Dictionary
The Dictionary provides concise definitions of health economics terms, arranged alphabetically for quick reference. Use it to understand unfamiliar terminology or confirm the meaning of a specific term.
P
- Peto TestPeto Log-Rank Test, Peto Method
- A Peto–Peto weighted test for comparing time-to-event distributions, using observed-versus-expected events with weights based on pooled survival that emphasize earlier event times.
- Pivotal TrialRegistration-Enabling Trial, Licensing Trial
- A trial, typically phase III, whose results form the primary basis for a regulatory approval decision, showing significant and meaningful efficacy.
- Positive Likelihood RatioLR+, Positive LR
- A diagnostic test measure expressing how much a positive result increases the odds that a patient truly has the condition tested for.
- Positive Predictive ValuePPV, True-Positive Share
- The probability that an individual with a positive diagnostic test result truly has the condition being tested for.
- Post-Test ProbabilityPost-Test Risk, Updated Diagnostic Probability
- The updated probability that a patient has a condition after a diagnostic test result is known, combining pre-test probability with the likelihood ratio.
- Pre-Test ProbabilityPrior Diagnostic Probability, Baseline Risk of Condition
- The estimated probability that a patient has a condition before a diagnostic test result is known, based on prevalence and clinical presentation.
- Precision TherapyMolecularly Targeted Treatment, Biomarker-Directed Therapy
- A treatment targeting a specific molecular or genetic feature of a patient's disease, closely related to personalised therapy but emphasising the biological targeting mechanism.
- PriceMarket Rate, Selling Amount
- The amount of money required to purchase a good or service in a market transaction.
- Primary Care CoverageGP Coverage, First-Contact Coverage
- A measure of the extent to which a population has access to basic, first-contact healthcare services, a foundational coverage indicator.
- Primary Care ModelPatient-Centred Medical Home, PCMH
- An organisational approach emphasising accessible, community-based, first-contact care as the health system's foundation, with primary care coordinating overall needs.
- Primary HealthcarePrimary Health Care, Comprehensive First-Level Care
- An approach to health system organisation emphasising accessible, community-based, first-contact care as the foundation of the entire system.
- Prophylactic TherapyChemoprevention Regimen, Preventive Drug Course
- Treatment given specifically to prevent a disease or complication before any evidence it has begun to develop, such as pre-surgical antibiotics.
Q
- Quality UncertaintyLemons Problem, Hidden-Quality Problem
- A condition in which buyers cannot reliably judge a good's quality before purchase, risking markets dominated by lower-quality offerings.
R
- Random Number GenerationRNG, Random Draw Generation
- Random number generation supplies the uncertain draws used in probabilistic sensitivity analysis, microsimulation, discrete-event simulation, bootstrap procedures, and other stochastic analyses.
- Rapid Cycle ImprovementRCI, Rapid-Cycle QI
- An approach emphasising testing small, incremental changes quickly through successive plan-do-study-act cycles, allowing rapid learning and adjustment.
- Recovery ModelRecovery Approach, Recovery-Oriented Care
- A mental health treatment approach emphasising a person's own goals, strengths, and capacity for a meaningful life, rather than symptom elimination alone.
- Registration TrialConfirmatory Licensing Trial, Approval Study
- A trial specifically designed to generate the evidence required for a regulatory marketing application, typically synonymous with a pivotal phase III trial.
- Regression TestingRe-Test Validation, Change-Verification Testing
- A verification technique re-running a previously validated set of test cases after a model has been modified, to confirm no new errors appeared.
- Rehabilitation Service CoverageRehab Benefit Coverage, PT-OT Coverage
- A measure of the extent to which a population has access to needed physical, occupational, and other rehabilitative healthcare services.
- Repeated Measures AnalysisRM-ANOVA, Within-Subject Analysis
- A statistical approach analysing data in which the same outcome has been measured multiple times on the same individuals, accounting for correlation.
- ReplicationSimulation Replications, Monte Carlo Runs
- Running multiple independent repetitions of a stochastic simulation, each with its own randomly sampled numbers, to estimate output variability and confidence intervals.
- Reservation PriceReserve Price, Maximum Acceptable Price
- The maximum price a buyer is willing to pay for a good or service before deciding not to purchase it at all.
- Retrospective PaymentRetrospective Reimbursement, Cost-Reimbursement Payment
- A methodology reimbursing a provider based on actual costs or charges incurred, determined after care has been provided, unlike prospective payment.
- Retrospective ReviewPost-Service Review, Look-Back Review
- A utilisation management assessment conducted after a service has been delivered, evaluating whether it was consistent with coverage criteria.
