Conrad D A, Deyo R A
Department of Health Services, University of Washington, Seattle.
Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 1994 Sep 15;19(18 Suppl):2101S-2106S. doi: 10.1097/00007632-199409151-00013.
This article outlines basic principles for the economic analysis of clinical decisions. Using a hypothetical scenario involving a patient with low back pain, the specific application of cost-benefit analysis (CBA) and cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA) is illustrated; and the two methodologies are compared. Cost-benefit analysis is advanced in the "gold standard" among the two approaches because it forces decision makers to explicitly value both the cost and health consequences of alternative clinical actions.
