The University of Sheffield
Health Economics and Decision Science

Professor Ben van Hout

Ben van Hout

Professor of Health Economics

Address:
HEDS, ScHARR
The University of Sheffield
Regent Court, 30 Regent Street
Sheffield S1 4DA

Tel: (+44) (0)114 222 0827
Fax: (+44) (0)114 272 4095
E-mail: b.a.vanhout@sheffield.ac.uk
Room: 2019

Biography

I joined ScHARR in November 2009 as Professor of Health Economics.

I have extensive experience in modelling and have contributed to the methodology of economic evaluation in various areas. In 1993 I was one of the earliest researchers to apply discrete event models and was the first to apply a non-parametric method to estimate costs in the presence of censoring[1]. In 1994 I was the first to apply Fieller´s approach to calculate confidence intervals around cost-effectiveness ratios, and I introduced the acceptability curve, which is now a well known concept in cost effectiveness analysis[2]. In 1996 I was one of the first to apply probabilistic sensitivity analysis[3]. In 2000 I was one of the initial people to explore Bayesian techniques in economic evaluation[4]. I have had work published on discounting[5] and estimating utility functions[6].

I am one of the founding members of the EuroQol group and I currently enjoy chairing the valuation task force within the EQ-5D group. My experience covers several therapeutic areas, including renal disease, cancer, osteoporosis, sepsis, schizophrenia, blood safety and most notably cardiovascular disease. My main interest concerns the use of elegant techniques, mostly to solve practical problems, but sometimes also because of the elegance itself.

Key publications

  1. Van Hout BA, Bonsel G, van der Maas P, Habbema D, de Charro F. Heart transplantation in the Netherlands; costs, effects and scenarios. Journal of Health Economics 1993;12:73-93.
  2. Van Hout BA, Al M, Gordon GS, Rutten FFH. Costs, effects and C/E-ratios alongside a clinical trial. Health Economics 1994;3:309-19.
  3. Michel BC, Al MJ, Remme WJ, Kingma JH, Krachten JA, van Nieuwenhuizen R, van Hout BA. Economic aspects of treatment with captopril for patients with asymptomatic left ventricular function in the Netherlands. European Heart Journal 1996;17:731-40.
  4. Al MJ, van Hout BA. A Bayesian approach to economic analyses of clinical trials: the case of stenting versus balloon angioplasty. Health Economics 2000;7: 599-609.
  5. Van Hout BA. Discounting costs and effects: a reconsideration. Health Economics 1998;7:581-94.
  6. Van Buschbach JJ, McDonnel J, Essink Bot ML, van Hout BA. Estimating parametric relations between health description and health valuation with an application to the EuroQol instrument. Journal of Health Economics 1999;18:551-71.

Link to the HEDS publications database

Section

Ben van Hout is based half-time in Health Economics and Decision Science (HEDS).