A new axiomatic approach to the evaluation of population health

Jens Hougaard (), Juan Moreno-Ternero and Lars Peter Østerdal

Journal of Health Economics, 2013, vol. 32, issue 3, 515-523

Abstract: In this paper we explore the implications of normative principles for the evaluation of population health. We formalize those principles as axioms for social preferences over distributions of health for a given population. We single out several focal population health evaluation functions, which represent social preferences, as a result of combinations of those axioms. Our results provide new rationale for popular theories in health economics, such as the unweighted aggregation of quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) or healthy years equivalents (HYEs) and generalizations of the two, aimed to capture concerns for distributive justice, without resorting to controversial assumptions on individual preferences.

Keywords: Population health; Social preferences; QALYs; HYEs; Axioms (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D63 I10 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2013
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (26)

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Related works:
Working Paper: A new axiomatic approach to the evaluation of population health (2013)
Working Paper: A new axiomatic approach to the evaluation of population health (2012)
Working Paper: A New Axiomatic Approach to the Evaluation of Population Health (2012)
Working Paper: A new axiomatic approach to the evalution of population health (2012)
Working Paper: A new axiomatic approach to the evaluation of population health (2012)
Working Paper: A new axiomatic approach to the evaluation of population health (2011)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:jhecon:v:32:y:2013:i:3:p:515-523

DOI: 10.1016/j.jhealeco.2013.01.006

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