From Static Evaluation to Adaptive Decision-Making: Is a Real Options Framework Suitable for Healthcare?

This article suggests viewing healthcare decisions as ongoing commitments rather than single choices, drawing on Real Options Analysis (ROA). ROA emphasizes the importance of patience, acquiring new knowledge, phased investments, and strategy adjustments as new information emerges. In the healthcare context, however, this approach should be reinterpreted: instead of a financial options market, it should be seen as a dynamic learning process where staged investments, evidence collection, and flexible commitments underpin governance.