This paper is from Session 6E: Statistical applications in the workplace
which comes under Topic 6: Statistics education, training and the workplace
(Friday 16th, 11:00-12:30)
Training and conducting economic evaluation in public health
Presenter
Abstract
Economic evaluation (EE) refers to applied analytic methods used to identify, measure, value, and compare the costs and consequences of prevention and treatment strategies. Economic evaluation provides important information to assist policy makers who are faced with making funding decisions with scarce public health resources. However, the application and understanding of the statistical tools used to conduct economic evaluation has been limited in the context of evaluation training. This paper provides an introduction to three methods for conducting economic evaluation of public health programs: cost-effectiveness analysis, cost-utility analysis, and benefit-cost analysis. Each method is discussed in turn, with a special emphasis on the statistical tools used in each, and the uses and misuses of the methods in the policy arena.
