"Effectiveness" is at the forefront of the health policy debate. Effectiveness is the assessment of whether any particular medical intervention actually advantages patients when prescribed in practice settings. To be considered effective, the intervention must result in a clinically meaningful improvement for an adequate percentage of patients. Furthermore, it must not result in a clinically important adverse outcome in too many. Clearly, "effectiveness" is a value-laden construct. How is "meaningful improvement" defined and by whom? How is "important adverse outcome" defined and by whom? How are "adequate percentage" and "too many" defined and by whom?"Cost-effectiveness" is even more value-laden. It is legislated to be off-the-table in the machinations of the Affordable Care Act for reasons that vary from fear of rationing to fear of compromising profit margins. But no one can exclude cost-effectiveness from the patient-doctor dialogue. Considerations of co-pays and deductibles often weigh heavily in the valuation of interventions. [More]
No comments:
Post a Comment