (2006 NZ$)

 Sopina and Ashton [30]

18 different cervical cancer screening combinations (e.g., based on usage of the HPV vaccine, screening interval length (3 or 5 years), etc.

$3560 to $10,200 per QALY (for a “no vaccine” base case comparison) (2009 NZ$)

 Panattoni et al. [31]

Treatment of acute coronary syndrome with prasugrel if the person is a carrier of the CYP2C19*2 allele (if not a carrier of this allele, the person gets treatment with clopidogrel)

$4480 per QALY when using prasugrel instead of clopidogrel; and $8700 per QALY (if the former is genetically guided)

(2009 NZ$).

 Simms et al. [32]

Strategies for screening for HPV in context of a nonavalent vaccine (“HPV9 vaccine”)

$5000 per LY saved for 5 screens per lifetime (for cohorts offered nonavalent vaccine) (2013 NZ$)

 Te Ao et al. [33]

Increasing the use of thrombolysis treatment for ischaemic stroke by increasing hospital presentations and / or increasing use of thrombolysis treatment in hospital

$6640 per QALY (lifetime) and $27,000 (first year) (2010 NZ$)

 Te Ao et al. [34]

Acute stroke units in NZ hospitals (as opposed to care on general wards)

$6750 per QALY (lifetime) and $42,800 per QALY (first year) for care in an acute stroke unit vs a general ward (2008 NZ$)

 Keall et al. [35]

Package of home modifications to reduce injuries from falls at home

$14,300 per DALY when just considering intervention costs, i.e., no cost offsets (2012 NZ$).

 Milne et al. [36]

Long-term air humidification therapy plus usual care for people with moderate/severe COPD/bronchiectasis

$20,900 per QALY (mean) (2012–2013 NZ$)

 Rush et al. [37]

A multicomponent through-school physical activity and nutrition programme (“Project Energize”)

Range from $22,200 to $30,400 per QALY (depending on age and ethnicity) (2011 NZ$)

 Pinto et al. [38]

Knee/hip osteoarthritis (OA) treatment: manual therapy, exercise therapy, or both, plus usual care

Range from $26,400 per QALY (exercise therapy) to $149,000 (combined therapy) from the health system perspective (2009 NZ$)

 Carrasco et al. [39]

Antiviral stockpiling for future influenza pandemics (relative to no stockpiling)

Approximately US$20,000 per QALY (for the most plausible scenario of 30% of misallocation of antivirals) (2010 US$)

 Harris et al. [40]

Planned early start for dialysis treatment based on kidney function for patients with progressive chronic kidney disease.

72% of results indicated reduced health gain and increased costs. Only 0.3% of iterations gave a positive QALY at under $50,000 per QALY

 Leung et al. [41]

Exercise counselling intervention to enhance smoking cessation

$451,000 per QALY (using 24 week follow-up) (2012 NZ$)