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.
A
- Advanced Cost Analysis
- A cost analysis applying sophisticated methods, such as microcosting or bottom-up resource valuation, to estimate resources consumed by an intervention.
- Applied Cost Analysis
- A cost analysis carried out within a specific programme or clinical setting rather than as a general methodological exercise.
C
- Clinical Cost Analysis
- A cost analysis focused on the resources consumed within a specific clinical pathway or treatment protocol.
- Clinical Trial Economics Oncology
- The application of clinical trial cost analysis to oncology research, characterised by complex trial designs using biomarker-based selection and extended follow-up.
- Comparative Cost Analysis
- A cost analysis that evaluates resource use across two or more treatments, providers, or settings rather than in isolation.
- Comprehensive Cost Analysis
- A cost analysis that captures direct medical, direct non-medical, and indirect costs at once rather than a single category.
- Contemporary Cost Analysis
- A cost analysis based on current prices, wage rates, and delivery patterns rather than historical cost data.
- Cost Analysis
- A study that estimates the resources consumed by a health intervention without relating those costs to health outcomes.
E
- Emerging Cost Analysis
- A cost analysis applied to a newly introduced technology or care model for which established costing conventions have not yet been developed.
- Essential Cost Analysis
- A cost analysis restricted to the core categories of resource use needed to answer a specific budgetary question.
- Evidence-Based Cost Analysis
- A cost analysis grounded in observed resource utilisation data rather than assumption or extrapolation.
- Experimental Cost Analysis
- A cost analysis conducted alongside a clinical trial, capturing resource use data prospectively rather than retrospectively from routine practice.
F
- Foundational Cost Analysis
- The core methodological approach to estimating resources consumed by a health intervention, distinct from cost-effectiveness or cost-utility analysis.
- Fundamental Cost Analysis
- A cost analysis limited to the most basic categories of direct medical cost, without extension into indirect or intangible categories.
I
- Integrated Cost Analysis
- A cost analysis that combines data from multiple sources, such as claims, clinical records, and patient surveys, into a single costing exercise.
- International Cost Analysis
- A cost analysis comparing resource use and costs across countries with different health systems and price levels.
M
- Modern Cost Analysis
- A cost analysis incorporating current data sources, such as electronic health records and administrative claims, into estimating resource use.
N
- Novel Cost Analysis
- A cost analysis applying a costing method not previously used for a given intervention type, developed when resource use fits no established category.
O
- Opportunity Cost Analysis
- A form of analysis explicitly estimating the health or value forgone elsewhere in a system when resources are allocated to a specific intervention.
P
- Practical Cost Analysis
- A cost analysis designed to produce a directly usable estimate for budgeting or planning purposes, prioritising feasibility over methodological completeness.
S
- Standard Cost Analysis
- A cost analysis conducted using conventional, widely accepted costing methodology, serving as the baseline for more specialised approaches.
- Strategic Cost Analysis
- A cost analysis conducted to inform long-term resource allocation or planning decisions rather than an immediate budgetary question.
- Systematic Cost Analysis
- A cost analysis conducted through a structured, replicable process, often synthesising cost data across multiple studies or settings.