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Diagnostic imaging in cancer care. The role of cost/benefit analysis
Author(s) -
Evens Ronald G.
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.052
H-Index - 304
eISSN - 1097-0142
pISSN - 0008-543X
DOI - 10.1002/1097-0142(19910215)67:4+<1245::aid-cncr2820671522>3.0.co;2-h
Subject(s) - medicine , cost–benefit analysis , risk analysis (engineering) , medical costs , clinical practice , health care , intensive care medicine , nursing , ecology , economics , biology , economic growth
As the cost of medical care rises, there is increasing need to analyze the costs and benefits of diagnostic imaging. A review of previous research shows reasonable success at defining costs and the ability to identify safety and risk, but limited data on defining benefits in economic terms. The technology to analyze costs and benefits is improving, and satisfactory research protocols and methods have recently become generally accepted. While research studies to detemine costs and benefits or efficacy are themselves costly, time consuming, and difficult to perform in clinical practice, the wise allocation of medical resources in the US requires physicians in all specialties to evaluate the technology when we are responsible for its use.