Evaluating the cost of therapy for restenosis: considerations for brachytherapy.
Costs have become increasingly important in medicine in recent years as demand for services has outstripped readily available resources. Clinical microeconomics offers an approach to understanding cost and outcomes in an environment of economic scarcity. In this article the types of costs and methods for determining cost are presented. In addition, methods for assessing outcome and outcome in relation to cost are developed. Restenosis after coronary angioplasty is a prime example of a clinical problem requiring economic evaluation. This is because it results in little serious morbidity except for recurrent chest pain, but it has serious economic consequences which occur some time after the original angioplasty. This makes the economic assessment of restenosis complicated. The application of health care microeconomic principles to brachytherapy for restenosis in the coronary arteries is presented.
Weintraub
W S
WS
Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA. Bill@hp3.eushc.org
D001918:Brachytherapy / Q000191:economics*; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000191:economics* / Q000532:radiotherapy; D017281:Cost of Illness; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis / Q000379:methods*; D005251:Fees, Medical; D005544:Forecasting; D017048:Health Care Costs; D017721:Hospital Costs; D006801:Humans; D018803:Models, Economic; D012008:Recurrence; D015895:Relative Value Scales; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014481:United States