Health Economics

RATIONALE

The module introduces students to a variety of different methods for the financing and delivery of health care around the world. It explores the main methods of economic evaluation and provides an understanding of the key concepts of scarcity, choice and opportunity cost. Students will learn how and why health care is different from other economic goods and services and gain an understanding of the factors that determine supply and demand for health care. The module also addresses the current debate over the meaning of equity in health and the need for health care rationing.

AIMS

1. To provide students with a critical understanding of the use of health economics in the delivery of public health services.
2. To introduce and explore the main methods of economic evaluation used by health economists.
3. To provide the skills to enable the evaluation and assessment of health economics evidence to inform practice.
4. To explore the concept of fairness and equity in health economics and health service delivery.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

On successful completion of the module, a student will be able to:
1. Critically evaluate economic theories and models for the commissioning, delivery and evaluation of public health interventions.
2. Evaluate and compare the key methods of economic evaluation utilised in health economics.
3. Identify, assess and synthesise relevant evidence from health economic research
Literature.
4. Critically analyse the role of equity in health economics and the concept of rationing and priority setting in order to most appropriately allocate limited resources.