An Analysis of Alternative Periodic Health Examination Strategies
Abstract
Data from the Armed Forces were investigated to enable inferences as to the benefits and costs of alternative periodic health examination strategies. The periodic health screening program is treated on two levels: first, it is viewed as a production process whose inputs are the frequency of the examinations and the scope of an examination. A standard aggregate production function that captures the technology effect is adapted to the health screening production process, with age as the analogue to technical change, and the parameters of this function are estimated. Then, at a second level, the respective effects of variations in age and variations in the ability of the periodic health screening program to detect illness, upon the rate of serious morbidity in the population, are examined. Implications of this and related studies for policy regarding periodic health examination programs are discussed.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 1972
- Accession Number
- AD0755494
Entities
People
- Brian E. Forst
Organizations
- Center for Naval Analyses