Economic analysis and the cost effectiveness of prevention: Introduction to Economic Evaluation of Health Care Interventions

Research output: Contribution to conferenceOther

Abstract

Economic evaluation offers an explicit and transparent framework for the comparison of costs and health benefits of different interventions in order to help inform decisions on which interventions represent the best use of resources. An economic evaluation involves identifying the different interventions available to address the decision problem, measuring and valuing the costs and health benefits, and exploring the impact of uncertain parameters on the results.

This workshop introduces the different forms of economic evaluation (e.g. cost-minimisation analysis, cost-effectiveness analysis, cost-utility analysis, cost-benefit analysis), the methods used to conduct an economic evaluation, and how to critically appraise published studies in the context of decision-making. It starts with an overview of the basic economic concepts underpinning economic evaluation in health care, namely opportunity cost, efficiency and equity. This is followed by a step-by-step guide on how to conduct an economic evaluation using a ten-point checklist as a template for study design and critical appraisal. It includes: (i) definition of the economic question, (ii) perspective of the evaluation, (iii) identification, measurement and valuation of the costs and health outcomes, (iv) analytic methods of cost-effectiveness analysis, (v) dealing with uncertainty, and (vi) interpretation of the results. The workshop finishes with a case study for group discussion. The case study will demonstrate how to apply economic evaluation in practice and how to use the results for making decisions. This workshop is of interest to prevention professionals wishing to understand economic evaluation and the application of methods to preventative care.
Original languageEnglish
Publication statusPublished - Oct 2014
EventFifth EUSPR Conference and Members’ Meeting - Majorca, Palma de Mallorca, Spain
Duration: 16 Oct 201418 Oct 2014

Conference

ConferenceFifth EUSPR Conference and Members’ Meeting
Country/TerritorySpain
CityPalma de Mallorca
Period16/10/1418/10/14

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