Rising health care costs in the United States, besides evolving payment models that
place emphasis on value instead of volume, have led to an increasing number of studies
evaluating hand surgery from an economic perspective. To better understand such economics-based
studies, this review provides a foundational understanding of what value entails by
defining its features of quality and cost. Principles of evaluating value through
cost-benefit, cost-effectiveness, and cost-utility analyses are discussed. Models
of discounting and clinical decision analyses are also discussed. Understanding such
concepts and their evaluation in economic analyses will provide greater insight into
the economic landscape of hand surgery and improving patient care.
Key words
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: January 06, 2023
Accepted:
November 16,
2022
Received:
June 5,
2022
Footnotes
No benefits in any form have been received or will be received related directly or indirectly to the subject of this article.
Identification
Copyright
© 2023 by the American Society for Surgery of the Hand. All rights reserved.
