Cost-effective Strategies for Stone Management

The economic impact of nephrolithiasis is as important as ever as disease prevalence continues to rise, with recent estimates suggesting stone disease will affect nearly one in 11 adults in the United States at some point in their lifetime. Limitations on available resources increasingly require that physicians understand the influence of economics, or, more simply, cost, in terms of how medical care is delivered. In addition to ever-continuing efforts to refine surgical technique to improve stone-free rates, clinicians have also investigated how to deliver cost-effective stone treatment at every decision point in care: diagnosis, observation versus treatment, optimal treatment modality, and medical management to prevent stone recurrence. Evaluating existing cost analyses and cost-effectiveness models can help physicians better understand the differences between treatment options and to help guide future decision-making.