Economic Evaluation Report: Evaluation of DOH Anxiety Free Program

This report presents an economic evaluation of a healthcare program, specifically focusing on the 'Anxiety Free' program aimed at secondary school students. The evaluation employs a Cost Utility Analysis (CUA) to assess the program's effectiveness in addressing anxiety. The report details the need for economic evaluation in healthcare, emphasizing its role in maximizing benefits and containing costs. It outlines the research questions, including the comparison of self-help therapy versus low-cost clinical treatment, and justifies the chosen time frame for the study. The report also identifies and assesses various resources within healthcare, other sectors, patient care, and productivity loss categories. Furthermore, it analyzes the strategies used for collecting resource and cost data, highlighting the importance of cost categorization. The report offers a comprehensive overview of the economic evaluation process within a healthcare context, providing valuable insights into resource management and cost-effectiveness analysis.

ECONOMIC EVALUATION

TABLE OF CONTENTS
QUESTIONS 1 ...............................................................................................................................4
Need of economic evaluation......................................................................................................4
QUESTION 2...................................................................................................................................5
Forming well defined questions for the research study..............................................................5
QUESTION 3...................................................................................................................................6
Type of economic evaluation for answering study questionnaire...............................................6
QUESTION 4...................................................................................................................................7
Assessment of various resources that will be collected under the categories of C 1, C 2, C 3
and C 4........................................................................................................................................7
QUESTION 5. .................................................................................................................................8
Identification and analysis of viable strategies which are used to collect resources and cost
data for economic evaluation......................................................................................................8
QUESTION 6...................................................................................................................................9
Examining and valuing each types of different resources in consideration with the study time
frame...........................................................................................................................................9
QUESTION 7.................................................................................................................................10
Explaining and justifying the collection and valuation of health outcomes.............................10
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................10
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................12

INTRODUCTION
Economic evaluation is a systematic process which helps in identification, measurement,
evaluation and valuation of various inputs and outcomes. It helps in demonstrating the benefits
of the activity because it helps in assessing the cost effectiveness of the program.
This study will highlight an effective justification for demonstrating and undertaking
economic evaluation. It also includes and identify types of evaluation in accordance with
measurable outcomes, relevant population and time horizon. This study will also highlight,
economic evaluation method which gives the best results and outcomes. This study will further
help in identifying the resources and also examine the viable strategies which are used to collect
resources and cost data. It will further examine and value each resources inputs and effectively
identify measure for quality health outcomes and results.
QUESTIONS 1
Need of economic evaluation
Economic evaluation can be described as the systematic process of identifying,
measuring and valuing the inputs and outcomes of different alternative activities which is
followed by the comprehensive analysis of these inputs and outcomes. It is mainly useful in the
context of health economics and assessment of health technology. The basic purpose of the
economic evaluation is to determine the best course of action from the different possible
alternatives based on the evidences. Economic evaluation is of utmost importance health sector
and is required for decision making because of the following reasons is :
 it is needed for maximising the benefits from heath care expenditure.
 It is required for overcoming the regional differences or variations in access.
 For containing the cost and demand (Treacy and et.al., 2018)

 economic evaluation helps in gaining bargaining power with the suppliers of the heath
care industry.
Out of these uses, the most common and outspread use of economic evaluation is to
contain the cost and demand by the way of systematic process that controls the establishment of
new technology , especially those technology that involves high costs through technology
assessment. Cost and benefit analysis of the technology is usually used by the health care sector
for determining whether a particular technology is required to be funded in the national health
system or not (Sharma and et.al., 2018).
However, there are few challenges related to the heath care financing. One of which is
changing scenario of diseases and injury. Another challenge is health spending that whether it is
efficient or sufficient. The department of health has observed that anxiety is increasing in the
secondary school students for which it is thinking of funding for a new intervention that would
help in preventing anxiety amongst students. It is planning to launch a anxiety free program for
which it is undertaking research that will identify the young students who are at the verge of risk
of developing society and other part of program includes eight modules, the goal of which is to
prevent the young lads from developing anxiety.
QUESTION 2
Forming well defined questions for the research study
The research involves the online screen questionnaire which will assess the students. The
aim of this questionnaire is to determine the young students who are about to or are at the risk of
getting anxiety in them in near future.
“ From the perspective of health care system, Is the meditation( self help therapy) is more than
cost effective to fight anxiety than the low cost clinical treatment that would be provided by the
hospitals to the secondary school students with a follow up period of 12 months” ?
This is the study question that has been put up by the me in the online screening
questionnaire through which I will identify the number of people who are the edge of developing
unreasonable worry in their lifestyle. The issue is important because unnecessarily worrying
about things leads to the brain related illness and other illnesses among people at a very young
age. This is the reason why Department of Health is considering this issue and is undertaking

