Cost-effectiveness research in neurosurgery.

Cost and value are increasingly important components of health care discussions. Despite a plethora of cost and cost-effectiveness analyses in many areas of medicine, there has been little of this type of research for neurosurgical procedures. This scarcity is vexing because this specialty represents one of the most expensive areas in medicine. This article discusses the general principles of cost-effectiveness analyses and reviews the cost- and cost-effectiveness-related research to date in neurosurgical subspecialties. The need for standardization of cost and cost-effectiveness measurement and reporting within neurosurgery is highlighted and a set of metrics for this purpose is defined.