Economic evaluation of health technologies

Nowadays more than ever, the need for financial evaluation in the field of health stems from the need to make scientifically sound decisions to pursue a rational health policy with an emphasis on allocating the scarce resources available amongst competing alternative uses. The economic evaluation of health technology consists of the input-output analysis of any intervention related to the promotion, prevention and restoration of health, and is substantiated mainly through cost-minimization analysis, cost-effectiveness analysis, cost-utility analysis and cost-benefit analysis. Cost-impact analyses in the field of health provide substantiated answers not only on the basis of economic, but also social and technological criteria, in order to coincide with the rapid developments of our times. The present article aims to highlight and analyze the basic methods of economic evaluation of Health Technologies with their particular characteristics, as well as to attribute advantages and disadvantages of each method. The material for this work is the result of a thorough search through the literature, both in Greek and foreign languages, and through online sources.