Cost-minimization analysis (CMA) is appropriate when which condition is met?

Cost-minimization analysis (CMA) is appropriate when which condition is met?

• A. Outcomes differ significantly
• B. Time horizon is long
• C. Clinical outcomes are assumed equivalent
• D. Costs are the only factor

Answer: (C)

Cost-minimization analysis is appropriate when clinical outcomes are assumed equivalent. When the effectiveness of the alternatives is the same, the comparison centers solely on costs, so the option with the lowest cost is preferred. If outcomes actually differ, you wouldn’t use CMA—you’d turn to cost-effectiveness or cost-utility analysis to weigh costs against differences in effectiveness. The time horizon being long doesn’t by itself make CMA appropriate, since the key requirement is equal outcomes, not duration. Saying that costs are the only factor misses the essential point that CMA hinges on the premise that outcomes are the same; without that, CMA isn’t the right method.

Cost-minimization analysis is appropriate when clinical outcomes are assumed equivalent. When the effectiveness of the alternatives is the same, the comparison centers solely on costs, so the option with the lowest cost is preferred. If outcomes actually differ, you wouldn’t use CMA—you’d turn to cost-effectiveness or cost-utility analysis to weigh costs against differences in effectiveness. The time horizon being long doesn’t by itself make CMA appropriate, since the key requirement is equal outcomes, not duration. Saying that costs are the only factor misses the essential point that CMA hinges on the premise that outcomes are the same; without that, CMA isn’t the right method.