A form of economic evaluation where costs are expressed in money terms but consequences are expressed in physical units. It is used to compare different ways of achieving the same objective.
The World Health Organization (WHO)’s Health Systems Strengthening Glossary defines cost-effectiveness evaluation as “a form of economic evaluation where costs are expressed in money terms but consequences are expressed in physical units. It is used to compare different ways of achieving the same objective.” According to the glossary, monitoring “involves the specification of methods to measure activity, use of resources, and response to services against agreed criteria.” The glossary itself is an extensive list of terms and definitions—many of which the Coalition has decided to use—that draws from technical briefs, research, and textbooks. This specific definition draws from the definition outlined in the WHO Strategy of Health Care Financing for Countries of the Western Pacific and Southeast Asia Regions’ glossary of technical terms.
World Health Organization. “Health Systems Strengthening Glossary.” World Health Organization, 2011. https://cdn.who.int/media/docs/default-source/documents/health-systems-strengthening-glossary.pdf?sfvrsn=b871d95f_4.