Outcome assessment in cardiovascular cost-benefit studies.

The scarcity of health resources and development of new treatments have introduced a need to assess health care interventions in the areas of both costs and benefits. Information on costs and benefits of one treatment program relative to another can assist decisions about resource allocation by indicating which interventions offer the greatest benefit at the least cost. Economic evaluation is dependent on accurate definition and appropriate measurement of outcome or benefit. This article reviews a number of evaluation techniques and cost-benefit studies associated with cardiovascular medicine. The focus is on health-related quality of life, the methodology, and the problems encountered therein. Methods for combining quantity and quality of life are discussed with reference to a composite measure of health outcome, quality-adjusted life years.