Valuing prevention: lessons and recommendations from a Dutch expert committee.
Rotteveel, Adriƫnne Knies, Saskia de Wit, Ardine Polder, Johan Wouterse, Bram
Rotteveel, Adriƫnne
Knies, Saskia
de Wit, Ardine
Polder, Johan
Wouterse, Bram
Series / Report no.
Open Access
Type
Journal Article
Review
Article
Review
Article
Language
en
Date
2025-05-15
Research Projects
Organizational Units
Journal Issue
Title
Valuing prevention: lessons and recommendations from a Dutch expert committee.
Translated Title
Published in
Expert Rev Pharmacoecon Outcomes Res 2025; 25(6):849-854
Abstract
Countries have been struggling with investments in prevention. How to obtain insight in the costs, benefits, and budgetary impacts of investments in prevention? And how to weigh investments in prevention against other investments in health, such as in curative health care. In the Netherlands, in 2023, a methodological expert committee was established to answer such questions. Their advice, published in January 2024, has been impactful, receiving much attention in Dutch politics and policy and leading to the establishment of a subsequent scientific committee on appropriate evidence and the development of an investment model for prevention.
In this perspective, we present the main recommendations from the advice and embed these recommendations in the Dutch institutional context. Furthermore, we highlight why the financing of prevention is challenging and suggest some solutions. Finally, we discuss how the advice was received and what follow-up was given, reflect on why this advice had such a large impact, and distill recommendations for other countries from this experience.
Economic evaluation of prevention is not intrinsically more challenging than that of other health investments. For a direct comparison of investments in health, similar methods should be used for both prevention and medical care.
In this perspective, we present the main recommendations from the advice and embed these recommendations in the Dutch institutional context. Furthermore, we highlight why the financing of prevention is challenging and suggest some solutions. Finally, we discuss how the advice was received and what follow-up was given, reflect on why this advice had such a large impact, and distill recommendations for other countries from this experience.
Economic evaluation of prevention is not intrinsically more challenging than that of other health investments. For a direct comparison of investments in health, similar methods should be used for both prevention and medical care.