COST-OF-ILLNESS STUDY - LITERATURE OVERVIEW

The Cost-of-illness study may be defined as a descriptive analysis measuring the cost of illness thus the economic burden of disease. It can be applied to various health problems and diverse geographical conditions. Based on the methodological literature and the expert studies the paper investigates and classifies the applicable approaches and methods of the Cost-of-Illness study. The aim of the paper is to determine the methodological framework of the study and to provide the critical evaluation related to the possibilities of application. The conducted analysis implies the traditional approach of classification including direct cost, indirect cost (losses in productivity) and the intangible cost including quality and length of life, pain and suffering.