Resources Repository
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BookPublication 1980Clinical Decision Analysis
This text was conceived and developed in the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health …
This text was conceived and developed in the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health at the Center for the Analysis of Health Practices. The book had its origins in a set of classroom materials developed during the academic year 1974-75 for an elective course in medical decision making at the Harvard Medical School. In this book students are shown how to structure clinical decision problems, how to systematically formulate the intertwining roles of diagnosis and treatment, how to…
Decision Analysis | State-Transition | Value of Information | Economics/Finance | North America | Global | Chronic Disease/Risk | Probability/Bayes | Preferences/Values | Costing Methods | Health Outcomes | Test Performance | Cost-Effectiveness Analysis | Infectious Diseases | Child/Nutrition | Health/Medicine | Europe | Graduate | Doctoral | Critical Thinking/Analysis | Decision Making/Leadership | Quantitative Literacy -
ArticlePublication 2022COVID-19 Response: The Need for Economic Evaluation
COVID-19-related policies are fraught with trade-offs. Many of these trade-offs involve dimensions that can be …
COVID-19-related policies are fraught with trade-offs. Many of these trade-offs involve dimensions that can be quantitatively weighed using economic evaluation, such as those between health and cost outcomes. Other types of dimensions, such as those involving equity or autonomy, can be harder to quantify but should be considered in a comprehensive health policy decision-making context nonetheless. The authors of this New England Journal of Medicine Perspectives article outline how methods of economic evaluation and decision…
Priority Setting/Ethics | Economics/Finance | North America | Global | Policy/Regulation | Benefit-Cost Analysis | Cost-Effectiveness Analysis | Infectious Diseases | Health/Medicine -
ArticlePublication 2022Emerging Therapies for COVID-19: The Value of Information From More Clinical Trials
The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated time-sensitive policy and implementation decisions regarding new therapies in the face …
The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated time-sensitive policy and implementation decisions regarding new therapies in the face of uncertainty. This study aimed to quantify consequences of approving therapies or pursuing further research. The authors used a cohort state-transition model for hospitalized patients with COVID-19 to estimate quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) and costs associated with multiple drug regimens and usual care. For each they assessed immediate approval, use only in research, emergency use authorization or reject. They conducted cost-effectiveness…
State-Transition | Value of Information | Economics/Finance | North America | Policy/Regulation | Benefit-Cost Analysis | Infectious Diseases | Europe -
Resource PackPublication, Teaching Resource 2024Resource Pack: BCA in Low- and Middle-Income Countries
This resource pack, curated by the Center for Health Decision Science, includes methods papers, case …
This resource pack, curated by the Center for Health Decision Science, includes methods papers, case studies, and reference case guidelines for conducting benefit-cost analyses in low- and middle-income countries. These resources will aid advanced students and experienced practitioners in preparing these analyses. Investing in global health and development requires making difficult choices about what initiatives to fund and what level of resources to devote to each initiative. Although benefit-cost analysis is a well-established and widely…
Priority Setting/Ethics | Decision Analysis | Economics/Finance | Global | Policy/Regulation | Preferences/Values | Benefit-Cost Analysis | Social Determinants | Health/Medicine | Graduate | Doctoral | Professional | Critical Thinking/Analysis -
Resource PackPublication, Teaching Resource 2024Resource Pack: Introduction to Benefit-Cost Analysis
This resource pack, curated by the Center for Health Decision Science, introduces the theory and …
This resource pack, curated by the Center for Health Decision Science, introduces the theory and practice of benefit-cost analysis. It is targeted towards advanced students as well as practitioners and those interested in teaching benefit-cost analysis. Benefit-cost analysis (also referred to as cost-benefit analysis) is a well-established and widely-used form of economic evaluation. It is designed to inform policy and other decisions by providing evidence on the consequences of alternative interventions. In benefit-cost analysis, all…
Priority Setting/Ethics | Decision Analysis | Economics/Finance | Global | Policy/Regulation | Preferences/Values | Benefit-Cost Analysis | Social Determinants | Climate/Environment | Government/Law | Health/Medicine | College | Graduate | Doctoral | Professional | Critical Thinking/Analysis -
Working PaperPublication 2018Valuing Mortality Risk Reductions in Global Benefit-Cost Analysis
Increasing life expectancy is a major goal of many policies implemented around the world. As …
Increasing life expectancy is a major goal of many policies implemented around the world. As a result, the value of reducing mortality risk has been extensively studied and several organizations have developed recommendations for estimating these values in benefit-cost analysis. However, both the recommendations and the underlying research primarily address high-income settings, raising questions about the extent to which the results are applicable in low- and middle-income countries. The recommendations are also diverse, reflecting differing…
Priority Setting/Ethics | Decision Analysis | Economics/Finance | Global | Policy/Regulation | Preferences/Values | Health Outcomes | Benefit-Cost Analysis | Social Determinants | Health/Medicine -
Working PaperPublication 2018Valuing Nonfatal Health Risk Reductions
This paper explores approaches for valuing nonfatal risk reductions associated with policy choices in low- …
This paper explores approaches for valuing nonfatal risk reductions associated with policy choices in low- and middle-income countries. The approach for valuation ideally would be based on estimates of individuals’ willingness to pay for changes in their own risks. However, high quality valuation research is not available for many nonfatal conditions even in high-income settings. Typically, two approaches are used either alone or in combination as rough proxies. The first involves applying an estimate of…
Priority Setting/Ethics | Decision Analysis | Economics/Finance | Global | Policy/Regulation | Preferences/Values | Health Outcomes | Benefit-Cost Analysis | Social Determinants | Health/Medicine | Critical Thinking/Analysis -
ArticlePublication 2017Cost-Effectiveness of Testing and Treatment for Latent TB
Testing for and treating latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) is among the main strategies to achieve …
Testing for and treating latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) is among the main strategies to achieve TB elimination in the United States. This analysis estimated health outcomes, costs, and cost-effectiveness of LTBI testing and treatment among non-US born residents with and without medical comorbidities (e.g., diabetes, HIV infection, and end-stage renal disease). A decision analytic tree and Markov cohort simulation model was used to compare the following strategies: no testing, tuberculin skin test (TST), interferon gamma release assay…
State-Transition | Economics/Finance | North America | Global | Chronic Disease/Risk | Test Performance | Microsimulation | Cost-Effectiveness Analysis | Infectious Diseases | Health Systems | Health/Medicine -
Resource PackPublication, Teaching Resource 2017Resource Pack: U.S. Opioid Epidemic
Opioid misuse and addiction in the United States is an ongoing and rapidly evolving public …
Opioid misuse and addiction in the United States is an ongoing and rapidly evolving public health crisis, requiring an urgent coordinated response and innovative scientific solutions. This resource pack was curated for educators and students interested in how decision analytic methods and tools can be applied to the problem of opioid addiction.
Decision Analysis | Economics/Finance | North America | Policy/Regulation | Chronic Disease/Risk | Preferences/Values | Evidence Synthesis | Mathematical Models | Cost-Effectiveness Analysis | Mental Health | Social Determinants | Health Systems | Government/Law | Health/Medicine | College | Graduate | Doctoral | Professional | Critical Thinking/Analysis | Decision Making/Leadership | Policy Translation