title: Applying health economics for policy decision making: do devices differ from drugs?
abstract: Medical devices pose unique challenges for economic evaluation and associated decision-making processes that differ from pharmaceuticals. We highlight and discuss these challenges in the context of cardiac device therapy, based on a systematic review of relevant economic evaluations. Key challenges include practical difficulties in conducting randomized clinical trials, allowing for a 'learning curve' and user characteristics, accounting for the wider organizational impacts of introducing new devices, and allowing for variations in product characteristics and prices over time.
authors.affiliation: London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Health, Houghton Street, London, UK. c.sorenson@lse.ac.uk
authors.forename: Corinna
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sorenson
authors.forename: Rosanna
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Tarricone
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Siebert
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Drummond
mesh_terms: D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents / Q000191:economics*; D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000191:economics* / Q000401:mortality / Q000517:prevention & control; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D003657:Decision Making; D004599:Electric Stimulation Therapy / Q000191:economics* / Q000295:instrumentation*; D005060:Europe / Q000453:epidemiology; D017048:Health Care Costs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006291:Health Policy / Q000639:trends*; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000191:economics; D015995:Prevalence; D006113:United Kingdom
chemical_list: D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents