Conducting a CBA in epidemiology involves several steps: 1. Identify the Intervention: Clearly define the public health intervention to be evaluated. 2. Quantify Costs: Include direct costs (e.g., medical expenses, program implementation) and indirect costs (e.g., loss of productivity). 3. Quantify Benefits: Benefits can be direct (e.g., reduced medical costs) or indirect (e.g., improved quality of life). 4. Discount Future Costs and Benefits: Apply a discount rate to account for the time value of money. 5. Calculate Net Present Value (NPV): The difference between the discounted benefits and costs. 6. Conduct Sensitivity Analysis: Assess how changes in assumptions affect the outcomes.
