ABSTRACT
Introduction Pressure on healthcare budgets has been growing throughout Europe.1 The ageing population, uptake of expensive new technology and higher expec tations about the quality of the health services provided have fuelled demands.2 Despite this, the level of public funding available for healthcare has remained generally stable.3 Given these budget constraints and expand ing demands, clinicians and policy makers may be required to prioritise inter ventions based not just on effectiveness but also on cost-effectiveness.4 The technique of cost-effectiveness analysis provides a framework for assess ing the costs and outcomes of different healthcare programmes. Cost-effectiveness analysis can assist decision makers who are aiming to provide care in the most cost-effective way.
