The Current Capacity and Future Development of Economic Evaluation for Policy Decision-Making: A Survey among Researchers and Decision-Makers in Thailand. (2009)

The Current Capacity and Future Development of Economic Evaluation for Policy Decision-Making:

A Survey among Researchers and Decision-Makers in Thailand.

Usa Chaikledkaew^1,2 Chanida Lertpitakpong² Yot Teerawattananon²

Montarat Thavorncharoensap^1,2 Viroj Tangcharoensathien ³

¹Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Mahidol University, Bangkok,Thailand
²Health Intervention and Technology Assessment Program, Ministry of Public Health, Nonthaburi,Thailand
³International Health Policy Program, Ministry of Public Health, Nonthaburi,Thailand

Objective

This study aims to explore the knowledge, experience, and attitudes toward economic evaluation (EE) among decision-makers and researchers in Thailand.

Methods 

Researchers were purposively selected from Thai academics and both public and private research organizations related to EE. Decisionmakers at the provincial level were purposively selected from the members of the Management Committees of Provincial Health Offices, and those at hospital level were randomly selected from members of the public and private hospital formulary drug committees throughout Thailand. The self-administered postal questionnaires were distributed. Univariate and bivariate analyses were applied.

Results

Of the total 2575 questionnaires distributed, 758 (29.4% response rate) were completed and sent back. The majority of researchers and decision-makers were not familiar with technical terms commonly used in health EE, e.g., incremental cost-effectiveness ratio, discounting, and sensitivity analysis. More decision-makers (70.6%) had never had EE training compared to researchers (50.0%). Both roles indicated that value for money was one of the important issues to consider for health technology adoption.

Conclusions 

An extensive unmet demand for EE training among Thai researchers and decision-makers still exists. Findings from this study contribute to the short- and long-term plans for research capacity building.

Link: http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/bsc/vhe/2009/00000012/a00301s3/art00007

Other sources: http://www.htai2009.org/slides/Oral%20Sessions/O5%20-%20HTA%20and%20Policy%20Development/O5.5.pdf