The economic value of medical research: is it worth the investment?
OBJECTIVE
To provide a brief commentary regarding the economic evaluation of medical research by summarizing a recent report from the Mary Woodard Lasker Charitable Trust.


METHODS
A review of the report Exceptional Returns: The Economic Value of America's Investment in Medical Research was conducted. In this report, nine economists translated the accomplishments of medical research into dollars by placing a monetary value on better health and longer life. This manuscript focuses on implications of this report to women's health research.


RESULTS
After first isolating the impact of medical research from other gains unrelated to research and development, the increase in life expectancy due to advances in health during the 1970s and 1980s were worth $57 trillion to Americans. Gains associated with prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease alone totaled $31 trillion.


CONCLUSIONS
Our nation's contribution into medical research provides a very high "return on investment." The likely returns from research are so favorable that the payoff from any "portfolio" of research investments would be enormous.
Peipert
Jeffrey F
JF
Division of Research, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Women and Infants Hospital, Brown University Medical School, Providence, Rhode Island, USA. jpeipert@wihri.org
D006268:Health Facilities / Q000191:economics; D006304:Health Status; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching / Q000191:economics; D006801:Humans; D008017:Life Expectancy / Q000639:trends; D009026:Mortality / Q000639:trends; D011640:Public Policy; D011788:Quality of Life; D012106:Research / Q000191:economics*; D012577:Schools, Medical / Q000191:economics; D014481:United States; D016387:Women's Health