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Health Economics

Overview

  • Credit value: 15 credits at Level 5
  • Convenor: to be confirmed
  • Assessment: a 500-word essay outline (30%) and 1500-word essay (70%)

Module description

In this module we introduce you to key economic ideas and concepts that can be used in pursuit of better population health and better health care. We will focus on the knowledge and skills required to improve health outcomes by improving financial management of health care.

Although a background in economics may be beneficial, the module assumes no previous training in economics.

Indicative syllabus

  • Introduction of key economic concepts
  • Making choices within scarce resources
  • Efficiency, equity, elasticity of demand, costing, production, marginal analysis and opportunity cost
  • Conditions under which normal markets and insurance markets work, and why they often fail in health care
  • Healthcare financing and universal health coverage
  • Principles and application of economic evaluation in health care

Learning objectives

By the end of this module, you will be able to:

  • analyse determinants of demand, supply and costs of production
  • apply the concepts of efficiency, equity, elasticity, marginal analysis and opportunity cost
  • explain the basic market model, market failure, and the roles and limitations of markets (and governments) in health care
  • explain the functions of health financing
  • explain the principles of economic evaluation as applied to health care.