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Decision Analysis: Balancing Quality and Cost

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2015

Karen J. Brasel  and
John A. Weigelt
Karen J. Brasel*
Affiliation:
Department of Surgery, St Paul-Ramsey Medical Center, St Paul, Minnesota
John A. Weigelt
Affiliation:
Department of Surgery, St Paul-Ramsey Medical Center, St Paul, Minnesota
*
St Paul-Ramsey Medical Center, 640 Jackson St, St Paul, MN 55101-2595
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Abstract

Healthcare reform is a topic consuming the time and energy of many healthcare professionals, administrators, and politicians. One goal of reform is to improve value—better quality health care for less cost. Unfortunately, much of the current debate proceeds without clear definitions of quality or cost. To have profitable discussion, we must have precise definitions. With these definitions in hand, the technique of decision analysis provides a unique opportunity to evaluate quality and costs of healthcare decisions simultaneously. We believe it is imperative for physicians to become familiar with this important and powerful tool.

Type
Issues in Surgery
Information
Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology , Volume 18 , Issue 2 , February 1997 , pp. 146 - 148
Copyright
Copyright © The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America 1997

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