An Introduction to Economic Evaluation of Health Care
Cunningham, S. (2001, September). An Introduction to Economic Evaluation of Health Care. Journal of Orthodontics, 28-3.
Cost Utility Analysis
Purpose
This article focuses on the application of health care economics and the overarching principles which must be considered when applying utility analysis to a subject.
Strengths and Weaknesses
Strengths:
- Widely accepted tool for health appraisal
- Assists in health care efficiency
- Addresses societal concerns about the value of human life
Weaknesses:
- Dependant of the quality of given medical evidence
- Its purpose and ethics are often misunderstood by clinicians
- Does not readily account for time differences in costs and outcomes
Description
The article did not explain or address the CUA method in specific detail. The focus of the paper is a macro look at healthcare utility and analysis methods used to contribute to it. A particular focus on orthodontics and dentistry is presented in this article.
Uses
Utility analysis methods, such as CUA, address outcome valuation. Their inherent utility is to determine whether a course of action is worthwhile. CUA requires appraisals of its specific applicability to a situation and answers to questions required to determine its suitability to a problem set.
Comparison
This article provides a unique perspective on CUA because of its application to dentistry and orthodontics. Since theses fields bare less life-threatening situations than more traditional medical practices, the idea of preventative costs demonstrates a different application for utility analysis methods in healthcare.
Most Informative
The most informative element of this article is the introduction and assessment of CUA and other utility analysis methods to dentistry. The article admits that the field has not seen enough use of these methods and should embrace more opportunities to utilize these tools.
Source Author
Susan Cunningham is a senior lecturer and professor at the Department of Orthodontics within the Eastman Dental Institute, United Kingdom. Ms. Cunningham has several post-graduate degrees in the healthcare field and is a program coordinator at the intitute. As the author of this article, Cunningham has adequate education and knowledge regarding the subject matter and is a reliable source regarding the healthcare topics.
Source Reliability
According to the Dax Norman Trust Evaluation Worksheet for online sources, the source has a High Reliability rating.
Sources Cited
The author listed the following sources for this article:
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Critique Author
Mark L.
Mercyhurst College, Erie PA,
Advanced Analytic Techniques Course
February 5, 2011
Mark,
ReplyDeleteInformative article on using cost utility analysis in medical field especially orthodontics and dentistry. Since these branches are working on non-life threatening events, it is more surprising the analyst used cost utility analysis method.
Thanks,
Fuad