Define the perspective in economic evaluation and name two common perspectives.

• A. The geographic region and climate of the study.
• B. The viewpoint from which costs and outcomes are measured; common perspectives are societal and payer (health system), with patient sometimes considered.
• C. The statistical method used to adjust costs.
• D. The phase of the clinical trial.

Answer: (B)

Perspective in economic evaluation is the viewpoint from which costs and health outcomes are identified and valued. This choice determines which costs get included, which benefits are counted, and ultimately how the results are interpreted.

Two common perspectives are the societal perspective and the payer (health system) perspective. The societal perspective aims to capture all costs and benefits to society, including direct medical costs, indirect costs like lost productivity, caregiver time, and broader population health effects. The payer or health system perspective focuses on costs borne by the health care payer, such as government programs or insurers, typically emphasizing direct medical costs and often excluding indirect costs. The patient’s perspective can also be considered, emphasizing out-of-pocket costs and patient-valued outcomes.

Other options mix in elements like geographic region or climate, statistical methods for adjusting costs, or trial phases, which describe unrelated aspects rather than the viewpoint used to measure costs and outcomes.