title: Decision analysis in obstetrics and gynecology.
abstract: Decision analysis is a type of study design that can help to explicitly compare different medical choices and provide additional perspective to information provided by observational and interventional studies. This review will detail the circumstances under which decision analysis is most appropriate to use and the conceptual approach to the development of a decision model.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Obstetricians & Gynecologists, Family Physicians.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  After completion of this article, the reader should be able to summarize that decision analysis will: help to compare different medical choices; supply additional perspectives to information provided by observational and interventional studies; and allow comparison of medical strategies that involve health outcomes, cost, or combined cost-effectiveness measures.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Northwestern University Medical School, Chicago, Illinois, USA. w-grobman@northwestern.edu
authors.forename: William A
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: Grobman
mesh_terms: D003663:Decision Trees; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D005260:Female; D006176:Gynecology / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D009774:Obstetrics / Q000592:standards*; D011379:Prognosis; D018570:Risk Assessment