Introduction to cost-effectiveness analysis in radiology: principles and practical application.

The objectives of this paper are to provide the framework for understanding the principles of cost-effectiveness analysis and to practically apply these principles when reading a cost-effectiveness article. The article focuses on the application of these concepts to radiology procedures. To illustrate these concepts, we will use a hypothetical case of a physician deciding on the most cost-effective method for initially evaluating a 60-year-old menopausal woman who complains of new vaginal bleeding.