Research Themes

ECONOMIC INFORMATION IN HEALTH CARE DECISION-MAKING (WP1) 

Work Package Leaders:
Eila Kankaanpää
Research Director, University of Eastern Finland
eila.kankaanpaa@uef.fi

Jorma Komulainen
M.D., Docent, Editor-in-chief, Duodecim
jorma.komulainen@duodecim.fi

 

Researchers:

Raija Sipilä
M.D., Managing Editor, Duodecim
raija.sipilä@duodecim.fi

Juha Ahonen
M.D., Current Care Guidelines -editor (health economics), Duodecim
juha.ahonen@duodecim.fi

Elisa Rissanen
Postdoctoral Researcher, University of Eastern Finland
elisa.rissanen@uef.fi

Anni Mertakorpi
Researcher, University of Eastern Finland
anni.mertakorpi@uef.fi

 

Partners:
Vesa Kiviniemi
Head of Assesment, Fimea

Our focus  

We support and study the use of economic information in health care decision-making. Our aim is to promote cost-effective care and shared decision-making.  

 

What we do 

1. We collaborate with clinical practice guideline panels and integrate economic information into Current Care Guidelines (CCG). During 2022-2024, we have developed the method to integrate economic information to CCGs. We present comparable effectiveness and price or cost information separately and in one figure, cost per responder. We concentrate on mutually exclusive interventions that potentially have a real economic impact. Until now interventions have been mainly pharmaceuticals, but we compare also other interventions. In addition, we provided the groups with budget impact calculations and summaries of economic evaluation studies.

2. In 2024-26, we evaluate the impact of integrating economic information in clinical practice guidelines on the treatment mix, costs of care and ultimately, the health of patients and population.

3. During 2025-2026, we study the possibility to calculate a threshold value in Finland. Parallel to this empirical work we will also assess the usability and value in health care decision-making. 

4. We aim to supplement the existing health economic theories on joint decision-making in health care organizations and in professional-patient relationships in collaboration with social psychologists.