As the conduct of health economic evaluations to inform health budget decision-making becomes more common, the special challenges of measuring costs and health consequences in children, from neonate to adolescent, have become increasingly evident. It is imperative that these challenges be considered so that high quality child health evidence may be generated and this population can be included in evidence-based allocation decisions. This book is divided into three sections: Methods, Applications, and Using evidence for decision-making, with chapters contributed by international experts. The Me ... More

As the conduct of health economic evaluations to inform health budget decision-making becomes more common, the special challenges of measuring costs and health consequences in children, from neonate to adolescent, have become increasingly evident. It is imperative that these challenges be considered so that high quality child health evidence may be generated and this population can be included in evidence-based allocation decisions. This book is divided into three sections: Methods, Applications, and Using evidence for decision-making, with chapters contributed by international experts. The Methods section presents detailed discussions of measuring lifetime costs and consequences, capturing productivity losses, obtaining unbiased self- and proxy reports, incorporating externalities, choosing valid outcome measures, assessing utility and quality of life, and designing studies using value of information. The Applications section reviews economic evidence in common childhood conditions and areas of investigation, including newborn screening, harm prevention, mental health services, brain injury, asthma, and immunization. The final section explores the use of economic evidence in decision-making, and includes descriptions of the WHO-CHOICE approach, the role of clinical research, how to value health gains by children, and the emerging field of pediatric health technology assessment. In addition to an emphasis on methods, a deliberate effort was made to include issues relevant to developing countries, where the burden of childhood disease is greatest, and for whom high quality economic evidence is critical.