BAEcon Economics

The unit aims to:

1. Enable students to develop a critical understanding of the basics of health economics
2. Introduce students to the health economists' 'toolkit', the ways it can be used in the process of policy development, and its limitations

At the end of the module, successful students should be able to demonstrate:

• The ways in which health and health care are different to other economic goods
• The economic decisions and processes that drive the demand for and the production of 'health' and 'health care'
• How the health care market works, how it can fail, and the role of government in healthcare
• How poor health is insured against and how health care is financed in different countries
• How to measure equity in the distribution and finance of health care
• How to measure health care output and alternative methods to determine a fair and efficient distribution of health
• The similarities and differences that characterise decisions about health, and the demand, supply, and financing of healther care in low and middle-income settings

(Pre-Requisites: ECON20501 OR ECON20021) OR (Co-Requisite ECON30021)

ECON20501 or ECON30501 or ECON20021 or ECON30021

The unit aims to:

1. Enable students to develop a critical understanding of the basics of health economics.
2. Introduce students to the health economists' 'toolkit', the ways it can be used in the process of policy development, and its limitations.

At the end of the module, you should be able to demonstrate:

• The ways in which health and health care are different to other economic goods
• The economic decisions and processes that drive the demand for and the production of 'health' and 'health care'
• How the health care market works, how it can fail, and the role of government in health care
• How poor health is insured against and how health care is financed in different countries
• How to measure equity in the distribution and finance of health care
• The similarities and differences that characterise decisions about health, and the demand, supply, and financing of health care in low and middle-income settings

 

Provisional

1. Introduction to health economics (2 hours)
2. The determinants of health and the demand for health care (4 hours)
3. The production and supply of health care (4 hours)
4. Efficiency of health care (market failure, governments, and insurance) (4hours)
5. Equity in health care (2 hours)
6. Topics in global health economics (4 hours)

Synchronous activities (such as Lectures or Review and Q&A sessions, and tutorials), and guided self-study

Understand how the health care market works, how it can fail, and the role of government in healthcare 

Understand the economic decisions and processes that drive the demand for and the production of 'health' and 'health care' 

Apply basic economic analysis in the context of health and health care

Identify and apply relevant health economic theories and methods to the analysis of health related policies

Read economic literature, particularly in a health context 

Process and critically evaluate different sources of information 

Comment on current development in health care policy 

Develop a sustained and coherent written argument 

40% Essay - 1000 words

60% Exam - 2h

Detailed feedback is provided on the essay in advance of the final exam.

• Morris, S; Devlin, N; Parkin, D; Spencer, A (2012) Economic Analysis in Health Care, 2nd edition, John Wiley.

Supplementary readings in the form of journal papers will be given as appropriate

In addition, where relevant, recent newspaper and popular scientific articles will be used as motivation for topics.