title: [Economic evaluation and rationing: is age an adequate criteria?].
abstract: Old age is one of the criteria used for priority setting in a context of limited resources and of health care rationing. Rationing on age is supported by the various types of economic analysis. However, economic evaluations have methodological limitations and sometime lead to conclusions that compromise the efficiency objective. In addition, an utilitarist approach is criticized for neglecting the equity objective of the health care system. Age is an imperfect reflect of health status and prognosis at an individual level, which remain difficult to translate into an easily defined criterion for rationing purposes.
authors.affiliation: Institut Universitaire de médecine sociale et préventive, 17, rue du Bugnon, 1005 Lausanne.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Santos-Eggimann
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D017598:Efficiency, Organizational; D017048:Health Care Costs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015276:Health Care Rationing / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006292:Health Priorities; D006299:Health Services for the Aged / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000600:supply & distribution*; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D009313:National Health Programs / Q000458:organization & administration; D010344:Patient Advocacy; D018579:Patient Selection; D011379:Prognosis; D012935:Social Justice; D013557:Switzerland
vernacular_title: Evaluation économique et rationnement: l'âge est-il un critère adéquat?