- Right CensoringRight-Censored Data, Type I Censoring
- The most common form of censoring, occurring when follow-up ends or a patient is lost before the event of interest has occurred.
S
- Salvage TherapySalvage Treatment, Late-Line Therapy
- Treatment given to patients whose disease has progressed or failed to respond despite prior standard treatment, typically a later line of therapy.
- Search GoodSearch Product, Inspection Good
- A good whose quality can be assessed by the consumer before purchase, unlike an experience good evaluated only after consumption.
- Second-Line TherapySecond-Line Treatment, 2L Therapy
- A treatment used after a patient's first-line treatment has failed to control disease adequately or has been discontinued due to intolerance.
- Self-Funded PlanSelf-Funded Health Plan, ASO Arrangement
- An arrangement where an employer itself assumes financial risk for employee healthcare claims, rather than purchasing a fully insured policy.
- Specialist Care CoverageSpecialist Coverage, Specialised Care Coverage
- A measure of the extent to which a population has access to needed specialised medical care beyond basic primary care.
- SpinResult Overstatement, Interpretation Bias
- The practice of presenting research results, especially non-significant primary outcomes, in a way that emphasises secondary findings to convey false favourability.
- Stable DiseaseSD, Disease Stability
- A standardised tumour response classification for a tumour that has neither shrunk enough for a partial response nor grown enough for progressive disease.
- Stop-Loss InsuranceExcess Loss Insurance, Loss-Cap Cover
- A reinsurance type purchased by self-insured employers to protect against unexpectedly high claims costs, from a single case or aggregate total.
- Subsidy DesignSubsidy Structuring, Grant Design
- The specific structure of a financial assistance programme, including eligibility criteria, subsidy amount, and how it phases out as income rises.
- Substitution EffectSubstitution Response, Relative-Price Effect
- The change in quantity of a good consumed that results purely from a change in its relative price, holding purchasing power constant.
- Summative EvaluationOutcome Evaluation, Summative Assessment
- An evaluation conducted after a programme has been fully implemented, intended to assess its overall effectiveness and inform a final judgement.
- Sunk CostUnrecoverable Cost, Retrospective Cost
- A cost that has already been incurred and cannot be recovered regardless of future decisions.
- Surgical Safety CoverageSurgical Safety Benefit, Safe-Surgery Cover
- A measure of the extent to which a population has access to safe surgical services, covering both availability and quality standards.
T
- Technology MaturityMaturity Stage, Technology Readiness
- The degree to which a technology has an established evidence base and standardised, predictable clinical use, unlike a newly emerging one.
- Test SetHoldout Set, Test Data
- A subset of data withheld from model building, used afterward to evaluate how well the model performs on data it has not seen.
- Thrombolysis EconomicsEconomics of Thrombolysis, Clot-Buster Economics
- The application of health economic evaluation to clot-dissolving medication used in emergency stroke and heart attack treatment, emphasising treatment speed.
- TIA EconomicsTransient Ischaemic Attack Economics, Mini-Stroke Economics
- The application of health economic evaluation to transient ischaemic attacks, brief stroke-like episodes warning of future stroke risk, emphasising rapid diagnosis.
- Time with SymptomsSymptomatic Time, Time in Symptomatic State
- A phase within the Q-TWiST framework representing the period during which a patient experiences symptoms of disease progression or treatment toxicity.
- Time Without Symptoms of ProgressionTWiST, Symptom-Free Progression-Free Time
- A phase within the Q-TWiST framework covering the period free of significant treatment toxicity or disease progression symptoms, typically weighted highest.
- Total Quality ManagementTQM, Organisation-Wide Quality Management
- A comprehensive organisational philosophy emphasising continuous improvement, customer focus, and employee engagement in identifying and addressing quality problems.
- Treatment Access
- A healthcare access dimension concerning patients' ability to obtain a needed treatment once a clinical decision has been made to pursue it.
U
- UnderinsuranceUnderinsured Status, Inadequate Coverage
- A situation where an individual has insurance that is insufficiently comprehensive to provide adequate financial protection, often from high deductibles or limited benefits.
V
- Vision Care CoverageEye Care Coverage, Optical Coverage
- A measure of the extent to which a population has access to needed eye care services, including vision correction.
- Volume DiscountQuantity Discount, Bulk Discount
- A price reduction offered based on the quantity of a product purchased, with larger volumes typically qualifying for a greater discount.
- Volume-Based PricingVolume Pricing, Quantity-Based Pricing
- A pricing structure where the price paid per unit depends on total quantity purchased or used, typically decreasing as volume increases.