title: Short-term gain for long-term pain? Which patients should be treated and should we ration?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Treatments of common conditions which do not affect mortality often become sidelined in the drive to improve efficiency and reduce costs. The rationing of patients is a divisive but crucial component to universal health care. How should this be accomplished?
  
  
  RESULTS
  In this article we examine the outcomes of various rationing methods in varicose veins.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  No method is perfect and treatment of symptoms and complications should remain the target for all physicians.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, Charing Cross Hospital, Fulham Palace Road, London W6 8RF, UK. tristan.lane@imperial.ac.uk
authors.forename: T R A
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Lane
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Dharmarajah
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kelleher
authors.forename: I J
authors.initials: IJ
authors.lastname: Franklin
authors.forename: A H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Davies
mesh_terms: D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D017048:Health Care Costs; D015276:Health Care Rationing / Q000191:economics; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000191:economics; D006801:Humans; D010146:Pain / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000191:economics / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D018579:Patient Selection; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D053828:Stockings, Compression / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000191:economics; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014648:Varicose Veins / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000191:economics / Q000628:therapy*; D014656:Vascular Surgical Procedures / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000191:economics; D014850:Waiting Lists