Hiroko Yamashina
Papers
1
Total Citations
27
H-Index
1
About
Dr. Hiroko Yamashina is a leading health economist and health services researcher whose work focuses on the cost-effectiveness and economic evaluation of surgical oncology, particularly for bladder cancer. Her most influential contribution is a landmark systematic review that rigorously compared the segmental costs of open, laparoscopic, and robot-assisted radical cystectomy. This 2019 study, cited 27 times, provided critical evidence that robot-assisted surgery, while offering potential clinical benefits, carries significantly higher procedural costs, challenging assumptions about its universal adoption. By dissecting the cost drivers—from operating room time to length of stay—Dr. Yamashina’s work has directly informed hospital budgeting, insurance reimbursement policies, and shared decision-making between surgeons and patients. Her research is notable for its methodological rigor in isolating cost components, a vital step often overlooked in broader cost analyses. Through this focused lens, she has empowered healthcare systems to allocate resources more efficiently, ensuring that expensive new technologies are adopted only where they offer genuine value. Dr. Yamashina’s scholarship stands as a model for translating complex economic data into actionable clinical and policy insights.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
- 1