The Office of Health Economics (OHE) today released the third edition of its popular primer, Health Economics: An Introduction to Economic Evaluation, authored by Gisela Kobelt who has extensive hands-on experience in the field. What distinguishes this book from other such reviews are its fifteen concrete "study examples," which focus on pharmaceuticals.
The book traces the development of the field of health technology assessment (HTA), discusses current requirements for HTA in a number of health care systems around the world, and offers guidance as to which approach is appropriate in what situations. The study examples highlight the challenges that various approaches must overcome in application and suggest solutions. Included are cost-of-illness studies, cost-minimization analysis, cost-effectiveness analysis, cost-utility analysis and cost-benefit analysis.
The value of the primer is highlighted by the continuing popularity of the second edition, even after a decade. Adrian Towse, Director of the OHE, said: "We are excited to offer this expanded and updated third edition, which will attract a wide audience. Written in an accessible style, it will provide important background both for those who undertake evaluations and those who use them in decision making in the public and private sectors. We also expect the guide to be valuable for policy makers and health care policy analysts who wish to know more about HTA and its proper uses."
Effects of varying COVID-19 vaccination rates on population-level health outcomes across variant waves in the U.S.