• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
• /
• v.55 no.5
• /
• pp.415-423
• /
• 2022

Economic evaluations in the healthcare are used to assess economic efficiency of pharmaceuticals and medical interventions such as diagnoses and medical procedures. This study introduces the main concepts of economic evaluation across its key steps: planning, outcome and cost calculation, modeling, cost-effectiveness results, uncertainty analysis, and decision-making. When planning an economic evaluation, we determine the study population, intervention, comparators, perspectives, time horizon, discount rates, and type of economic evaluation. In healthcare economic evaluations, outcomes include changes in mortality, the survival rate, life years, and quality-adjusted life years, while costs include medical, non-medical, and productivity costs. Model-based economic evaluations, including decision tree and Markov models, are mainly used to calculate the total costs and total effects. In cost-effectiveness or costutility analyses, cost-effectiveness is evaluated using the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio, which is the additional cost per one additional unit of effectiveness gained by an intervention compared with a comparator. All outcomes have uncertainties owing to limited evidence, diverse methodologies, and unexplained variation. Thus, researchers should review these uncertainties and confirm their robustness. We hope to contribute to the establishment and dissemination of economic evaluation methodologies that reflect Korean clinical and research environment and ultimately improve the rationality of healthcare policies.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
• /
• v.18 no.6
• /
• pp.653-661
• /
• 2017

This study compares and analyzes the operation costs of traditional and direct delivery strategies considering carbon emissions. For the determination of minimum operation costs and order quantity, we use the Economic Order Quantity (EOQ) model, which is the proper method for calculate the operation costs by logistics strategy. Using the classical EOQ model, we expand the EOQ model considering carbon emissions and domestic logistics environment. We conduct an empirical study on two agri-food logistics strategies under limitation of the carbon emissions using the expanded EOQ model. From the results of the empirical study, we find that the operation costs of direct delivery strategy are about 50% lower than those of the traditional strategy. Economic order quantity is also smaller than that of the traditional strategy. These results indicate that agri-food products can be transported quickly and freshly under direct delivery strategy. Consequently, considering carbon emissions, direct delivery logistics strategy are analyzed to have more positive effect on economic and environmental issues than existing logistics strategy. It is judged that direct strategy will also increase the freshness of agricultural products.

• Journal of the Korea Institute of Building Construction
• /
• v.8 no.5
• /
• pp.127-134
• /
• 2008

The purpose of this study is to propose the decision making technique in roof waterproofing method at the early construction stage. Selecting the suitable construction method is difficult because of the complex interrelationships between many factors of influencing the construction method selection. This study presents an example of selecting suitable method by analyzing LCC (Life Cycle Cost) in roof waterproofing work. In this study, roof waterproofing method is analyzed by LCC(Life Cycle Cost) which is consists of the initial costs, running costs, and removal costs. Sheet waterproofing, membrane waterproofing and asphalt waterproofing costs are compared to select the most economic method. The result of this study revealed that considering LCC is useful in selecting the proper method in the construction work.

• Journal of the Korean housing association
• /
• v.26 no.2
• /
• pp.103-110
• /
• 2015

Precast Concrete (PC) construction method can be the one that is suitable for long-life housing due to its merit in respect of maintenance and durability based on crack-free from mass production with indirect construction cost-saving-effect due to shortening construction period comparing to the conventional construction method, but it has the problem that causes the raise of direction construction costs. So, this study analyzed its economic feasibility of PC method whose maintenance and durability are excellent for underground parking lot of apartment house for accomplishing cost-saving long-life housing by applying the various structural system. In evaluation of unit module structural system, two-way PC system requires 10 to 28% more costs for frame work than RC rigid frames, and, one-way PC system 98~112%. Although it varies depending on the method, the costs are similar to RC rigid frame structure, provided a proper method is adopted. Also, Model 11, which was most economical in the evaluation, was applied to an real parking lot and about 2 to 6% of construction costs was reduced than RC rigid frames. This seems to be because, although PC system has a higher production cost, introduction of P.S (prestress) reduces member depth and, therefore, height, as well as the number of members per unit module.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
• /
• v.43 no.4
• /
• pp.507-516
• /
• 2013

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to use cost-benefit analysis of activity to clarify the economic effect of prepared nurses versus atmospheric environment managing engineers as healthcare managers. Methods: For the study 111 workplaces were surveyed, workplaces in which nurses or atmospheric environment managing engineers were employed as healthcare managers. The survey content included annual gross salaries, participation in external job training, costs in joining association covered by the company, location and year of construction of the healthcare office, various kinds of healthcare expenditures, costs in operating healthcare office, health education, and activity performance in the work of environment management. Results: In the case of the healthcare manager being a nurse, benefit was larger than input costs at a ratio of 2.31. On the other hand, in the case of healthcare manager being an atmospheric environment managing engineer, input costs were larger than benefits (benefit-cost ratio 0.88). Conclusion: Results indicate that nurses are an effective healthcare human resource and can offer good quality healthcare service. Therefore companies should hire nurses and actively promote the economic efficiency of nurses in workplace.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
• /
• v.30 no.5D
• /
• pp.461-465
• /
• 2010

The objective of this study is to calculate road user costs that caused by the expansion work of metropolitan arterial highway and to analyze the costs that affect economic feasibility evaluation. "Taerung~Guri IC" section of Bukbu Expressway was selected as a case study. As a result, it shows that these costs could be a factor for determining economic feasibility for some projects. However, decreased capacity and free-flow speed are seriously different as period, type, length and traffic volume of work zones. These factors that decrease traffic capacity and free-flow speed should be deeply researched in the future.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.17 no.6
• /
• pp.3007-3013
• /
• 2016

