New therapies for critical illness will need economic justification

"The recent Food and Drug Administration approval of drotrecogin alfa (activated) and the potential of several other new therapies may represent the beginning of a breakthrough in the management of critical illness in the intensive care unit. However, their use in clinical practice will likely be dependent on a rigorous appraisal not only of their effects, but also of their costs," researchers in the United States report.

"Novel therapies can no longer be judged simply by their effectiveness in treating illness, but must also be evaluated on an institutional and...

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