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Cost Utility Analyses in International Disaster Responses—Where Are They?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 May 2012

Richard Zoraster
Richard Zoraster*
Affiliation:
Office of Public Health Studies and Department of Surgery, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HawaiiUSA
*
Correspondence: Richard Zoraster, MD, MPH Office of Public Health Studies and Department of Surgery John A. Burns School of Medicine University of Hawaii 651 Ilalo Street, MEB Honolulu, HI 96813 USA E-mail rzoraster@yahoo.com
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Abstract

International health care providers have flocked to Haiti and other disaster-affected countries in record numbers. Anecdotal articles often give “body counts” to describe what was accomplished, followed months later by articles suggesting outcomes could have been better. Mention will be made that various interventions were “expensive,” or not the best use of limited funds. But there is very little science to post-intervention evaluations, especially with regard to the value for the money spent. This is surprising, because a large body of literature exists with regard to the Cost Utility Analysis (CUA) of health care interventions. Applying reproducible metrics to disaster interventions will help improve performance.

This study will: (1) introduce and explain basic CUA; (2) review why the application of CUA is difficult in disaster settings; (3) consider how disasters may be unique with regard to CUA; (4) demonstrate past and theoretical utilization of CUA in disaster settings; and (5) suggest future utilization of CUA by healthcare providers in Disaster Response.

Zoraster R. Cost utility analyses in international disaster responses—where are they? Prehosp Disaster Med. 2012;27(2):1-6.

Keywords

Cost Utility AnalysisCUADALYDisability Adjusted Life Yearshealth metrics
Type
Special Report
Information
Prehospital and Disaster Medicine , Volume 27 , Issue 2 , April 2012 , pp. 198 - 203
Copyright
Copyright © World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine 2012

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