Asian healthcare systems are very diverse, representing cultures, political systems and economies from more than 30 countries with varying histories. Despite the diversity in the region, there has been enormous growth in health economics and outcomes research since the beginning of the 21st...

There is an inevitable tension between robust reimbursement processes and providing speedy access to new and novel technologies, given uncertainties about key pieces of evidence and subsequent concerns regarding their overall efficiency. The public perception of these treatments as...

The concept of access with evidence development (AED), also known as 'coverage with evidence development' in the Medicare programme, has long been discussed as a policy option for ensuring more appropriate use of new technologies in the US. This article provides a comprehensive overview of more...

Companies merge to achieve economies of scale. In an industry such as the pharmaceutical industry which relies on a high level of investment in research and development, such mergers appear rational. However, it is not at all obvious that a higher level of investment by a smaller number of firms...

Economic evaluations have become an important and much used tool in aiding decision makers in deciding on reimbursement or implementation of new healthcare technologies. Nevertheless, the impact of economic evaluations on reimbursement decisions has been modest; results of economic evaluations...

Objective: Patients with unstable angina fall within a wide therapeutic and prognostic spectrum, and, in general, have access to specialty care and invasive procedures. Today, when hospital admissions for unstable angina outnumber those for myocardial infarction worldwide, and growing economic...

In response to an increase in the number of elderly people and increasing medical costs, the Japanese government implemented the Long-Term Care Insurance (LTCI) system for the elderly in April 2000. Three years have passed since the LTCI was initiated. The purpose of this paper is to describe...