Bayesian Methods in Health EconomicsA short course

It is increasingly important for pharmaceutical companies to be able to demonstrate not only that their products are effective but also that they are cost-effective. This is the domain of health economics, also known as health technology assessment (HTA). Such an assessment takes account of all costs of using a... read morenew health technology, not just the cost of the product itself, and all aspects of the impact on a patient's health and prognosis. Complex modelling can be required to draw together all the necessary sources of information for a such a model, and expert judgement is often necessary to address gaps and deficiencies in available data. Bayesian statistical methods are acknowledged as a key tool to facilitate this generation and synthesis of evidence. Health economists and others involved in HTA who wish to learn the basics of the Bayesian approach, the benefits it offers for cost-effectiveness analysis, and the Bayesian methods appropriate for various aspects of HTA will benefit most from this series which provides an introduction to Bayesian methods in health economics, with references for further study.