title: [Contribution of the Public Health Service to cost of illness studies].
abstract: This paper reflects on the different approach-es of top-down and bottom-up analysis when calculating sickness costs. Following an analysis of the standard procedures to be followed in tuberculosis contact tracing performed by public health bureaux in Hamburg, a top-down estimate is presented de-spite some accounting limitations. The val-ue of epidemiologic data on infectious dis-eases held by the Public Health Service for bottom-up-modelling is shown by a cost-of-illness study on hepatitis A in Germany.However, broader efforts may be required by local service providers to justify their existence from an economic perspective. This could also contribute to improving cooperation between public health authorities and schools of public health in this rapidly developing scientific field.
authors.affiliation: Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf. Roland.Diel@uni-duesseldorf.de
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Diel
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Forster
mesh_terms: D000066:Accounting; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017281:Cost of Illness; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D005858:Germany; D017048:Health Care Costs; D006506:Hepatitis A / Q000191:economics; D006801:Humans; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D015980:Public Health Practice / Q000191:economics; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000191:economics / Q000517:prevention & control