title: Can we justify the cost of echocardiography? Lessons from outcomes research.
abstract: The inexorable growth in the performance of cardiac imaging studies has led to a significant reduction in reimbursement for these services, which are already being reimbursed at levels that are quite similar to their cost. This paper seeks to apply the principles of analysis of cost-effectiveness to echocardiography. Opportunities are summarized for reducing cost and maximizing effectiveness, and different approaches to defining cost-effectiveness are examined for valvular, myocardial and ischemic indications.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Queensland, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Ipswich Road, Brisbane, Qld Q4102, Australia. tmarwick@soms.uq.edu.au
authors.forename: Thomas H
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Marwick
mesh_terms: D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D004452:Echocardiography / Q000191:economics*; D006801:Humans; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D018579:Patient Selection