title: The cost-effectiveness of routine histologic examination.
abstract: Although the histologic examination of routine tissues, such as hernia sacs and intervertebral disks, has shown a low incidence of detecting clinically significant unsuspected disease, the cost-effectiveness of histologic examination has not been determined. By using a theoretical model that assumed variable costs and gains in life expectancy secondary to detecting clinically significant disease, a threshold incidence of disease detection at which histologic examination is cost-effective was determined. By using the University of lowa (Iowa City) cost of examination (approximately $25), at least 1 of every 2,000 examinations would have to show clinically significant disease for histologic examination to be cost-effective. This threshold incidence decreases as production costs decrease or life-year values increase. Before definitive policy conclusions can be made, additional studies are needed to better define the trade-off between cost and the value of information and the incidence of detecting clinically significant disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City, USA. sraab@aherf.edu
authors.forename: S S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Raab
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis / Q000191:economics; D006552:Hernia, Inguinal / Q000191:economics* / Q000473:pathology; D006652:Histological Techniques / Q000191:economics*; D006801:Humans; D007264:Inguinal Canal / Q000473:pathology; D008017:Life Expectancy; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000191:economics*; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D010338:Pathology, Clinical / Q000191:economics; D005791:Patient Care / Q000191:economics*