research for financing the programme for eliminating this disorder amongst school going people
(Basto and et.al., 2016).
Once the students who have exceeded the score set for determining anxiety, they will be
contacted by the school and will be provided with the opportunity of participating in the second
round which is randomized controlled trial (RCT). This trial is about the different modules
online over eight weeks in which they will be shown the videos of people sharing their
experiences regarding how they coped up with the anxiety. The observation of the students
during such period will be done by the clinic psychologists. These students will become the
baseline for the assessment of this intervention during the period of 6 months.
Measuring health outcomes : Health will be measured :
 by observing the physical signs of the students,
 asking them to fill the clinical surveys,
 observing the students in their social lives.
The time taken for RCT is justifiable because understanding and interpreting the human
behaviours is one of the most difficult task. Students would require this much of time of
experiencing and understanding the essence of the modules provided to them online. This would
help them in understanding their own behaviour and would give them the confidence of sharing
their problems with psychologists. Also, this much of duration will help in forming policies
regarding the intervention with more precision.
QUESTION 3
Type of economic evaluation for answering study questionnaire
There are different methods of economic evaluation that are mentioned below :
 Cost effective analysis
 Cost benefit analysis
 cost utility analysis
 Cost minimization analysis
Being a member of DOH committee , I have chosen Cost Utility Analysis (CUA) for
answering the questions of the study. In this method, the units will b e measured in natural units
such as improvement in the confidence of students, improvement in the health of people, better
social lives, decrease in the number of people related to panic attacks etc. It is the most common
metric for economic evaluation in the healthcare sector as it compares different drugs and

technologies. The metric is the combination of quality of life and duration of life. Quality
adjusted life year (QALY) is the most acceptable, reasonable and practical utility measure to the
patient. It is because of these, the DOH is opted for this type of economic evaluation of its
intervention and programme called Anxiety Free for young school going people (Easton and
et.al., 2016).
QUESTION 4
Assessment of various resources that will be collected under the categories of C 1, C 2, C 3 and
C 4.
Being a member of DOH committee , I have analysed the components of economic
evaluation helps in assessment and evaluation of effectiveness of the various alternative
intervention for anxiety. Economic evaluation helps in economic evaluation by implementing
decision analytic model that helps in evaluating and identifying the treatment effect from the
earlier conducted trials in clinics. Economic evaluation is conducted simultaneously to evaluate
the efficiency and effectiveness of the treatment. Economic evaluation is conducted to carry out
clinical study.
There are various resources in economic evaluation. Healthcare sector is a combination
of various sectors and the service is delivered by various health professional like doctors, nurses,
etc. This helps in improvement of health by prevention, treatment and diagnosis of physical and
mental health for anxiety. Health care sector focus on implementing effective strategies and
intervention to reduce the cause of anxiety and give the best quality results and outcomes to the
patients.
Other sectors includes various health care institutions, national health service, health
institutions, hospitals who provide effective and efficient resources to give the best quality
results to the patient who is suffering from mental illness.
Patient and family resources focus on giving effective care and services to the patient for
higher recovery of patients. They take into consideration viewpoints of family, patient, friends
and health care practitioners to take effective decision by effectively evaluating the cause of
anxiety and what measures can be taken to reduce such effect which leads to higher recovery of
patient efficiently. They aim at giving excellent services to the patient with the best quality
resources available to them (Patient and Family Resource Center, 2019). Patient care resources
make effective decision to give the best treatment for better recovery as quickly as possible.

Patient and family will effectively participate to reduce the symptoms of anxiety such as
restlessness, tired, muscle tension, staying asleep, insomniac, etc. healthcare aim at building
parent and child relationship therapy which will help in coaching the skills and abilities of the
patient. This intervention will help the patient in reducing anxiety and also helps in avoiding
difficult and distressful situation (Thiart and et.al., 2016).
Productivity loss is another component of resources which focuses on maintaining
appropriate levels of treatment to patients in a cost effective manner which leads to higher
results. When patients and family members give their valuable time for treatment while staying
away from work leads to productivity loss. Resources are collected from various public agencies
and voluntary sector. Health care sectors aim at changing their production process by effectively
and efficiently using various resources. This leads to increase in cost in a labour intensive way.
To reduce anxiety patient must focus on taking effective treatment and medication like Selective
Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) to control anxiety (Anxiety Disorder: Facts for Families,
2016).
QUESTION 5.
Identification and analysis of viable strategies which are used to collect resources and cost data
for economic evaluation.
Being a member of DOH committee , I have analysed and evaluated that, the cost is
attached with different sources and helps in analysing the resources which are used to identify
the intervention in a cost efficient manner. Some of the viable strategies used to collect resources
and cost data are cost benefit analysis method, cost utility analysis method, value of
implementation techniques, decision making leverage analytic technique, etc. There are various
cost associated with resources for effectively establishing and identifying the cost attached with
diagnosis and in treatment. Assessment of cost evaluation is an important measure to effectively
categorize the cost and consequences of each resources that are potentially relevant for economic
evaluation of health programmes and services (Drummond and et.al., 2015). There are four
categories of cost which are categorized into health sector, other sector, patient care resources
and productivity loss.
The health care resources comprises various cost which mainly includes cost associated
with organizing, operating and evaluating the programme and activities. The main source used to
identify the cost is by effectively listing the key ingredients and elements of the programmes.

