"Meta-analysis, decision analysis, and cost-effectiveness analysis are the cornerstones of evidence-based medicine. These related quantitative methods have become essential tools in the formulation of clinical and public policy based on the synthesis of evidence. All three methods are taught with increasing frequency in medical schools and schools of. Public health and in health policy courses at the undergraduate and graduate level. This book is a lucid introduction and will serve the needs of students taking introductory courses that cover these topics. It will also be useful to clinicians and policy-makers who need to understand the quantitative underpinnings of the methods in order to best apply the information that derives from them."--Jacket.