Importance Of Economic Evaluations Research Articles

Towards cost-effective soil microbial fuel cell designs

Soil microbial fuel cell (SMFC) is a carbon-neutral energy harvesting technology that exploits the use of electroactive bacteria naturally present in soil to directly generate electricity from organic compounds. Given the simplicity of the system design, SMFCs have great potential to be used for decentralised solutions, especially in areas where access to conventional energy sources is limited. Yet, the high cost to power ratio severely limits the translation of this technology into the market. With the aim of reducing the capital cost, in this study we explore the effect of decreasing the amounts of current collector (CC) on the performance. The results demonstrate that increasing the amount of current collector per surface area of the electrode is not a feasible way of enhancing power densities, as to increase the performance by 20% and 35%, the amount of current collector would have to be increased by 150% and 300%, respectively. This highlights the importance of economic evaluations when optimising the design of a SMFC.

Unit Costs and Its Drivers for Hypertension Treatment in Emergency Department of Muhimbili National Referral Hospital in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania

Importance of economic evaluations in public sectors cannot be over emphasized as now when funding is scarce especially the health sector which is regarded as a consumer. Objective was to evaluate the unit costs of Hypertension and treatment and their drivers in Muhimbili National Hospital (MNH), Tanzania A cross-sectional descriptive hospital-based (direct cost-provider perspective) study was carried out from July to Sept 2020 in Emergency Department of MNH. The study horizon and analytical horizon were both one year (January to December 2019). Costing of materials, diagnosis and invested time were estimated from patient’s electronic files. Treatment information and analysis were done using Microsoft excel for quantitative data. Bottom up approach was used to arrive at the total and unit cost of the health conditions. Estimated unit cost for treating hypertension was TZS 165,465 where main cost driver was length of stay, which drove the providers cost. Sensitivity analysis showed that, cost of health personnels is the driver of unit cost for hypertension treatment. Furthermore the high cost was due to higher waiting times patients spend while seeking treatment and that reduction of the average length of stay by 50% resulted in 50% reduction in the unit cost of treating hypertension. Unit cost for providing treatment to hypertensive patients is high. Annual unit cost studies should precede budgeting and pricing for services offered by the department so as to optimize cost of providing services. Prioritizing preventive services especially annual health checks could lower curative services costs

Economische evaluaties aan de tand gevoeld: belang en toepassing in de mondzorg

Health economics deals with issues about the use of scarce resources in healthcare. An important branch of health economics concerns economic evaluations, which consist of a comparison of the costs and effects of 2 or more treatments. The role and importance of economic evaluations in oral care are increasing but are not yet as evident as in other areas of healthcare (such as pharmacy). An economic evaluation provides a broad picture of the costs and health benefits of a particular diagnostic or treatment strategy, resulting in a cost-effectiveness ratio (expressed, for example, as costs per quality-adjusted life year gained). The results are intended for use in policy-making, such as decisions about in- or exclusion from the basic benefits package. To date, only a limited number of economic evaluations of oral care have been carried out, mainly focused on caries. It is important to be able to demonstrate that the treatment provided in oral care is cost-effective. Oral care may put itself in a vulnerable position in the distribution of scarce resources when the costeffectiveness of its treatments is uncertain.

Economic evaluations of health technologies in Dutch healthcare decision-making: a qualitative study of the current and potential use, barriers, and facilitators

BackgroundThe use of economic evaluations in healthcare decision-making can potentially help decision-makers in allocating scarce resources as efficiently as possible. Over a decade ago, the use of such studies was found to be limited in Dutch healthcare decision-making, but their current use is unknown. Therefore, this study aimed to provide insight into the current and potential use of economic evaluations in Dutch healthcare decision-making and to identify barriers and facilitators to the use of such studies.MethodsInterviews containing semi-structured and structured questions were conducted among Dutch healthcare decision-makers. Participants were purposefully selected and special efforts were made to include decision-makers working at the macro- (national), meso- (local/regional), and micro-level (patient setting). During the interviews, a topic list was used that was based on the research questions and a literature search, and was developed in consultation with the Dutch National Healthcare Institute. Responses to the semi-structured questions were analyzed using a constant comparative approach. As for the structured questions, participants’ definitions of various economic evaluation concepts were scored as either being “correct” or “incorrect” by two researchers, and summary statistics were prepared.ResultsSixteen healthcare decision-makers were interviewed and two health economists. Decision-makers’ knowledge of economic evaluations was only modest, and their current use appeared to be limited. Nonetheless, decision-makers recognized the importance of economic evaluations and saw several opportunities for extending their use at the macro- and meso-level, but not at the micro-level. The disparity between the limited use and recognition of the importance of economic evaluations is likely due to the many barriers decision-makers experience preventing their use (e.g. lack of resources, lack of formal willingness-to-pay threshold). Possible facilitators for extending the use of economic evaluations include, amongst others, educating decision-makers and the general population about economic evaluations and presenting economic evaluation results in a clearer and more understandable way.ConclusionsThis study demonstrated that the current use and impact of economic evaluations in Dutch healthcare decision-making is limited at best. Therefore, strategies are needed to overcome the barriers that currently prevent economic evaluations from being used extensively.

