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Health Economics, Concepts

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Encyclopedia of Public Health

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Definition

The application of economic theory and economic methods to health poses some severe challenges. This is illustrated by a number of assumptions of economic theory and its application to phenomena and problems associated with health – such as externalities of consumption, the extension of traditional welfarist approaches , and agency problems.

Basic Characteristics

Health economics is the application of economic theory and economic methods to phenomena and problems associated with health (Culyer 2005). A comprehensive taxonomizing framework that systematically includes the various topics of health economics has been developed by Alan Williams from the University of York. The “Williams’ Schematic of Health Economics ” (Culyer and Newhouse 2000) conceptualizes this definition. However, the application of economic theory and economic methods to health poses some severe challenges. This is illustrated by a number of assumptions of economic theory and its application to...

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References

  1. Culyer AJ (2005) The Dictionary of Health Economics. Edward Elgar Publishing, Cheltenham/Northampton

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  2. Culyer AJ, Newhouse J (eds) (2000) Handbook of Health Economics. Handbooks in Economics. Amsterdam, Elsevier

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  3. Hurley J (2000) An Overview of the Normative Economics of the Health Sector. In: Culyer AJ, Newhouse J (ed) Handbook of Health Economics. Amsterdam, Elsevier, pp 55–118

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  4. Rice T (2002) The Economics of Health Reconsidered. Health Administration Press, Chicago

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  5. Rice T (2006) The physician as the patient's agent. In: Jones A (ed) The Elgar Companion to Health Economics. Cheltenham/Northampton, Edward Elgar Publishing, pp 261–278

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Health Services Research and Health Economics, Department of Health Sciences, University of Applied Sciences Fulda, Fulda, Germany

    Stefan Greß

Authors
  1. Stefan Greß
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Network EUROlifestyle Research Association Public Health Saxony-Saxony Anhalt e.V. Medical Faculty, University of Technology, Fiedlerstr. 27, 01307, Dresden, Germany

    Wilhelm Kirch (Professor Dr. Dr.) (Professor Dr. Dr.)

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© 2008 Springer-Verlag

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Greß, S. (2008). Health Economics, Concepts . In: Kirch, W. (eds) Encyclopedia of Public Health. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-5614-7_1408

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-5614-7_1408

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4020-5613-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4020-5614-7

  • eBook Packages: MedicineReference Module Medicine

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