Weisbrod B A, Test M A, Stein L I
Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1980 Apr;37(4):400-5. doi: 10.1001/archpsyc.1980.01780170042004.
A cost-benefit analysis should be seen not as a mechanism for deciding mechanically on the allocation of funds and resources among programs but as a structure for weighing advantages and disadvantages (that is, for organizing knowledge). Considering all the forms of benefits and costs that we were able to derive in monetary terms, the experimental program provided both additional benefits and additional costs as compared with the conventional treatment. However, the added benefits, some +1,200 per patient per year, are nearly +400 more per patient per year than the added costs. A number of the forms of benefits and costs that we have measured in quantitative but nonmonetary terms show additional advantages of the community-based experimental program. The generalizability of a single experiment is limited, but the methodologies developed may be useful if their proper role is appreciated.
成本效益分析不应被视为一种机械地决定资金和资源在各项目间分配的机制，而应被视为一种权衡利弊（即组织知识）的架构。考虑到我们能够以货币形式得出的所有效益和成本形式，与传统治疗相比，实验项目既带来了额外效益，也产生了额外成本。然而，每年每位患者的额外效益约为1200美元，比每年每位患者的额外成本多出近400美元。我们以定量但非货币形式衡量的一些效益和成本形式显示了基于社区的实验项目的其他优势。单个实验的可推广性是有限的，但如果能正确认识其恰当作用，所开发的方法可能会有用。
