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
- Aortic Aneurysm Economics
- The application of health economic evaluation to screening, monitoring, and repair of aortic aneurysms, often comparing open surgical against endovascular treatment.
B
- Breast Cancer Screening
- A public health strategy using mammography and other imaging to detect breast cancer in asymptomatic women at defined age-based intervals.
C
- Cancer Epidemiology
- A branch of epidemiology studying the distribution, causes, and patterns of cancer occurrence, including risk factors and prevention or screening strategies.
- Cancer Screening
- A public health strategy testing asymptomatic individuals for early cancer signs, aiming to detect disease before it becomes symptomatic and harder to treat.
- Cancer Screening Coverage
- A measure of the proportion of an eligible population receiving recommended cancer screening tests, an indicator of preventive service access.
- Cancer Screening Economics
- The application of health economic evaluation to cancer screening programmes across cancer types, comparing intervals, modalities, and eligible population definitions.
- Cardiovascular Risk Screening
- A population strategy assessing individuals for risk factors, such as blood pressure and cholesterol, to identify who would benefit from preventive intervention.
- Cervical Cancer Screening
- A public health strategy using cytology or HPV testing to detect precancerous changes or early cervical cancer, credited with substantially reducing incidence.
- Colorectal Cancer Screening
- A public health strategy using colonoscopy or stool-based testing to detect colorectal cancer or precancerous polyps in asymptomatic individuals.
- Colorectal Economics
- The application of health economic evaluation to conditions affecting the colon and rectum, spanning cancer screening, inflammatory bowel disease, and diverticular disease.
- Cvd Screening Economics
- The application of health economic evaluation to cardiovascular screening programmes for asymptomatic populations, accounting for both true and false test results.
D
- Diabetes Screening
- Testing conducted to identify people with undiagnosed diabetes or at high risk, typically targeting populations with known risk factors.
E
- Early Detection
- The identification of a disease, most commonly cancer, at an earlier stage than would otherwise occur, typically through screening or symptom awareness.
G
- Genetic Screening
- The systematic testing of individuals or populations for genetic variants associated with disease risk, to identify who may benefit from targeted prevention or treatment.
- Genetics Economics
- The application of health economic evaluation to the broader implications of genetic testing and medicine, covering screening, diagnosis, and treatment strategies.
H
- Hepatitis Economics
- The application of health economic evaluation to viral and non-viral liver inflammation, covering screening, antiviral treatment, and long-term liver damage management.
- Hit Identification
- An early drug discovery stage identifying initial candidate compounds, called hits, showing biological activity against a target, typically via large-scale screening.
- HPV Economics
- The application of health economic evaluation to human papillomavirus infection and its associated cancers, covering vaccination and cervical screening strategies.
L
- Lead Identification
- An early drug discovery stage in which promising compounds from initial screening are characterised and prioritised for further development based on potency and selectivity.
- Lead Time Bias
- A bias in screening evaluations where earlier diagnosis appears to extend survival but only lengthens awareness of diagnosis, without delaying underlying disease progression.
- Length Bias
- A bias in screening evaluations arising because screening preferentially detects slower-growing cases that stay detectable longer, while aggressive cases are more often missed.
- Lung Cancer Screening
- A public health strategy using low-dose CT imaging to detect lung cancer in individuals with a significant smoking history, at an earlier stage.
M
- Mass Screening
- A screening programme offered to an entire defined population regardless of individual risk factors, unlike targeted screening of higher-risk subgroups.
- Monitoring Cost
- The expense of tracking a patient's treatment response and screening for adverse effects, covering laboratory tests, imaging, and clinical visits.
- Morris Method
- A global sensitivity analysis technique efficiently screening many input parameters for negligible, linear, or interactive effects, using relatively few model runs.
N
- Newborn Screening
- A public health programme testing newborns shortly after birth for serious, typically treatable conditions before symptoms would otherwise appear.
- Number Needed to ScreenNNS
- The number of individuals who would need screening for a condition to prevent one adverse outcome, based on prevalence and programme effectiveness.
O
- Obstetrics Economics
- The application of health economic evaluation to pregnancy and childbirth care, covering prenatal screening, labour and delivery, and postpartum care.
- Oncology Economics
- The broad application of health economic evaluation to cancer prevention, screening, diagnosis, and treatment.
- Opportunistic Screening
- A screening approach offering testing when an individual happens to present for an unrelated visit, rather than through systematic invitation.
- Osteoporosis Economics
- The application of health economic evaluation to osteoporosis, covering screening, preventive medication, and fracture prevention in at-risk populations.
P
- Patient Recruitment Cost
- The expense of identifying, screening, and enrolling eligible participants into a clinical trial, a significant and often underestimated component of trial cost.
- Prenatal Screening
- Testing conducted during pregnancy to assess the risk of genetic conditions or birth defects, informing further diagnostic testing or pregnancy management.
- Prevention Policy
- Government or organisational policy specifically aimed at preventing disease onset or progression, spanning immunisation, screening, and health promotion.
- Preventive Intervention
- Any programme or treatment intended to prevent disease onset or progression, spanning vaccination, screening, and lifestyle modification.
- Process Quality Indicator
- A measurable metric assessing whether recommended, evidence-based care steps were actually delivered to eligible patients, such as preventive screening rates.
- Prostate Cancer Screening
- A public health strategy using PSA blood testing to detect prostate cancer in asymptomatic men, debated given the risk of overdiagnosis.
S
- Screening
- The process of assessing potential trial participants against a study's eligibility criteria to determine whether they qualify for enrolment.
- Screening Analysis
- A preliminary sensitivity analysis technique efficiently identifying which of many input parameters meaningfully influence a model's output, for more detailed follow-up analysis.
- Screening Economics
- The application of health economic evaluation to programmes testing asymptomatic individuals for early disease signs, from cancer to cardiovascular risk factors.
- Screening in Insurance
- A process where an insurer designs a menu of policy options intended to lead individuals to reveal their private risk information through their own choice.
- Screening Policy
- Government or health system policy governing which population screening programmes will be offered and funded, informed by health economic evaluation.
- Screening ProgrammeScreening Program
- An organised public health initiative systematically testing an eligible population for early disease signs, before symptoms would otherwise prompt care-seeking.
- Screening Theory
- A body of theory analysing how an uninformed party can design a menu of options that leads individuals to reveal their private information through choice.
T
- Targeted Screening
- A screening approach offering testing specifically to individuals identified as higher risk for a condition, rather than an entire general population.
- Tuberculosis Economics
- The application of health economic evaluation to tuberculosis, covering screening, prolonged multi-drug treatment, and growing drug-resistant strain challenges.