Use and misuse of the term “cost effective” in medicine

There has been mounting pressure on the medical profession in recent years to stem the rise in national health care expenditures. One result of that pressure has been the popularization of the term "cost effective" in medicine. Examples of its use abound in the medical literature, in drug and equipment advertisements, and in the hallways and lecture halls of medical institutions. Unfortunately, many who assert that a specified medical practice is cost effective fail to couple that statement with appropriate documentation of associated costs and benefits. (January 23, 1986)