Resources Repository
-
ReviewPublication 2015Agent-Based Models and Microsimulation
This article reviews the principles and applications of agent-based models (ABMs). ABMs are computational models …
This article reviews the principles and applications of agent-based models (ABMs). ABMs are computational models used to simulate the actions and interactions of “agents” within a system. Usually, each agent has a set of rules for how he or she responds to the environment and to other agents. These models are used to gain insight into the emergent behavior of complex systems with many agents, in which the emergent behavior depends upon the micro-level behavior…
Energy/Engineering | Mathematical Models | State-Transition | Microsimulation | Dynamic Simulation | Health/Medicine | Military/Defense | Science/Technology -
ReviewPublication 2015Medicare's Use of CEA for Prevention (But Not Treatment)
Medicare currently pays for 23 preventive services in its benefits package, the majority of which …
Medicare currently pays for 23 preventive services in its benefits package, the majority of which were added since 2005. In the past decade, the program has transformed from one essentially administering treatment claims, to one increasingly focused on health promotion and maintenance. What is largely unappreciated is the role cost-effectiveness analysis has played in the coverage of preventive services. This study reviews the role of cost-effectiveness analysis in Medicare coverage of preventive services and contrast it…
Economics/Finance | Priority Setting/Ethics | Cost-Effectiveness Analysis | Technology Assessment | Infectious Diseases | Child/Nutrition | Chronic Disease/Risk | Health Systems | Policy/Regulation | Government/Law | Health/Medicine | North America -
ReviewPublication 2014Valuing Vaccination
Vaccination has led to remarkable health gains over the last century. However, large coverage gaps …
Vaccination has led to remarkable health gains over the last century. However, large coverage gaps remain, which will require significant financial resources and political will to address. In recent years, a compelling line of inquiry has established the economic benefits of health, at both the individual and aggregate levels. Most existing economic evaluations of particular health interventions fail to account for this new research, leading to potentially sizable undervaluation of those interventions. In line with…
Economics/Finance | Preferences/Values | Priority Setting/Ethics | Costing Methods | Benefit-Cost Analysis | Infectious Diseases | Health Systems | Health/Medicine | Global -
ReviewPublication 2013Role of Health Economic Analyses in Vaccine Decision Making
Beginning in the 20th century with the consideration of the seven-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine in …
Beginning in the 20th century with the consideration of the seven-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine in the US, cost effectiveness became a topic of discussion when a vaccine was being considered for universal use by the US Advisory Committee on Immunization practices (ACIP). In 2008, the ACIP began using formal criteria for the presentation of such data and their inclusion in ACIP discussions. More recently, the U.S. Institute of Medicine has recommended that health economic considerations play a…
Economics/Finance | Priority Setting/Ethics | Cost-Effectiveness Analysis | Infectious Diseases | Health Systems | Health/Medicine | North America -
ReviewPublication 2013Valuing the Economic Benefits of Complex Interventions
This is a review of economic evaluations of complex health interventions. Complex interventions, involving interlinked …
This is a review of economic evaluations of complex health interventions. Complex interventions, involving interlinked packages of care, challenge the application of current methods of economic evaluation that focus on measuring only health gain. The authors find that complex interventions may be problematic on two levels. First, the complexity means the intervention may not fit into one of the current appraisal systems, and/or second, maximizing health is not the only objective. This paper discusses the…
Economics/Finance | Preferences/Values | Decision Analysis | Health Systems | Policy/Regulation | Government/Law | Health/Medicine | Science/Technology | Europe -
ReviewPublication 2013Public Health Economics: Review of Guidance for Economic Evaluation
This is a systematic review of published guidance for the economic evaluation of public health …
This is a systematic review of published guidance for the economic evaluation of public health interventions. Public Health Economics is the science and art of supporting decision making as to how society can use its available resources to advance health, and minimize opportunity cost. In this review, the authors identified 5 international guidance documents, 7 UK guidance documents and 4 documents by individual commentators. The papers reviewed identify the main methodological challenges that face analysts…
Economics/Finance | Priority Setting/Ethics | Costing Methods | Cost-Effectiveness Analysis | Health Systems | Policy/Regulation | Health/Medicine | Science/Technology | Europe -
ReviewPublication 2011Simulation Models of Obesity: A Review of the Literature
Simulation models combine information from a variety of sources to provide a useful tool for …
Simulation models combine information from a variety of sources to provide a useful tool for examining how the effects of obesity unfold over time and impact population health. They can aid in the understanding of the complex interaction of the drivers of diet and activity and their relation to health outcomes. This paper provided an overview of different types of simulation models used to evaluate the potential impact of policies to address the obesity epidemic.…
Economics/Finance | Mathematical Models | State-Transition | Microsimulation | Calibration/Validation | Decision Analysis | Cost-Effectiveness Analysis | Child/Nutrition | Chronic Disease/Risk | Food/Agriculture | Health/Medicine -
ReviewPublication 2006Ethical Issues in Resource Allocation, Research, and New Product Development
Ethical dilemmas arising in setting priorities among interventions and among individuals in need of care …
Ethical dilemmas arising in setting priorities among interventions and among individuals in need of care are most acute when needs are great and resources few. This chapter from the Disease Control Priorities in Developing Countries 2nd edition addresses some of these concerns, identifying some of the principal ethical issues that arise in the development and allocation of effective interventions for developing countries and discussing some alternative resolutions. Resource allocation in health and elsewhere should satisfy two main…
Culture/Society | Preferences/Values | Priority Setting/Ethics | Cost-Effectiveness Analysis | Government/Law | Health/Medicine | Science/Technology -
ReviewPublication 2006Public Health Policy for Cervical Cancer Prevention: Decision Science, Economic Evaluation, & Mathematical Modeling
Several factors are changing the landscape of cervical cancer control, including a better understanding of …
Several factors are changing the landscape of cervical cancer control, including a better understanding of the natural history of human papillomavirus (HPV), reliable assays for detecting high-risk HPV infections, and a soon to be available HPV-16/18 vaccine. There are important differences in the relevant policy questions for different settings. By synthesizing and integrating the best available data, the use of modeling in a decision analytic framework can identify those factors most likely to influence outcomes,…
Economics/Finance | Mathematical Models | Decision Analysis | Cost-Effectiveness Analysis | Infectious Diseases | Chronic Disease/Risk | Health/Medicine | Science/Technology | Global