[Economic evaluation as a component in the evaluation of a prevention program]

A growing gap between the required and available funds forces relevant bodies to use more effectively available financial means without decreasing the health care efficiency. Health policy makers have to take decisions on the kind, timing, and standard of medical care as well as on the mode and place of health service delivery. Moreover, they have to decide who should be provided with medical care under the National Health Fund. The economic evaluation techniques, primarily cost-benefit and cost-effect analyses, are essential tools supporting decision-making processes.

Under the LEONARDO DA VINCI (2000-2003) EUROPHAMILI project, an economic evaluation method has been developed and used to evaluate the antismoking program. In developing the method, the guidelines of the World Health Organization (WHO) were applied. Actual data on the cost of the program carried out in Lódź were used, and the benefits attained due to its implementation were estimated adopting the study assumptions based on actual data on the program efficiency and the literature data.

In view of the expanded calculation model, only some examples of synthesized calculations are given. The results of the analysis show that the program financial profits exceed the costs incurred even if the assumed calculation parameters are changed. The performed calculations indicate that the shorter period of the prevention program implementation, the more advantageous cost-benefit relation.

The performed economic evaluation helped to formulate prerequisites, which have to be met to facilitate the economic assessment of efficiency of the selected prevention programs.