Abstract
A production process model of resource utilization is proposed as a way to guide economic evaluation of health care technology. The model is illustrated in a project that is a three-year study being directed by Dr. Patricia Flatley Brennan through application to an existing randomized clinical trial, the “HeartCare” project. The purpose of the original study, HeartCare, is to study the impact of an Internet-based technology on nursing practice and patient outcomes. This model provides a structure to analyze costs of the research technology from three time perspectives: (1) development of the technology, (2) implementation, and (3) maintenance of the technology. Patient perception of the value of the technology was also studied. The economic analysis uses two strategies, cost analysis and willingness to pay (WTP) to evaluate the HeartCare research project.
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