The lifetime costs and benefits of medical technology
By: David M. Cutler
Contributors: National Bureau of Economic Research
Series: NBER working paper series -- working paper 13478; Working paper series (National Bureau of Economic Research : Online) -- working paper no. 13478.
Publisher: National Bureau of Economic Research
Published: 2007
Place of publication: Cambridge, MA
Language: eng
Format: [electronic resource] /
Description: "Measuring the lifetime costs and benefits of medical technologies is essential in evaluating technological change and determining the productivity of medical care.  Using data on Medicare beneficiaries with a heart attack in the late 1980s and 17 years of follow up data, I evaluate the long-term costs and benefits of revascularization after a heart attack.  I account for non-random selection into treatment with instrumental variables; following McClellan, McNeil, and Newhouse, the instrument is the differential distance to a hospital capable of providing revascularization.  The results show that revascularization is associated with over 1 year of additional life expectancy, at a cost of about $40,000.  Revascularization, or other treatments correlated with it, appears to be highly cost-effective"--National Bureau of Economic Research web site.
Notes: Title from PDF file as viewed on 10/22/2007.

Includes bibliographical references.

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