Myers John, McCabe Steven, Gohmann Stephan
Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.
J Hand Surg Am. 2006 Apr;31(4):664-8. doi: 10.1016/j.jhsa.2006.02.012.
Economic analysis is a method for allocating resources among competing alternatives. Four techniques commonly used in an economic analysis are cost-minimization analysis, cost-effectiveness analysis, cost-benefit analysis, and cost-utility analysis. These analyses provide information to guide medical decisions and to set funding priorities. Understanding the differences between the techniques allows for better decision making. Although economic analysis is used widely in other fields of medicine, its use in studies of disorders of the hand has been sparse. Only recently has economic analysis been included in studies focused on the care of the upper-extremity patient. As such, to interpret the results of these studies better, hand surgeons need to understand the similarities and differences and the strengths and weaknesses of the different techniques. Such an understanding will allow hand surgeons to know when economic analyses are comparable. Furthermore it will aid them in providing their patients not only medically sound care, but also economically efficient care. This article provides a synopsis of the most widely used and accepted techniques for performing an economic analysis. The key concepts of each of the 4 techniques are shown by using the small number of studies that are available in the upper-extremity literature.
经济分析是一种在相互竞争的备选方案之间分配资源的方法。经济分析中常用的四种技术是成本最小化分析、成本效益分析、成本效益分析和成本效用分析。这些分析提供信息以指导医疗决策并确定资金优先顺序。了解这些技术之间的差异有助于做出更好的决策。尽管经济分析在医学的其他领域广泛应用，但其在手部疾病研究中的应用却很少。直到最近，经济分析才被纳入专注于上肢患者护理的研究中。因此，为了更好地解释这些研究结果，手外科医生需要了解不同技术的异同以及优缺点。这样的理解将使手外科医生知道何时经济分析具有可比性。此外，这将有助于他们不仅为患者提供医学上合理的护理，而且提供经济上有效的护理。本文概述了进行经济分析最广泛使用和接受的技术。通过使用上肢文献中现有的少量研究展示了这四种技术各自的关键概念。
