coûutefficacité

Coût-efficacité, often translated as cost-effectiveness, is a measure used to evaluate the performance of a project, intervention, or technology in relation to its cost. It quantises the relationship between the benefits achieved and the resources expended to achieve them. The core principle is to identify the most efficient way to achieve a desired outcome, meaning getting the best possible results for the least amount of money.

In practice, cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA) involves comparing the costs of different options against their outcomes. These outcomes are typically expressed in natural units, such as lives saved, cases treated, or years of life gained. For instance, in healthcare, CEA might compare the cost per life saved for different medical treatments. The option that yields the most outcome per unit of cost is considered the most cost-effective.

The concept is widely applied across various sectors, including public health, environmental policy, education, and business. It helps decision-makers allocate scarce resources by favouring interventions that offer the greatest return on investment in terms of their specific, measurable objectives. While cost-effectiveness focuses on the efficiency of achieving a particular outcome, it is distinct from cost-benefit analysis, which attempts to monetize all costs and benefits to compare them in monetary terms. Cost-effectiveness is particularly useful when benefits are difficult to assign a monetary value.