Economic analyses should serve priorities, ob-jectives and strategies for intervention that are determined by the epidemiology of disease in the nation and acceptable quality’ of life that results from therapeutic interventions. A health care system should be driven by the epidemiology of disease and concern for the quality of life among recipients of care. Substituting economics for epidemiology’ and quality of life as an exclusive outcome measure of health care reform is unlikely to result in sustainable reform. Economic concerns should complement and not supplant epidemiology and quality of life in a tripartite approach. When epidemiological and quality of life data drive national health care planning, improved approaches to the management of health service delivery’ may become apparent.