Issues in the Economic Evaluation of Treatments for Menopausal Symptoms

Abstract

A considerable number of menopausal women are affected by climacteric symptoms and, in the context of scarce health care resources, economic evaluations of interventions to alleviate them provide valuable information to decision makers. Relatively few evaluations of interventions solely aimed at reducing menopausal symptoms have been identified in the literature. This can be explained by the need to incorporate long term risks and benefits of treatments such as hormone replacement therapy as well as the short term effects. Moreover, little empirical work has been done to date on eliciting valuations of health states from women. It appears that many studies based on assumptions have underestimated the impact of menopausal symptoms on women's quality of life and more research is required in this area.