evaluating the costs of a treatment begs the question: why assess a treatment economically? Professor Guest’s response to this question sums it up well: “there have to be some criteria against which governments decide to allocate limited resources and money is one such criterion.” similarly, tan et al5 comment that economic evaluation “can play a useful role in assisting decision-makers, manage...

OBJECTIVE To determine the annual direct, indirect and total costs and predictors of costs in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). METHODS One hundred and five patients with SLE completed questionnaires on health-care utilization and employment history. Predictors of costs were determined by multiple regression analyses using direct, indirect and total costs as outcome variables....

This chapter focuses on costing methods usually applied in cost analysis and health-related economic evaluations. The quality of an economic evaluation depends on the quality and precision of data collection and on transparency and comprehensivenness of costing resources. Costs, from an economic perspective, are related to opportunity costs; this economic conceptualization is different from a f...

The medical and societal impact of arthritis and other rheumatic conditions (AORC) has been characterized with respect to disability, ambulatory care, hospitalization, and economic burden. CDC's estimates of the national and state-specific costs of AORC in the United States in 1997 have been published previously. However, CDC has re-estimated indirect costs by enhancing the statistical methods....

OBJECTIVE To quantify the economic impact of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) on the employer. METHODS Data were collected from 374 women aged 18-45 with regular menses. Direct costs were quantified using administrative claims of these patients and the Medicare Fee Schedule. Indirect costs were quantified by both self-reported days of work missed and lost productivity at work. Regression analyses ...