COST-EFFECTIVENESS ANALYSIS - A PRIMER FOR PSYCHOLOGISTS

Given the move to managed care and capitated budgets, psychologists mu st now prove that the treatments being offered are clinically effectiv e in allaying symptoms and are cost-effective. Cost-effectiveness anal ysis (CEA) is often seen as a daunting task requiring one to pour over spread sheets with little empathy for the patient. This article attem pts to break this daunting task down into nine reasonable steps. By us ing CEA, psychologists will have the data to compete for dollars in th is time of limited funds. An overriding attempt was made not to use ex cessive technical jargon or formulas in this review. The goal of this article is to offer the average practitioner, clinic director, or depa rtment chair an easily understood method that can be adapted and appli ed to his or her unique environment. If psychologists, individually an d as a profession, choose to ignore the power of CEA, other profession als may step in and take this power and control our future.