This paper addresses the most important features of health economics, especially its scope and applications within the sphere of health. Health economics is a field of study which allows countries to gear their health policies toward making more rational use of their resources and expanding and improving their health care services. Such policies should, on the other hand, aim to generate strategies for adequately managing human, technical, economic, and financial resources so as to reap the finest health benefits possible. A knowledge of how economics can be applied to health will enable health professionals to introduce an economics culture into their daily work. In other words, it will allow them to keep in mind the scope of their various working tools¾health planning, national health accounts and accounting, and economic assessment methods, which include health and pharmaceutical technology assessment and pharmacoeconomics¾as well as the place that economics has in health research. Hopefully, a knowledge of these aspects of economic analysis will provide decision-makers with one more tool they can apply in selecting more efficient options and attaining the highest health benefits at the lowest possible cost for the national health system (AU)

Health economics: should it concern the health sector?

Rev Panam Salud Publica;12(5),nov. 2002

Assistência à Saúde; Assistência à Saúde; Farmacoeconomia; Planejamento em Saúde; Planejamento em Saúde; Pesquisa sobre Serviços de Saúde; Pesquisa sobre Serviços de Saúde; Programas Nacionais de Saúde; Administração em Saúde Pública; Administração em Saúde Pública; Tecnologia Farmacêutica; Tecnologia Farmacêutica

Herrera, Manuel Collazo,Rodríguez, Justo Cárdenas,López, Roxana González,Abreu, Rolando Miyar,González, Ana María Gálvez ,Casulo, Jorge Cosme (2002) La economía del la salud: ¿debe ser de interés para el campo sanitario?. Rev Panam Salud Publica;12(5) 359-365,nov. 2002. Retrieved from http://www.scielosp.org/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1020-49892002001100014&lng=pt&nrm=iso&tlng=es