Prajapati et al.

Gabriel, Tugwell, O’Brien, Yelin, Drummond, Ruff, 1999).

fig. N. 1- Hand deformity of rheumatoid arthritis

The economic evaluation is to identify, measure, value and compare the cost

and consequences of the alternatives being considered. The economic evaluation

methods include cost-of-illness evaluation, cost-minimization, cost-benefit, cost-

effectiveness, and cost-utility analyses. Each method, except cost-of –illness

evaluation, is used to compare competing programs or treatment alternatives. The

method are all similar in the way they measure cost (dollar/rupees) and different

in their measurement of outcomes. Cost effectiveness analysis is therefore used

in health economics to compare the financial cost of therapies whose outcome

can be measured purely in terms of health effect. The common costs involved in

economic outcomes are the following (Wong et al., 2001).

table 1. common cost involved in economic outcomes.

Sr. No.

cost –category

cost

Drug, Supplies, Laboratory tests, Health care

1.

Direct medical cost

professional’s time, Hospitalization

2.

Indirect non-medical cost Transportation, Food, Family care, Home aids

Lost wages [morbidity], Income forgone due to

3.

Direct non-medical cost

death

4.

Intangible cost

Pain, Suffering, Grief

Direct cost: Direct costs are those directly associated with detection, treatment,

and prevention of disease (Eisenberg, 1989). These costs may be disease specific,

a direct result of the condition, or disease associated, a consequence of the

86

Int. J. Bioinformatics and Biological Sci.: v.2 n.1&2, p. 85-94. March & June 2014