Health Economics

The expectation for researchers to outline how they will demonstrate the clinical and cost impact for a proposed intervention is rapidly increasing. Researchers may be unaware of costing data that are available within Alberta, how to construct a concise costing template for the intervention to demonstrate how they will measure and assess the health care costs that may be impacted by the new intervention. Herein, we present a newly-developed approach to support researchers to measure and present clinical and cost impact within their project. The template can be modified and used by researchers within granting applications, and will reference common costing estimates in Alberta. We briefly discuss the “usual” components of a cost analysis and elements that should be considered when costing an intervention. Resources and available data elements within the province are outlined. This document is a living document that we envision updating and adding to as the provincial thinking changes and more resources are identified.

Costs per capita in Alberta by Category of Service, Age, and Sex; 2015

These interactive data dashboards provide information on the health services Albertans use, the illnesses and conditions they’re diagnosed with, and the costs associated with those diagnoses. Many different sources of data from across the health system have gone into the creation of these dashboards.

The data helps to tell the story of healthcare across the province and provides a way to better understand the health system. This project reflects a broader movement within the province to make health data more accessible to the general public, and to researchers and analysts who are engaged in ways of improving healthcare.