Epidemiology The Cost Of Disease

Front 1

What are 2 ways to define disease in financial terms?

Back 1

1) Measures-of effect approach
2) Cost-benefit analysis

Front 2

Cost-benefit analysis is a method for estimating profitability of disease control programs over an extender period by what 3 things?

Back 2

1) Enumerating benefits & costs
2) Application of a discount rate to benefits and cost
3) Specification of a decision criterion

Front 3

What equation can you use measure costs and benefits of a disease control program since they do not occur simultaneously and also adjust for the time value of money?

Back 3

PV= 1/ (1 +r)^n x FV
PV= present value
r= interest rate
FV=future value
n= time period

Front 4

What are the 3 decision criteria involved in cost-benefit analysis?

Back 4

1) Net present value
2) Benefit- cost ratio
3) Internal rate of return

Front 5

What is net present value? When is the program viable?

Back 5

The difference b/w total present value of benefits & costs.
-Program viable if NPV > 0

Front 6

What information does the net present value provide?

Back 6

Gives scale of benefits but not the relative size of investment for gain

Front 7

What is the benefit-cost ratio? What information does it provide?

Back 7

Ratio of total present benefits to costs
-Gives $$ return per $$ investment, but no indication of scale of investment

Front 8

What is the internal rate of return?

Back 8

Interest rate that would make the total present value of benefits equal to that of costs- i.e. reduce NPV to 0.

Front 9

How do you know if a program is viable according to the internal rate of return?

Back 9

If IRR > available interest rate then program viable

Front 10

When do you use decision analysis?

Back 10

When trying to reach a ration decision in the face of uncertainty

Front 11

What are the 3 components of "decision trees"?

Back 11

1) Nodes: decision, chance, terminal
2) Utilities: net benefit or cost of each outcome
3) Variables: probability and utility

Front 12

What are 3 strategies to reduce frequency of disease?

Back 12

1) Disease prevention
-forestall disease transmission or occurrence of clinical signs
2) Disease control
-reduce frequency of disease to tolerable level
3) Disease eradication
-complete elimination of disease agent from environment

Front 13

What are 3 focuses of disease prevention?

Back 13

1) Focus on risk factors for disease
2) Prevent contact w/ infected animals
-quarantine, culling, confinement, animal movement regulations
3) Prophylaxis
-antibiotics, vaccines

Front 14

What are 3 focuses of disease control?

Back 14

1) Focus on source & mode of transmission
2) Treatment of affected individuals
3) "tolerable" depends on stake holders' interests: financial / public health risks/ disease dynamic

Front 15

What are 3 focuses of disease eradication?

Back 15

1) Test & removal strategy
2) Herd depopulation strategy
3) Often combined w/ disease prevention in currently unaffected population segments (Vacc programs)

Front 16

What are 5 conditions that make disease eradication feasible?

Back 16

1) an effective means for ID of reservoirs (diagnostic tests)
2) An effective method for destruction of the agent in reservoirs (or reservoirs themselves)
3) A small host range (preferable a single host)
4) A single or limited spectrum of disseminated mechanisms that can be readily manipulated
5) Acceptability to the industry
*For eradication 1 + of these criteria need to be met