Policy Actors' Views on Economic Evaluation in Thai Healthcare
Author Information
Author(s): Teerawattananon Yot, Russell Steve
Primary Institution: Health Intervention and Technology Assessment Program (HITAP), Ministry of Public Health, Nonthaburi, Thailand
Hypothesis
How do policy actors in Thailand perceive the use of economic evaluation for healthcare coverage decisions?
Conclusion
The study shows that many policy actors in Thailand do not support economic evaluations due to ethical and political considerations.
Supporting Evidence
- 72% of respondents were not convinced by economic evaluation findings.
- Only 17% of respondents' decisions were influenced by economic evaluation evidence.
- Ethical concerns often outweighed cost-effectiveness in decision-making.
Takeaway
The study found that most decision-makers in Thailand prefer to save lives over choosing cost-effective treatments, even if those treatments are not life-saving.
Methodology
Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 36 policy actors involved in healthcare resource allocation in Thailand.
Potential Biases
The study may be influenced by the respondents' personal beliefs and the hypothetical nature of the scenarios.
Limitations
The findings are based on hypothetical scenarios and may not reflect real-world decision-making.
Participant Demographics
The participants included 14 national policy makers, 5 hospital directors, 10 health professionals, and 7 academics, predominantly male with an average age of 50.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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