Direct Measurement of Health Care Costs  

Oleh:

Smith, Mark W. ; Barnett, Paul G.

Jenis: Article from Journal - ilmiah internasional
Dalam koleksi: Medical Care Research and Review vol. 60 no. 3 (Sep. 2003), page 74S-91S.
Topik: cost and cost analysis; cost-benefit analysis; research design; data collection
Fulltext: 74SMCR60.3.pdf (93.05KB)

Isi artikel

Cost identification is fundamental to many economic analyses of health care. Health care costs are often derived from administrative databases. Unit costs may also be obtained from published studies. When these sources will not suffice (e.g., in evaluating interventions or programs), data may be gathered directly through observation and surveys. This article describes howto use direct measurement to estimate the cost of an intervention. The authors reviewthe elements of cost determination, including study perspective, the range of elements to measure, and short-run versus long-run costs. They then discuss the advantages and drawbacks of alternative direct measurement methods such as time-andmotion studies, activity logs, and surveys of patients and managers. A parsimonious data collection effort is desirable, although study hypotheses and perspective should guide the endeavor. Special reference is made to data sources within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health care system.

Opini Anda

Klik untuk menuliskan opini Anda tentang koleksi ini!

Kembali