Abstract：Rapid，sustainable and stable development of public health depends on the harmonious development of health and economic. The demand of the health care is infinite，but the supply is finite. To ensure optimal use of finite resources and rationing health care resources，it needs evidences from economic research on effectiveness of interventions and costs，benefits，or burden of risk behaviors and illnesses.

Keyword：Economics，Public Health，Health outcome

The development of public health can not live without the development of economy，but the rapid development of economy can not assure the development of public health. 1 Not all the demands of the population can be met at the same time. When solving scarcity problem in the context of rationing resources，we need some appropriate economic evaluation using in economic researches to provide sufficient evidences to help policy-makers to make decision. There are mainly four approaches we use commonly today，which are cost minimization analysis，cost-benefit analysis，cost-effectiveness analysis，and cost-utility analysis. They may be based on one or more of the following perspective：societal，provider，or patients. For society in general perspective will include all the costs and benefits，no matter who accrue them，it is the broadest perspective of those three. 2

From a societal perspective，costs include all the tangible and intangible costs borne by patients，providers and the rest of society. They should reflect opportunity costs and may be valued in terms of market prices，and discounting also should be considered when expressing costs. 3

There is a difficulty on willingness to pay approach because answers may reflect the value people attach to money itself as well as their valuation of the benefits of health care. 4 Cost-effectiveness analysis is based on costs of alternative procedures compared with outcomes measured in natural units，e.g. cost per life year saved. The most widely used utility based measure in cost-utility analysis is the qualities adjust life years（QALYs）. Comparison between alternative procedures can be based on marginal cost per QALYs gained. 5 Sensitivity analyses should be applied when there is uncertainty about the costs and effectiveness of different procedures. 6

When doing evaluation of effectiveness and resource efficiency of a public health program，intervention or practice，you can not find a single economic measurement or tool which is considered to be a goal standard. What we need is the thoroughness and precision of economic analysis to have better financial outlays and health outcome. 7

References

1. CHENG Guang-de，Health Bureau of Gaoyou City，Jiangsu Province，Jiangsu Gaoyou 225600，China，Harmonious development of health and economy，2004.12，Health Economy Research，1-2.

2. Ray Robinson，Professor of health policy，Institute for Health Policy Studies，University of Southampton，Southampton SO9 5NH，Economic Evaluation and Health Care，What does it mean，1993，BMJ 1993；307：670-3，2-4.

3. Ray Robinson，Professor of health policy，Institute for Health Policy Studies，University of Southampton，Southampton SO9 5NH，Economic Evaluation and Health Care，Costs and cost-minimisation analysis，1993，BMJ 1993；307：726-8，1-3.

4. Ray Robinson，Professor of health policy，Institute for Health Policy Studies，University of Southampton，Southampton SO9 5NH，Economic Evaluation and Health Care，Cost-benefit analysis，1993，BMJ 1993；307：924-6，1-3.

5. Ray Robinson，Professor of health policy，Institute for Health Policy Studies，University of Southampton，Southampton SO9 5NH，Economic Evaluation and Health Care，Cost-effectiveness analysis，1993，BMJ 1993；307：859-62，1-3.

6. Ray Robinson，Professor of health policy，Institute for Health Policy Studies，University of Southampton，Southampton SO9 5NH，Economic Evaluation and Health Care，Cost-effectiveness analysis，1993，BMJ 1993；307：793-5，1-3.

7. Public Health Economics，Available from：

http：//www.rti.org/page.cfm/Public_Health_Economics [Accessed 21st February 2009].