The branch of economics that concerns how society allocates health sector resources among alternative options is called health economics. This book is an attempt to describe and analyze, in a comprehensive and understandable way, the developments in the field of health economics.

The necessity for such a book is significant for establishing health economics as a fundamental tool for making evidence-based decisions in modern health systems. The content of the book is divided into chapters that present the reasons why health economics is important and the peculiarities and distortions of the healthcare services market. It also analyzes the economic evaluation of health programs and services, the key steps in conducting it, as well as the selection of the appropriate method for analyzing new health technologies.

Finally, it describes the economic evaluation of healthcare services using decision-making models and specific applications of economic evaluation in various areas of healthcare, particularly in medical science.

Contents

Chapter 1: Introduction to the economic analysis of healthcare services

Chapter 2: The concept of demand in health economics

Chapter 3: The concept of production, cost, and supply in health economics

Chapter 4: Introduction to the economic evaluation of healthcare services

Chapter 5: Methodology for economic evaluation of healthcare services

Chapter 6: Identification and measurement of cost

Chapter 7: Identification and measurement of effectiveness in healthcare

Chapter 8: Cost-effectiveness analysis

Chapter 9: Cost-utility analysis

Chapter 10: Other methods of economic evaluation of healthcare services

Chapter 11: Economic evaluation in healthcare and the use of models for decision-making

Chapter 12: Data sources and key criteria for assessing an economic evaluation

Chapter 13: Applications of economic evaluation in Personalized Medicine

Chapter 14: Health systems and their funding

Chapter 15: The healthcare system in Greece