Postgraduate Course: Introduction to Health Economics and Resource Allocation (PUHR11084)
Course Outline
| School | Edinburgh Medical School |
College | College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 10 |
ECTS Credits | 5 |
| Summary | The Introduction to Health Economics and Resource Allocation course will provide a grounding in the key concepts of health economics, and their application to the field of Public Health. In this introductory module, students will learn how to combine evidence on the costs and consequences of health interventions to inform funding decisions for new treatments. |
| Course description |
Every healthcare system operates with limited resources. Health Economics aims to provide evidence to inform choices between competing health interventions. In this introductory module, students will develop an understanding of how health outcomes can be valued, costs can be measured, and how the cost-effectiveness of alternative treatments can be compared. Health Economics concepts will be covered from both a UK and international perspective. Upon completion of the module, students should be able to critically appraise economic evaluations in the field of Public Health.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
|
Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | Introductory or basic Statistics, Introductory or basic Epidemiology |
| High Demand Course? |
Yes |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2026/27, Available to all students (SV1)
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Quota: None |
| Course Start |
Semester 2 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
100
(
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 2,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
98 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
|
| Feedback |
Detailed individual feedback will be given on the assignment after marking |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Understand and articulate the concepts of demand, supply and opportunity cost in health systems
- Use cost-effectiveness evidence to choose between different treatment options or health technologies
- Critically appraise economic evaluations in the field of Public Health
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Reading List
Willams A. Health economics: the cheerful face of a dismal science. In: Williams A, editor. Health and Economics. London: Macmillan; 1987.
Drummond M, Sculpher MJ, Claxton K, Stoddart GL, Torrance GW. Methods for the economic evaluation of health care programmes. Fourth edition / Michael F. Drummond, Mark J. Sculpher, Karl Claxton, Greg L. Stoddart, George W. Torrance. ed: Oxford University Press; 2015.
Briggs, A., Claxton, K., Sculpher, M., 2006, Decision Modelling for Health Economic Evaluation. Oxford University Press; Oxford.
Mooney, G. 2003. Economics, Medicine and Health Care. 3rd ed. Pearson Education Ltd: Harlow
Arrow KJ. Uncertainty and the welfare economics of medical care Am Econ Rev 1963; 80, reprinted in: Bull World Health Organ. 2004; 82: 141-149.
Wagstaff, A. (1986). The demand for health: theory and applications. Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health, 40(1), 1-11.
Raftery J. Economics notes: Economic evaluation: an introduction. BMJ: British Medical Journal. 1998 Mar 28;316(7136):1013.
Palmer S, Raftery J. Economics notes: Opportunity cost. BMJ: British Medical Journal. 1999 Jun 5;318(7197):1551.
Torgerson D, Raftery J. Economics notes: measuring outcomes in economic evaluations. BMJ: British Medical Journal. 1999 May 22;318(7195):1413.
Olsen, JA. Principles in Health Economics and Policy/Jan Abel Olsen. Ed. Jan Abel Olsen. Second edition. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2017.
Guinness, L. Wiseman, V. Introduction to Heath Economics. Maidenhead: McGraw-Hill Education, 2011.
McPake, B. Normand, C. Smith, S. Nolan, A. Health Economics: An International Perspective. 4th Edition. London. Routledge, 2020.
McIntosh, E. Applied Health Economics for Public Health Practice and Research. Oxford: Oxford University Press, Incorporated, 2019.
Full list TBC.
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Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
This course will train student's skills in the evaluation of new types of evidence. Taking an economics perspective applied to familiar problems will encourage critical thinking. Communication of challenging ideas will be developed in tutorial sessions. Special focus will be on the threshold concepts of health economics, for example opportunity costs. |
| Keywords | Health Economics,Economics,Resources,Healthcare,Markets,Evidence |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Mr Michael Abbott
Tel:
Email: mabbott@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Mrs Laura Miller
Tel: (0131 6)51 5575
Email: Laura.Miller@ed.ac.uk |
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