Background: Gastrointestinal cancers are common malignancies associated with high mortality rates. Healthcare systems are always faced with high costs of treatment of gastrointestinal cancers including stomach cancer. Identification and prioritization of these costs can help determine economic burden and then improve of health planning by policy-makers. This study was performed in 2015 in Kerman City aimed at estimating the direct hospital costs for patients with gastric cancer. Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, the medical records of 160 patients with stomach cancer admitted from 2011 to 2014 to Shafa Hospital were examined, the current stage of the disease and the patients' health status were identified, and the direct costs related to the type of treatment in the public and private sectors were calculated. SPSS-19 was used for statistical analysis of the data. Results: Of the patients studied, 103 (65%) were men and 57 (35%) were women. The mean age of patients was 65 years. Distribution into four stages of the disease was 5%, 20%, 30%, and 45%, respectively. Direct costs in four stages of the disease were calculated as 2191.07, 2642.93, 2877, and 2674.07 USD (63,045,879, 76,047,934, 82,783,019, and 76,943,800 IRR), respectively. The highest percentage of costs was related to surgery in Stage I and to medication in Stages II, III, and IV. According to the results of direct costs of treatment for stomach cancer in Kerman, the mean total cost of treating a patient in the public sector was estimated at 74,705,158 IRR, of which averages of 60,141,384 IRR and 14,563,774 IRR were the shares of insurance and patients, respectively. Conclusions: The high prevalence and diagnosis of disease in old age and at advanced stages of disease impose great costs on the patients and the health system. Early diagnosis through screening and selecting an appropriate treatment method might largely ameliorate the economic burden of the disease.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.16 no.3
• /
• pp.1295-1301
• /
• 2015

Background: Cancer imposes a significant economic burden on individuals, families and society. The purpose of this study was to estimate the economic burden of cancer using the healthcare claims and cancer registry data in Korea in 2009. Materials and Methods: The economic burden of cancer was estimated using the prevalence data where patients were identified in the Korean Central Cancer Registry. We estimated the medical, non-medical, morbidity and mortality cost due to lost productivity. Medical costs were calculated using the healthcare claims data obtained from the Korean National Health Insurance (KNHI) Corporation. Non-medical costs included the cost of transportation to visit health providers, costs associated with caregiving for cancer patients, and costs for complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). Data acquired from the Korean National Statistics Office and Ministry of Labor were used to calculate the life expectancy at the time of death, age- and gender-specific wages on average, adjusted for unemployment and labor force participation rate. Sensitivity analysis was performed to derive the current value of foregone future earnings due to premature death, discounted at 3% and 5%. Results: In 2009, estimated total economic cost of cancer amounted to $17.3 billion at a 3% discount rate. Medical care accounted for 28.3% of total costs, followed by non-medical (17.2%), morbidity (24.2%) and mortality (30.3%) costs. Conclusions: Given that the direct medical cost sharply increased over the last decade, we must strive to construct a sustainable health care system that provides better care while lowering the cost. In addition, a comprehensive cancer survivorship policy aimed at lower caregiving cost and higher rate of return to work has become more important than previously considered.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.17 no.10
• /
• pp.4729-4733
• /
• 2016

Objectives: Lung cancer is a major public health problem and one of the most costly illnesses. The study aimed to estimate the economic burden of lung cancer in Iran in 2014. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted to estimate the direct and indirect costs for patients with lung cancer using a prevalence-based approach. A human capital approach was employed to estimate the indirect costs. Data were obtained from several sources such as through patient interview using structured questionnaire, medical records, the GLOBOCAN databases, the Iranian Statistical Center, the Iranian Ministry of Cooperation, Labor and Social Welfare, and the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME). Results: The economic burden of lung cancer in Iran in the year 2014 was 3,225,998,555,090 IR. The main components of the cost were associated with mortality (81.9 %) and hospitalization (7.6 %). The costs of direct medical care, non-medical aspects, patient time, and mortality accounted for 10.8%, 2.7%, 4.5%, and 81.5% of the total cost, respectively. Conclusion: Findings from this study indicated that the economic burden of lung cancer is substantial both to Iran's health system and to society as a whole. Early diagnosis, strengthening cancer prevention, implementing new cancer therapy and medical technology, and effective smoking-cessation interventions could offset some of the costs associated with lung cancer in Iran.

• Ocean and Polar Research
• /
• v.38 no.3
• /
• pp.225-234
• /
• 2016

This project sought to conduct an economic feasibility study regarding the commercial production of bio-hydrogen by the marine hyperthermophilic archaeon, Thermococcus onnurineus NA1 using carbon monoxide-containing industrial off-gas. We carried out the economic evaluation of the bio-hydrogen production process using the raw material of steel mill by-product gas. The process parameter was as follows: $H_2$ production rate was 5.6 L/L/h; the conversion of carbon monoxide was 60.7%. This project established an evaluation criterion for about 10,000 tonne/year. Inflation factors were considered as 3%. The operating costs were recalculated based on prices in 2014. The total investment required for development was covered 30% by capital and 70% by a loan. The operation cost for the 0.5-year test and integration, and the cost for the first three months in the 50% production period were considered as the working capital in the cost estimation. The costs required for the rental of office space, facilities, and other related costs from the construction through to full-scale production periods were considered as continuing expenses. Materials, energy, waste disposal and other charges were considered as the operating cost of the development system. Depreciation, tax, maintenance and repair, insurance, labor, interest rate charges, general and administrative costs, lubrication and miscellaneous expenses were also calculated. The hydrogen price was set at US$ 4.15/kg for the economic evaluation. As a result, the process was considered to be economical with the payback period of 6.3 years, NPV of 18 billion Won and IRR of 26.7%.