Director, JH & McGuire, A 1991, 'Health economics in Australia', Australian Journal of Public Health, vol. 15, no. 2, pp. 78-89.
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Dwyer, T, Viney, R & Jones, M 1991, 'Assessing School Health Education Programs', International Journal of Technology Assessment in Health Care, vol. 7, no. 3, pp. 286-295.
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AbstractThis review focuses on the component of health education directed at achieving changes in health behavior. Much of the work in this field has centered on health behavior that has a role in preventing future disease. Because the evidence is strongest in relation to coronary heart disease (17), considerable effort has been devoted to this area. Walter et ai. (34) indicated that the most relevant forms of health behavior to be considered in school-based programs on heart disease are those relating to diet, physical activity, and smoking. Programs relating to each of these behaviors are addressed here.
MOONEY, G, HALL, J, DONALDSON, C & GERARD, K 1991, 'UTILIZATION AS A MEASURE OF EQUITY - WEIGHING HEAT', JOURNAL OF HEALTH ECONOMICS, vol. 10, no. 4, pp. 475-480.
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Viney, R, Keith, A, Williams, P & Laffey, J 1991, 'Case payment: a New South Wales perspective.', Aust Health Rev, vol. 14, no. 3, pp. 235-244.
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This paper addresses the role of casemix systems within the NSW public health system. In NSW, Areas and Regions are funded according to a casemix modified population-based funding formula (Resource Allocation Formula). The RAF is compared with case payment as a means of funding hospitals. It is argued that because of the current shortcomings in casemix funding, including output orientation, inapplicability to ambulatory and non-acute inpatients, and limited scope for global expenditure control, case payment should not be introduced as the mechanism for funding hospitals. However, it is recognised that there is scope to combine population-based funding at area/region level, with case payment to individual agencies.
Donaldson, C & Hall, J CHERE 1991, Economic evaluation of health care Guidelines for costing, CHERE Discussion Paper No 1, Sydney.
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While there are many published economic evaluations of health care, few allow the reader to understand the practice of costing health care programmes. The aim of this document is to fill this gap. In the document, the principles of how to cost health care for economic evaluation are outlined. Hypothetical and published examples are used to illustrate these principles. First, the economic concept of opportunity cost is defined. Secondly, the techniques of economic evaluation which follow from this definition are introduced: they are cost-benefit analysis, cost-effectiveness analysis and cost-utility analysis. Thirdly, a list of costs which should be considered for inclusion in either of these types of evaluation is provided, this listing being based on the concept of opportunity cost. Problems of measurement and valuation of costs are then outlined, focussing in particular on inflation, discounting, marginal costing, patient-based versus per diem costing, allocating overheads, costing capital and equipment and adjusting distorted market valuations. An example of sensitivity analysis is provided before concluding with a checklist of questions to ask when setting up any costing exercise within an economic evaluation. In the document, a companion volume on measuring benefits of health care for economic evaluation is referred to. This is published as CHERE Discussion Paper No. 2. It is important to read both of these, as consideration of costs without benefits or benefits without costs does not represent valid economic evaluation.
Hall, J & Mooney, G CHERE 1991, Estimating benefits for economic evaluation, CHERE Discussion Paper No 2, Sydney.
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This discussion paper provides an introduction to the estimation of benefits in economic evaluation. The concept of benefits, as something worth making a sacrifice to obtain, is explained. The issue of what the benefits of health care is discussed. Methods for the identification of benefits are described. Two approaches to valuing human life, human capital and willingness to pay are considered. A more recent development in health economics is the estimation of benefits using Quality Adjusted Life Years, or QALYs. QALY methodology is described. Finally a checklist of questions is provided to ask when setting up or reading an economic evaluation. The companion paper to this, Economic Evaluation of Health Care: Guidelines for Costing, has been published as CHERE Discussion Paper No. 1
