Commentary: Demonstrating Cost-Effectiveness in Pediatric Psychology

Objective Changes in the health care system and payment plans will likely require pediatric psychologists to illustrate the impact of their services. Cost-effectiveness analyses are one method of demonstrating the potential economic benefits of our services but are rarely used by pediatric psychologists. Method A hypothetical cost-effectiveness analysis was conducted, comparing the costs and outcomes between a behavioral adherence intervention and no intervention for youth with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Results Results illustrate how pediatric psychologists can use cost-effectiveness analyses to demonstrate the economic impact of their work. Conclusions Efforts to conduct economic analyses could allow pediatric psychologists to advocate for their services. Implications and future directions are discussed.