Developing and testing a cost data collection instrument for noncommunicable disease registry planning

Area of Science:

• Health Economics
• Public Health Surveillance
• Registry Science

Background:

• Economic evaluation of noncommunicable disease registries is essential for resource allocation.
• Standardized methods are needed to guide cost assessments for disease registries.
• Existing economic evaluation frameworks for registries are limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a framework and tool for economic evaluation of noncommunicable disease registries.
• To assess the feasibility and quality of cost data collection using the developed tool.
• To identify factors influencing the operational costs of disease registries.

Main Methods:

• Developed the International Registry Costing Tool (IntRegCosting Tool) based on economic principles.
• Conducted in-depth case studies and pilot testing in 11 registries across multiple countries.
• Utilized site visit interviews and data analysis to evaluate the tool's performance.

Main Results:

• Registries successfully used the IntRegCosting Tool to allocate expenditures to specific activities.
• Accurate estimation of labor costs, the largest expenditure, was verified.
• Identified key cost-influencing factors: geographic area, data collection methods, local costs, rural presence, case volume, record consolidation, and funding continuity.

Conclusions:

• A single cost estimate for registry operations is not feasible due to inherent variability.
• Registry operational efficiency can be improved by modifying factors like data collection approaches.
• Findings will guide future economic data collection and cost-effectiveness analyses, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).