Increasing decision-makers' access to economic evaluations: Alternative methods of communicating the information

Although the importance of economic evaluations is recognized, research suggests the ways in which studies are summarized may not be optimal for a busy decision maker with little training in economics methodology. Therefore, the objective of this study was to seek decision makers' views on different summary formats, including a score, short summary, and structured abstracts of different degrees of detail. We contacted 2,400 people, of which 84 decision makers volunteered and were presented, cumulatively, with different formats and asked whether these provided sufficient detail on the methodology and results of an economic study. From the fifty decision makers who responded to the questionnaire, it was found that the preferred combination was a very short summary, plus a more detailed structured abstract. It was also found that decision makers with economics training preferred the most detailed format, partly reflecting their reasons for consulting economic evaluations. Decision makers require both an initial screen of study content, plus more detail should they find the study relevant or interesting.

Economic Modelling a Game of Chance

Abstract The requirements for project evaluation and acquisition analysis grow more complex daily, and demand the use of sophisticated computer assistance. What farm do the systems and models take? Can they really predict the future? The author sets "out a scenario for the use of computer models in this field and, while recognizing their value, cautions that such systems are only extensions of their human creators. As such, they contain not only the rigidity of machines, but also the fallibility of homo sapiens. INTRODUCTION The Rules of the Game In 1866, William Gladstone addressed Parliament with the words, "You cannot fight against the future. Time is on our side." Just over a century later, the future is certainly no more amenable to control, but there is a considerable question as to whether time is on our side. We are in an era of energy mega-projects the lifespans of which can exceed the working lives of those mortals who initiate them. The destinies of many corporations are entwined with these ventures into the uncharted future, and the risks are copious enough to test the most resilient captains of industry. This situation has in turn created a sharp increase in the importance of economic evaluations using advanced computer systems: a development which may" have far-reaching consequences for the traditional engineering role in projects. To see what is happening, consider some of the following points: The construction of an oil sands plant later in this decade may require average disbursements of around, eight million dollars per day during peak construction years. It may take six years from first production until the capital expenditure has been recovered (eleven years after detailed engineering design is completed), and this is against a background of reasonably proven technology and experience from two working oil sands plants. Estimates of Beaufort Sea and East Coast developments provide similarly mind-numbing statistics. Even these projections are made within a "comfort zone" which excludes such assumptions as wars or major catastrophes, wide divergences in price versus cost inflation or social revolution which might damage the fabric of free enterprise beyond repair. Thus, the worst ravages of the future are instantly negated by the elementary assumption that economic variables must be constrained within boundaries established by our current experience. Proponents of "Murphy"s Law" are silenced by the wisdom that major diversions from economically reasonable assumptions will either be offset by man"s infinite capacity to survive or we all go down the tube together (a convenient but hardly comforting, point to begin). Having defined the boundaries for our projections of future possibilities, we have to face up to reality number two: the rules of this game are complex and never static. As a starting point, we have a fundamental equation: Profit = Revenue - Costs - Taxation However, a glimpse at Figure I will show that this particular game is run by the state, and the house advantages are several.

EVALUATION OF THE OLDMAN RIVER BASIN IRRIGATION PROPOSALS: IMPLICATIONS FOR INTERBASIN TRANSFERS

This paper is a review and assessment of the Oldman River Basin Study, Phase II economic evaluation. Emphasis is placed upon the role and importance of economic evaluations for water resources plannings and the implications for interbasin transfers are discussed. There are two issues which cast doubt on the purported economic merits of development alternatives in the Oldman Basin as identified in that study. The first issue is the improper inclusion of secondary benefits arising from increased regional employment. The second issue is the assumed zero opportunity cost of extra capital and labour required when shifting from dryland to irrigated agricultural land use. Adjustment for these two factors render benefit-cost ratios less than one thus raising some question about the merits of the Oldman irrigation proposals in terms of economic efficiency. Any assessment of future water development or diversion proposals should take these two factors into account.