Economic Evaluation in Gastroenterology: The Brazilian Experience

Health economic evaluations draw comparisons between and among alternative treatments, devices and health programs, in terms of their costs and benefits/consequences and such studies analyze data regarding clinical effectiveness, in relation to cost. Although most health economic evaluations examine only the direct costs of a technology—those related to medications, services and hospitalization—some take a broader approach, also evaluating the indirect costs—those related to lost productivity (on the part of the patients and caregivers), as well as to other aspects.