Health economic measures in schizophrenia research.

BACKGROUND It is essential in economic evaluations of schizophrenia interventions that all relevant costs are identified and measured appropriately. Also of importance is the way in which cost data are combined with information on outcomes. AIMS To examine the use of health economics in evaluations of interventions for schizophrenia. METHODS A review of the key methods used to estimate costs and to linkcosts and outcomes was conducted. RESULTS Costs fall on a number of different agencies and can be short term or long term. Cost-effectiveness analysis and cost-utility analysis are the most appropriate methods for combing cost and outcome data. CONCLUSIONS Schizophrenia poses a number of challenges for economic evaluation.