The economics of prevention

A review of cost-effectiveness studies of prevention supports two conclusions: (1) few prevention programs, if any, reduce medical expenditures; (2) even when prevention costs less per person than acute care, its medical costs per unit of health benefit can be as great or greater. So that future studies will allow comparisons over a wider range of medical choices, the paper proposes some steps toward the greater standardization of cost-effectiveness analyses of medical care.