Health Policy and Cost-Effectiveness Analysis: Yes We Can. Yes We Must.
Authors: John B. Wong
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (2009)

Editorials17 February 2009Health Policy and Cost-Effectiveness Analysis: Yes We Can. Yes We Must.John B. Wong, MD, Cynthia Mulrow, MD, MSc, Deputy Editor, and Harold C. Sox, MD, EditorJohn B. Wong, MDFrom Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02111, and American College of Physicians, Philadelphia, PA 19106.Search for more papers by this author, Cynthia Mulrow, MD, MSc, Deputy EditorFrom Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02111, and American College of Physicians, Philadelphia, PA 19106.Search for more papers by this author, and Harold C. Sox, MD, EditorFrom Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02111, and American College of Physicians, Philadelphia, PA 19106.Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-150-4-200902170-00010 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail Just over 40 years have passed since the publication of the first cost-effectiveness analysis that arguably influenced major U.S. health policy (an analysis of Medicare coverage of renal replacement therapy in 1972) (1). In this issue, Pletcher and colleagues (2) use the same approach to answer an analogous policy question: What is the best strategy for using statins to prevent coronary heart disease (CHD) in the United States—following the Adult Treatment Panel III (ATP III) guidelines or treating on the basis of 10-year risk, attained age, or sex-specific alternative age thresholds?Before turning to their answer, we will first provide ...References1. Klarman HE, Francis JOS, Rosenthal GD. Cost effectiveness analysis applied to the treatment of chronic renal disease. Med Care. 1968;6:48-54. CrossrefGoogle Scholar2. Pletcher MJ, Lazar L, Bibbins-Domingo K, Moran A, Rodondi N, Coxson P, et al. Comparing impact and cost-effectiveness of primary prevention strategies for lipid-lowering. Ann Intern Med. 2009;150:243-54. LinkGoogle Scholar3. Weinstein MC, Stason WB. Hypertension: A Policy Perspective. Cambridge: Harvard Univ Pr; 1976:ix. Google Scholar4. Fuchs VR. Health care expenditures reexamined [Editorial]. Ann Intern Med. 2005;143:76-8. [PMID: 15998757] LinkGoogle Scholar5. Reinhardt UE. Posts published by Uwe E. Reinhardt on Economix blog. New York Times. 2009. Accessed at economix.blogs.nytimes.com/tag/uwe-e-reinhardt/ on 6 January 2009. Google Scholar6. The National Coalition on Health Care. Facts on the Cost of Health Insurance and Health Care. Washington, DC: National Coalition on Health Care; 2008. Accessed at www.nchc.org/facts/cost.shtml on 6 January 2009. Google Scholar7. American College of Physicians. Information on cost-effectiveness: an essential product of a national comparative effectiveness program. Ann Intern Med. 2008;148:956-61. [PMID: 18483128] LinkGoogle Scholar8. Garber AM. A menu without prices [Editorial]. Ann Intern Med. 2008;148:964-6. [PMID: 18483127] LinkGoogle Scholar9. Wilensky GR. Cost-effectiveness information: yes, it's important, but keep it separate, please! [Editorial]. Ann Intern Med. 2008;148:967-8. [PMID: 18483126] LinkGoogle Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: From Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02111, and American College of Physicians, Philadelphia, PA 19106.Disclosures:Consultancies: J.B. Wong (Foundation for Informed Medical Decision Making); Grants received: J.B. Wong (Foundation for Informed Medical Decision Making).Corresponding Author: John B. Wong, MD, Tufts Medical Center, Tufts University School of Medicine, 800 Washington Street, 302, Boston, MA 02111; e-mail, [email protected]org. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsSee AlsoComparing Impact and Cost-Effectiveness of Primary Prevention Strategies for Lipid-Lowering Mark J. Pletcher , Lawrence Lazar , Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo , Andrew Moran , Nicolas Rodondi , Pamela Coxson , James Lightwood , Lawrence Williams , and Lee Goldman Clarifying the Principles of Cost-Effectiveness Analyses Robert C. Burack Clarifying the Principles of Cost-Effectiveness Analyses John B. Wong Metrics Cited byCost-Effectiveness Research in Neurosurgery: We Can and We MustMOVER‐R for Confidence Intervals of RatiosCost-Effective but Bad for Health? Hepatitis C Treatment, Moral Hazard, and Opportunity CostTools for Assessment of Cardiovascular Tests and TherapiesA study on research status and development trend of cost-effectiveness analysisCost-Effectiveness of Human Papillomavirus Vaccination and Cervical Cancer Screening in Women Older Than 30 Years in the United StatesJane J. Kim, PhD, Jesse Ortendahl, BS, and Sue J. Goldie, MD, MPHClarifying the Principles of Cost-Effectiveness AnalysesRobert C. Burack, MD, MPHPrimary prevention strategies for lipid-lowering: cost effectiveness 17 February 2009Volume 150, Issue 4Page: 274-275KeywordsCardiovascular therapyDecision makingHealth careHealth care policyMedicareRenal analysisStatinsTreatment guidelines ePublished: 17 February 2009 Issue Published: 17 February 2009 Copyright & PermissionsCopyright © 2009 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF downloadLoading ...