Health economists use these general methods:
Cost analysis of intervention/program, side effects, and illness. CDC economists have explored the costs of cancers, hospital-acquired infections, communicable diseases, and even an outbreak investigation for local health departments.
Economic evaluation for comparing two or more interventions/programs in terms of costs or benefits; evaluations include cost-effectiveness, cost-benefit, and cost-utility analyses. CDC economists performed evaluations on screening options for diabetes, diagnostic options for HIV and TB, vaccine strategies, and injury prevention programs.
Decision and transmission modeling includes developing and testing regression models, Markov decision-choice models, agent-based models, simulations, and theoretical mathematical models. CDC economists have performed modeling on vaccine strategies, HIV diagnosis and treatment, and state public health resource-allocation options.
Regulatory impact analysis for anticipating and evaluating the impact of regulations on costs and/or behaviors. CDC economists' work in this area includes analyzing the effect of required pre-travel medical consultation for international travelers.
Budget impact analysis (BIA) for estimating the financial consequences of adopting a new intervention for local, regional, and national budgets. A BIA is usually performed in addition to a cost-effectiveness analysis to provide a comprehensive economic assessment of a new policy or programmatic intervention.
Health impact assessment (HIA) for bringing together scientific data, public health expertise, and stakeholder input to identify the potential health effects of a proposed policy, plan, program, or project. An HIA offers practical recommendations for ways to minimize risks and capitalize on opportunities to improve health.