This mainly comprises both variable cost, fixed cost and overhead cost. Variable cost change
with the amount of good produced and services rendered (Brazier and et.al., 2017). Variable cost
includes time associated with health professionals and the number of supplies. Fixed cost are
cost which do not vary with the change in the value of variables and production. Fixed cost
consists of rent, light, heat, capital cost, utilities, salaries, insurance, etc. are some of the cost
which are associated with fixed cost.
Patient and family centred resources includes various cost and it mainly includes out of
pocket expenses which are incurred by family members, friends and patients which are
contributed in various health sectors for quality treatment of patients which leads to efficient
recovery of patients as quickly as possible. Large amount of cost is attached treatment for
effective results and outcomes (Tangka and et.al., 2016).
Productivity loss occurs when patient gives their valuable time on treatment by losing
productive time of work. This leads to productivity loss when patient participate in health care
programme or treatment.
Resources consumed in other sector mainly includes some elderly programs, consumer
resources which are used from various public agencies, voluntary sectors and institutions. There
are various health and safety programmes to make people aware and broaden their knowledge.
These factors helps in economic evaluation which leads to higher results and outcomes
for patients.
QUESTION 6.
Examining and valuing each types of different resources in consideration with the study time
frame.
Being a member of DOH committee , I have effectively evaluating the resources and
measuring the cost attached with each different types of resources which includes health sector,
other sector, patient and family resources and productivity loss. Cost borne from patients and
family members must be effectively evaluated in comparison with the amount of medication
purchased in order to value and measure the cost associated with different types of resources. It
also evaluates the number of time the travel was required for effective service and treatment.
This also take into consideration the time lost from work and the amount of productivity loss
attached while being treated (Wilkinson and et.al ., 2016).

QUESTION 7
Explaining and justifying the collection and valuation of health outcomes
As a member of Department of Health (DOH), I have determined some health outcomes
for the anxiety disorder. The anxiety disorders can be dangerous on the health as it leads to
serious panic attacks, heart diseases, headaches, depression, breathing problem, excessive
fatigue, increase in the blood pressure. By the way of survey and personal observations by the
psychologists, the data related to the anxiety in school students will be collected. Changes in the
physical, social, or emotional working of an individual. In general, these changes could be
measured by attaching values in terms of health state preference scores or by estimating the
willingness of students to pay for the RCT. Before financing an intervention, it is necessary to
understand and know that whether the consequences of the primary interest is therapeutic in
itself, change in the life of the students or overall value created (Jensen, Mandeville and
Karunaratne, 2017).
Identification, measurement and valuation is more often taken simultaneously during the
analysis but it is more useful and appropriate when each of the element of economic evaluation is
taken separately. Health outcomes shall be measured in physical and natural units once the
relevant costs and consequences of the intervention has been identified. For example, for
undertaking the activity of research for the intervention, operating the online screwing
questionnaire would cost us 50 $. The consequences of which would be the identification of
students who are at the risk of developing anxiety at the school level.
CONCLUSION
From the above study it has been evaluated that, Economic evaluation helps in effective
analysis of cost benefit, cost effectiveness, cost consequence and cost utility of the program in
order to gain higher efficiency and performance. It helps in identifying the best quality resources
for higher results and outcomes. This study highlighted the economic evaluation method. It
further includes various resources which includes health sector, other sector, patient and family
resources and productivity loss. It further helps in identifying the cost for economic evaluation.
Lastly it also examines and value each types of different resources in consideration with the
study time frame and effectively identify measure for quality health outcomes and results.

REFERENCES
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Drummond, M.F and et.al., 2015. Methods for the economic evaluation of health care
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Easton, T. and et.al., 2016. Advancing aged care: a systematic review of economic evaluations of
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Tangka, F.K and et.al., 2016. Cost of operating central cancer registries and factors that affect
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Wilkinson, T and et.al ., 2016. The international decision support initiative reference case for
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Online

Patient and Family Resource Center. 2019. [ONLINE]. Available
through:<https://www.seattlecca.org/patient-family-resource-center>
Anxiety Disorder: Facts for Families. 2016. [ONLINE]. Available
through:<https://www.seattlechildrens.org/globalassets/documents/for-patients-and-families/
pfe/pe1492.pdf>