La economía del la salud: ¿debe ser de interés para el campo sanitario?

This paper addresses the most important features of health economics, especially its scope and applications within the sphere of health. Health economics is a field of study which allows countries to gear their health policies toward making more rational use of their resources and expanding and impr...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Revista Panamericana de Salud Pública
Main Authors: Manuel Collazo Herrera, Justo Cárdenas Rodríguez, Roxana González López, Rolando Miyar Abreu, Ana María Gálvez González, Jorge Cosme Casulo
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Spanish
Portuguese
Published: Pan American Health Organization 2002
Subjects:
R
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1590/s1020-49892002001100014
https://doaj.org/article/6991f534459c47689742baa070d61c9a
Description
Summary:This paper addresses the most important features of health economics, especially its scope and applications within the sphere of health. Health economics is a field of study which allows countries to gear their health policies toward making more rational use of their resources and expanding and improving their health care services. Such policies should, on the other hand, aim to generate strategies for adequately managing human, technical, economic, and financial resources so as to reap the finest health benefits possible. A knowledge of how economics can be applied to health will enable health professionals to introduce an economics culture into their daily work. In other words, it will allow them to keep in mind the scope of their various working tools ¾ health planning, national health accounts and accounting, and economic assessment methods, which include health and pharmaceutical technology assessment and pharmacoeconomics ¾ as well as the place that economics has in health research. Hopefully, a knowledge of these aspects of economic analysis will provide decision-makers with one more tool they can apply in selecting more efficient options and attaining the highest health benefits at the lowest possible cost for the national health system.