Health economics of asthma and rhinitis. II. Assessing the value of interventions

Health care providers and payers are being asked to weigh data on the econo mic impact of new interventions along with clinical evidence when making de cisions about the care of patients, The notion of incorporating formal heal th economic assessments into clinical and resource decisions is a difficult concept for many in the health fare sector. However, it is the reality in today's environment. To effectively participate in these ongoing discussion s, clinicians and other decision makers must be able to understand and crit ically assess the evidence on economic impact of medical interventions. Thi s second of 2 articles describes the elements of comparative economic evalu ations, reviewing the published literature on asthma and rhinitis in an att empt to critically appraise the studies from the perspective of one who mig ht use data for decision making. Unfortunately, the quality of the economic evidence in these two disease states is not extensive, Until better econom ic analyses are conducted and made available, the allocation of resources f or asthma and allergic rhinitis will continue to primarily rely on expert o pinion rather than evidence-based literature.