ANALYSIS/COST-EFFECTIVENESS CORE

University Of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles CA

Investigators

Linked publications & trials

Abstract

There is concern over the costs of providing services to improve the health and independence of the nation's[unreadable] elderly. Interventions that improve health are also evaluated in terms of the resources needed to do so. This[unreadable] research core aims to continue to advise and work with the other projects and trainees of the center on the[unreadable] methodological issues and problems specific to the design and statistical analysis of studies of interventions,[unreadable] assessment of their immediate and longer-term outcomes, preferences, and costs. We aim to maximize the[unreadable] validity and value of those studies through the application of appropriate state-of-the-art statistical methods.[unreadable] In the assessment of outcomes and preferences, these issues include a) how to collect health status and[unreadable] preference information from individuals with sensory and cognitive limitations: b) the inclusion of health[unreadable] states relevant to older persons; and c) scaling properties that make some instruments less relevant to older[unreadable] persons. For the long term effects of immediate outcomes these include a) extrapolation of data from[unreadable] younger populations b) appropriate modeling and weighting of future effects. In cost effectiveness, these[unreadable] issues include a)hpw to collect costs of the services delivered to older persons in a variety of settings; b)[unreadable] inclusion of "out-of-pocket" health costs for services such as nursing home care; c) indirect costs incurred by[unreadable] patients, family or other caregivers; and d) the valuation of preferences and utilities. The specific aims are:[unreadable] 1. To provide technical support in research design and statistical analysis, in measurement of health, utility[unreadable] and costs, in modeling long-term health consequences, and in cost-effectiveness analyses.[unreadable] a. For OAIC Career development awardees and junior clinician scientists,[unreadable] b. For OAIC pilots and OAIC projects,[unreadable] c. For new RAND and UCLA projects that meet the UCLA OAIC mission and goals.[unreadable] 2. To work with the Research Operations Core (ROC) to provide training on these topics and to ensure,[unreadable] when appropriate, the needed data for cost analyses are collected and are of high quality.[unreadable] 3. To assess the cost-effectiveness of the interventions studied in the OAIC and supported by the A/CEC[unreadable] that improve health.[unreadable] 4. To examine new approaches to cost-effectiveness analysis in geriatrics and gerontology.