Based on the abstract below, please critique the study by answering the questions that follow. Please note that this abstract may no longer reflect current evidence-based practice, as newer anticoagulants are now sometimes used in place of warfarin. ABSTRACT TITLE: Cost Analysis of Outpatient Treatment of Deep Vein Thrombosis BACKGROUND: When patients have the complication of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) after surgery, the standard anticoagulation treatment includes heparineither intravenous unfractionated heparin (UFH) or a subcutaneous low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) productin combination with warfarin. After the patient's international normalized ratio (INR) is greater than 2.0, the patient discontinues the heparin product but continues on oral warfarin for 3 to 6 months. LMWH products have been approved for outpatient use. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to retrospectively measure the costs of treating patients with uncomplicated DVT discharged with either oral warfarin alone or a combination of oral warfarin and LMWH. METHODS: Medical and prescription claims for Health Plan X were assessed. Costs to the health plan for hospitalized patients discharged in 2006 with a diagnosis of uncomplicated DVT were included in the analysis, and their claims history was followed for 1 year after initial hospital discharge date. RESULTS: Compared with patients discharged on warfarin alone, the outpatient pharmacy costs were, on average, $750 higher for the patients discharged on the LMWH and warfarin combination, but the average hospital length of stay was 2 days less, resulting in a savings, on average of $2,300 in hospitalization costs. Therefore, mean total costs to the health plan per patient were $1,550 less for patients discharged on combination therapy. One-year follow-up showed no differences in readmission rates due to DVT for the two groups of patients, indicating similar effectiveness. CONCLUSIONS: Outpatient anticoagulation therapy for uncomplicated DVT with a combination of LMWH and warfarin had higher outpatient pharmacy costs but lower hospitalization costs compared with warfarin alone, which resulted in overall savings to Health Plan X. Abstract Reference: Rascati, Karen L. Essentials of Pharmacoeconomics, Wolters Kluwer, 2013. ProQuest Ebook Central

ASSIGNMENT: Critiquing an Economic Evaluation Study Abstract Questions:

4. Which of the four types of pharmacoeconomic analyses was conducted? Cost-minimization analysis (CMA), Cost-benefit analysis (CBA), Cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA) or Cost-utility analysis (CUA). Why?