Markov models are often employed to represent stochastic processes, that is, random processes that evolve over time. In a healthcare context, Markov models are particularly suited to modelling chronic disease. In this article, we describe the use of Markov models for economic evaluation of...

Pharmacoeconomic data may be obtained within the context of randomised clinical trials (RCTs) and from effectiveness studies in the `real world'. The differences between the 2 types of study design have implications for the types of data that can be obtained and the interpretation of the...

In this paper, we discuss the use of cost-benefit analysis (CBA) for evaluating new healthcare interventions, present the theoretical basis for the use of willingness to pay as a method for valuing benefits in a CBA and describe how to obtain willingness-to-pay (WTP) measures of health benefits...

Cost-effectiveness analysis has gained status over the last 15 years as an important tool for assisting resource allocation decisions in a budget-limited environment such as healthcare. Randomised (multicentre) multinational controlled trials are often the main vehicle for collecting primary...

Objective: There are multiple reasons for missing data in observational studies; excluding patients with missing data can lead to significant bias. In this study, we evaluated several methods for assigning missing values to health service utilisation. Design and setting: Cancer of the Prostate...

The emphasis on healthcare in the US is shifting to the ambulatory environment. To date, few studies have evaluated the effects that community pharmacists have on patient care. In an attempt to address this issue, 4 academicians from a college of pharmacy developed a research network of...

Clinical trials and meta-analyses of trials are models of clinical reality. A pharmacoeconomic model is a logical, quantitative blend of therapeutic and/or disease management strategies, evidence-based clinical outcomes, patient survival data and/or quality-of-life (utility) data,...

Objective: The objective of this study was to examine the cost effectiveness of fluvoxamine compared with tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) in the treatment of patients with depressive episodes. Design and Setting: A Markov process model was constructed to model the effectiveness, as measured by...

While the EuroQOL instrument (EQ-5D) is being considered and used in clinical trials in the United States and Canada, and in large international multicentre studies, population weights for the instrument have never been established in North America. The primary purpose of this investigation was...