Table 1.

Cost categories and details of source data for quantification and valuation of relevant costs

Cost Category1	Source Details	Units of Resources	Time Frame
1. Inpatient encounters	Administrative data	# of hospitalizations length-of-stay	Provided by fiscal year Referenced to time zero
2. Outpatient encounters	Administrative data	# encounters # procedures	Provided by fiscal year Referenced to time zero
3. Physician Fees	Administrative data	# encounters Provider specialty Service provided	Provided by fiscal year Referenced to time zero
4. Medications	Patient interview	Name Dosage, frequency & duration	Bi-annual
5. Weight Wise Clinic Visits	Administrative data and chart review	Personnel (nurses, dieticians, support staff) salaries Administrative and capital costs Supplies & equipment	Provided by fiscal year Referenced to time zero
6. Home Care & Long Term Care	Patient interview	Personnel (nurse, OT, PT, RT) salaries Disability aids (walker, bars, rails, etc.) Administrative and capital costs	Bi-annual
7. Transfer Payments	Patient interview	Unemployment insurance Disability benefits Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped (AISH)	Bi-annual
8. Employment status, absenteeism	Patient interview	Employment status in past year (# hours/week, # weeks) Absenteeism in past year (# days) Annual income (by quintile)	Bi-annual
9. Weight Loss Interventions	Patient interview	Weight loss program, meal replacements, physical trainer, exercise programs, alternative therapies, nutritional counselling, commercial program	Bi-annual
10. Mobility and Medical	Patient interview	Mobility aids, home modification/renovations, rehabilitation, paid personal assistance (household activities and home productivity, driving)	Bi-annual
11. Personal/Household Productivity	Patient interview as part of quality of life surveys	Capacity to perform household/domestic activities, personal care, and participate in leisure activities (Scalar) Paid/unpaid caregivers	Bi-annual

AHCIP = Alberta Health Care Insurance Plan. MACAR = Morbidity and Ambulatory Care Abstracting Record. DAD = Discharge Abstract Database. LOS = Length of stay. CIHI = Canadian Institute for Health Information. OT = occupational therapy. PT = physiotherapy. RT = respiratory therapy. SW = social worker.

¹Health Care Payor perspective includes cost categories 1-6; Public Payor perspective includes cost categories 1-7 and Societal Payor perspective includes all costs.