Measuring experienced disease burden (ExpBoD): estimating the socio-economic, psychological, healthcare and welfare impacts of diseases

The aim of this project, Measuring Experienced Disease Burden (ExpBoD), is to deliver a proof of concept to systematically measure disease impact across multiple non-health dimensions (e.g., economic, psychological impacts) and diseases using Denmark as a testing ground.

As seen during the coronavirus pandemic, governments worldwide are expected to manage not only the disease burden of COVID-19 but its impact beyond health.

Yet, existing metrics on measuring population health, such as deaths, prevalence, disability- and quality-adjusted life-years (DALY and QALY) do not capture aspects beyond health, and current methods are not equipped to systematically estimate multiple non-health disease impacts across diseases.

I will systematically estimate the disease impact across five dimensions: economic, social, psychological, physical, and healthcare and welfare impacts.

ExpBoD will (1) assess statistical methods to identify the most appropriate methodology, (2) systematically estimate disease impact across dimensions and diseases, conduct sub-group analyses, and (3) create a composite index for experienced burden.

By providing a comparable metric of broader aspects of disease burden, this research will advance the literature in health metrics and improve the evidence base for priority setting in the real world.

The unique opportunity that the fellowship provides will allow me to build this long-term and policy-relevant research agenda and propel me into a successful future academic career.