Application of Health Statistics to Health Economics Occurrence of disease Sporadic occasionally specific area Endemic always present in the

the area Epidemic Short period of time Sudden rise of cases in a short amount of time Pandemic Worldwide Epidemic Disease Affects many different countries Determinants of Health Underlying factors Proximate Factors Factors indicate an individuals inclination to disease, rates would give a better picture of the situation as it reveals the number and type of people affected by the certain diseases. For age-specific rates: If disease affect young children and no adults Interpretation: disease affects only those with undeveloped immunity If disease affects all age groups Interpretation: disease may be a new one For mortality and morbidity rates A decrease value for rate indicates Program or treatment introduce has been effective New technology was installed Living conditions of the people were improved For rates which reflects mortality and morbidity values of disease which are communicable constantly increases Interpretation: Due to poor standard of living and improper health behaviour or vices such as smoking For rates regarding non-communicable disease, rates would tend to shift to the older member of the population With the regards to the success or failure of medical treatment or procedures, one should also distinguish o Early mortality rate the total number of deaths in the early stages of an ongoing treatment or in the period immediately following an acute treatment o Late mortality rate the total number of deaths in the late stages of an ongoing treatment, or a significant time after an acute treatment CDR can give a misleading impression Production of Health If the age-specific rate high production of services and goods will tend to satisfy disease of the age groups Ability to maintain a desired level of health depends to a great extent on the lifestyle Confounding Factors Factors affecting the Health Statistics Age increases or decreases the chances of disease occurrence: o Technology either predispose people to certain non-infections or non-communicable disease since there are technology-related disease o Technology also decreases the likelihood of disease occurrence If high technology is available early diagnosis and prompt treatment of diseases lower values for morbidity and mortality rates Microeconomic Evaluation Involves the valuation of alternative way to treat a specific medical conditions: Health economic uses rates as guides to determine and evaluate other means to treat certain diseases: Kidney problems maybe treated by several means including surgical removal, shockwave treatment, lithotripsy Bacterial diseases use of antibiotics Obesity balanced diet, surgical operation, diet pills, lifestyle modification, and other drugs electronic methods Rates determine the methods for diagnosis, treatment and prevention of certain disease Disease with the highest incidence should be given more attention to and be provided with the most number of possible treatments, strategies for treatment and diagnostic methodology Demand for Health Would lean towards the diseases with the highest rates Increase in birth rate increase demand for more goods and services Viewed as investment in human capital, rising specific diseases would require specific medical attention Increase in heart related illness increase in number of cardiologists and cardiac surgeons

High values for morbidity and mortality rates due to infectious disease increase demand to antimicrobial agents, disinfects

The different rates also affect the factors which influence demand for health: 1. Socio-economic characteristics of the population 2. Patient demographics 3. Access barriers (cost-sharing arrangements) For malignant diseases financial constraints 4. Role of providers in determining the type and level of care prescribed After recovery from cardiac arrest cardio will have a minor role the type of care appropriate would be that of a rehabilitation specialist the level of care decrease as the patients conditions improves Supply of Health Care Rates allow supply-related variable such as production theory, input markets and industrial organization to be accurately estimated Supply tends to shift towards supplying needs and services for diseases of highest frequency and of utmost importance For disease with immediate concerns cost of production does not usually play a vital role since a lot of suppliers a willing to produce for a market with high demands for the products Government would extend incentives such as tax incentives for suppliers providing the much needed commodity Market Equilibrium Usually prices for commodities which will serve as remedy for prevailing disease tends to be higher during outbreaks/epidemics Markets effectively allocate scarce resources where they are most productive by establishing a price for everything Morbidity rate for tuberculosis For malaria, steady price could be seen in places endemic of the disease but for places where an outbreak occurs, prices would sharply increases due to the low supply at the area Macroeconomics Rates serve as indicator to determine and analyze if the overall goals and objectives of the health care system were achieved: During outbreaks or epidemics goals? Monitoring of the cases as indicated by the values for the mortality and morbidity rates would allow evaluation of the health care systems overall performance accessibility would also be determined by the number of affected individuals who are able to avail of the remedial measures, quality is considered at the desired when a short period of time marked decrease in the values for rates is seen Rates indicate if the goals are achieved or not Use to evaluate different health programs of the government if they are effective Health Policy Planning Enabling laws are important in maintaining the quality, type and level of help Roles of the: Government determine the occurrence, distribution and frequency of disease (rates) Prepare the laws, resolutions, memorandums to prevents disease Private sectors help supply the much needed goods and services (manpower) Non-governmental organization help through augmentation of the needed good and services and by providing additional data from other health institutions