Decision modelling for health economic evaluation

impact of heat waves and cold spells on mortality rates in the Dutch population. Environ Health Perspect 2001;109:463–70. 4 The Eurowinter Group. Cold exposure and winter mortality from ischaemic heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, respiratory disease, and all causes in warm and cold regions of Europe. Lancet 1997;349:1341–6. 5 Katsouyanni K, Touloumi G, Spix C, et al. Shortterm effects of ambient sulphur dioxide and particulate matter on mortality in 12 European cities: results from time series data from the APHEA project. Air Pollution and Health: a European Approach, BMJ 1997;314:1658–63. 6 Hetland RB, Cassee FR, Lag M, et al. Cytokine release from alveolar macrophages exposed to ambient particulate matter: heterogeneity in relation to size, city and season. Part Fibre Toxicol 2005;17:2–4. 7 Kulkarni N, Pierse N, Rushton L, et al. Carbon in airway macrophages and lung function in children. N Engl J Med 2006;355:21–30. chapters will be organised and brief information on the authors and intended audience. This is followed by four chapters, one each for Great Britain, Norway, Canada and the United States. These chapters are organised in three sections: description (introduction, need for mental health services, policies/programmes, delivery/financing systems), evaluation (access/equity, quality/efficacy, cost/efficiency, financing/fairness, protection/participation, population relevance) and recommendations (improvements at various levels). The penultimate chapter deals with convergence and divergence between the systems in various areas (access/equity) and the last one provides, among other things, general recommendations. This book provides massive and pertinent information about mental health systems embracing various areas from service needs to the population relevance. In addition, it compares the systems and offers recommendation to improve the systems. This book is likely to be useful for people (e.g. health planers) who work with mental health, primarily in Great Britain, Norway, Canada and the United States, but also for people in other countries by cross-fertilization. At least, this book will be useful in my work when teaching and talking about mental health, and I suspect that Swedish actors directly involved in mental health (e.g. planers) will welcome it providing access. Had Sweden been included, I am sure. However, the usefulness of this book could be improved further. Mental health systems evolve, develop and change, and information may lose its relevance rather rapidly. Therefore, the publisher, editor and authors may want to consider publishing the book at relatively regular intervals, e.g. every 5 years. The systems addressed are Anglo-Saxon or AngloSaxon oriented and from well-developed countries. Broadening the countries included in terms of culture and development may facilitate the ultimate aim, the overall improvement of mental health services.