title: Valuing inter-sectoral costs and benefits of interventions in the healthcare sector: methods for obtaining unit prices.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There is a lack of knowledge about methods for valuing health intervention-related costs and monetary benefits in the education and criminal justice sectors, also known as 'inter-sectoral costs and benefits' (ICBs). The objective of this study was to develop methods for obtaining unit prices for the valuation of ICBs.
  
  
  METHODS
  By conducting an exploratory literature study and expert interviews, several generic methods were developed. The methods' feasibility was assessed through application in the Netherlands. Results were validated in an expert meeting, which was attended by policy makers, public health experts, health economists and HTA-experts, and discussed at several international conferences and symposia.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The study resulted in four methods, including the opportunity cost method (A) and valuation using available unit prices (B), self-constructed unit prices (C) or hourly labor costs (D).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The methods developed can be used internationally and are valuable for the broad international field of HTA.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Health Services Research, School for Public Health and Primary Care (CAPHRI), Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences , Maastricht University , Maastricht , The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Ruben M W A
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Drost
authors.affiliation: a Department of Health Services Research, School for Public Health and Primary Care (CAPHRI), Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences , Maastricht University , Maastricht , The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Aggie T G
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Paulus
authors.affiliation: a Department of Health Services Research, School for Public Health and Primary Care (CAPHRI), Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences , Maastricht University , Maastricht , The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Dirk
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ruwaard
authors.affiliation: a Department of Health Services Research, School for Public Health and Primary Care (CAPHRI), Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences , Maastricht University , Maastricht , The Netherlands.|b Trimbos , Netherlands Institute of Mental Health and Addiction , Utrecht , The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Silvia M A A
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Evers
mesh_terms: D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration*; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D017048:Health Care Costs; D019981:Health Care Sector / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D009426:Netherlands; D013673:Technology Assessment, Biomedical / Q000379:methods*
keywords: costs and cost analysis; criminal justice; education; healthcare sector; inter-sectoral costs and benefits; valuation methods