Merging epidemiology research and health economics for Health Technology
Assessment, in the Real World
Abstract
The need for economic evaluation of new health care technologies,
especially in the modern world era, is undisputable. Economic evidence
alongside clinical evidence are the two main pillars of the Health
Technology Assessment (HTA), a process which is followed for
reimbursement medical technologies and budget allocation decisions. The
role of epidemiological research is essential in obtaining the necessary
data for the development of the economic evaluations. In this review
paper, we adopt a stepwise approach, based on current guidelines for
conducting economic evaluation (both budget impact and cost
effectiveness analyses) for highlighting the need for modern
epidemiological methods and tools in such a process. Epidemiological
studies provide the data for the eligible patient population, the
prevalence and incidence of disease, treatment effectiveness and health
care resource utilization; these, in turn, are synthesized in an
appropriate framework, together with real world data, for assisting in
the budget allocation decisions.