| | Viewpoints
and Perspectives
There are four major
viewpoints from which an economic analysis can be performed:
- Society at large;
- Third-party payer
(including health insurance company and government agency);
- Health care provider
(e.g. health maintenance organization, clinic, hospital, clinician);
and
- The patient and
family.
The most comprehensive
viewpoint is that of society and includes the total economic
cost (i.e. opportunity cost) of the different components of society,
regardless of who bears this cost.
The third-party
payer is interested in only those costs that pertain to reimbursement
of the provider. From the payer's perspective, economic analyses
involve the series of medical expenses incurred and avoided as
a result of the health care intervention under scrutiny. Health
care costs not covered by the payer's programs, however, are not
considered in the evaluation. Direct nonmedical, indirect, and
intangible costs are also excluded.
The provider, such as a hospital, is primarily concerned
with direct medical costs that specifically affect its budget.
Other costs, such as direct nonmedical and indirect costs, are
not considered.
Costs to patients
and their families are what they pay for the given health care
interventions (i.e. the amount not covered by health insurance).
Other patient costs could include time lost from work and such
intangible costs as adverse reactions to therapy.
|