Economic evaluation in support of national health policy: The case of the Netherlands

• Published in: Social science & medicine (1982) Vol. 45; no. 4; pp. 605 - 620
• Main Authors: Elsinga, Einte, Rutten, Frans F.H
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01.08.1997; Elsevier; Pergamon Press Inc
• Series: Social Science & Medicine
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Cost analysis; Cost Control - trends; Cost-Benefit Analysis - trends; Economic analysis; economic evaluation; Female; Forecasting; Government; Health care policy; Health Care Rationing - economics; Health policy; Health Policy - economics; Health Services Research - economics; Humans; link between research and policy; Male; Middle Aged; National Health Programs - economics; national policy; national policy economic evaluation link between research and policy; Netherlands; Primary Prevention - economics; Quality of Life; Technology Assessment, Biomedical - economics; Netherlands; link between research and policy; national policy; economic evaluation
• ISSN: 0277-9536; 1873-5347
• DOI: 10.1016/S0277-9536(96)00400-5

This article focuses on economic evaluation as an instrument to support national health policy in the Netherlands. National health policy concerns decision-making on which technologies may enter the health care market, which health care services are included in the package of health care benefits and under what conditions, and what the geographical distribution of medical services and facilities should be. Regarding the latter two issues in particular, the actual and potential role of economic evaluation in health policy is discussed. From the Dutch experience we can learn that a close cooperation between researchers and policy-makers helps to enlarge the impact of economic appraisal on policy-making and that incorporation of the right (financial) incentives is vital to the use of economic appraisal in health care decision-making.