Title:	Health Economic Evaluation Methods
Keywords:	Resource management Monitoring and evaluation Measuring health status Health economics
Country:	Sweden
Institution:	Sweden - Department of Epidemiology and Global Health, Umeå University
Date start:	2024-03-05
Date end:	2024-03-18
About duration and dates:	2 weeks. There are no required activities (e.g., reading or assignments) before or after these dates..
Classification:	advanced optional
Mode of delivery:	Face to face
Course location: At Umeå University Epidemiology and Global Health Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine Umeå University Sweden tropEd representative: Marie Lindkvist marie.lindkvist@umu.se http://www.phmed.umu.se/english/units/epidemiology/
ECTS credit points:	3 ECTS credits
SIT: 80 SIT’s Interactive lectures 32 SIT’s Computer exercises 8 SIT’s Group Work 4 SIT’s Written exam 6 SIT’s Self-study hours 30 SIT’s
Language:	English
Description: At the end of the module, the student is expected to: ● Explain and compare the four most common health economic evaluation methods ● Explain and discuss the ethical base of health economic evaluation in relation to prioiritisation within the health sector. ● Critically assess a given health intervention, and propose an appropriate method of evaluation when studying the cost-effectiveness of the intervention. ● Critically review and analyse the strengths and weaknesses of health economic evaluations published in scientific journals.
Assessment Procedures: A 6 hours closed book examination with short questions and essay questions. The purpose of the short questions is to test the students‘ knowledge of different features of evaluation methods. The purpose of the essay questions is to test the students‘ ability to discuss evaluation methods in relation to economic theory, analyse advantages and disadvantages of the methods, and appraise which method is the most appropriate for a particular health intervention. The examination has the grading scale Fail, Pass or Pass with distinction. The grade Pass is given for 50% of the total points on the examination, the grade Pass with distinction is given for 80% of the total points on the examination. A same format resit option is available within 2 months, and a third same format resit option is available at the end of the spring term. Grades for resit examinations are not capped. Grades and feedback are available within 15 working days after the assessment/examination To further support the translation of grades, the ECTS Grading Table is used at Umeå University. For more information, see hhtps://www.umu.se/en/education/study-system/
Content: This module consists of the following sections: ● Economic theory and concepts in relation to evaluation ● Different types of economic evaluations - Why is economic evaluation important? - What are the relevant costs and consequences? ● Cost analysis (CA) - When should CA be used ? - Contingent on the perspective: societal or not? - Average, marginal, and incremental costs - The timing of costs and discounting ● Cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA) - When should CEA be used? - How to obtain effectiveness data? - Cost effectiveness ratios - The use of life tables ● Cost utility analysis (CUA) - When should CUA be used? - Measuring preferences - Quality adjusted life years (QALYs) - Disability adjusted life years (DALYs) ● Cost -benefit analysis (CBA) - When should CBA be used? - Valuing health effects in money - Contingent valuation studies in health care - Designing a willingness-to-pay study ● Welfarism and extra-welfarism ● Presentation of economic evaluation results ● Critical assessment of published articles
Methods: Teaching is conducted through interactive lectures (40%), computer-based exercises (30%) and group work(30%). Aim of the computer exercises is to practise different methods for evaluation and aim for the groupwork is to discuss and assess health interventions. Students are encouraged to read relevant course literature before lectures. The group work is performed in groups of 4-5 students where assignments are solved. The group work is presented and discussed at lectures.
Prerequisites: Participants must previously have passed 120 ECTS of academic studies at any level, of which a minimum of 30 ECTS are within one of the following: health sciences, environmental health, or social sciences. Students must have their own laptop. Proficiency in English equal to Swedish upper secondary education B/6. IELT - An overall score of 6.5 and no section below 5.5. TOEFL – Score of 20 (scale 0-30) in written test, total score of 90. For more information see: https://www.universityadmissions.se/en/entry-requirements/english-language-requirements/
Attendance: Maximum number of students is 60. Number of tropEd students is not limited.
Selection: Students in the master programmes in public health at Umeå University have guaranteed admission to this course. In addition to those, students (among them tropEd students) applying for the course as a single subject course may be accepted (up to 60 students). The selection process for single subjects’ students is based on merit rating from previous university studies.
Fees: 1) There are no application and tuition fees for students who are citizens of countries within the European Economic Area (EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway) or of Switzerland. 2) Students who are not citizens of a country covered by the EEA agreement or of Switzerland at the time they apply for studies must pay an application fee of 900 SEK to the university. Those in 2) above who are admitted and start studying at the university must pay tuition fees. The present fee 2023 for this course is 18550 SEK.
Scholarships: There are no scholarships available for this course.
Major changes since initial accreditation: The course coordinator has changed twice since first accreditation. The objectives are the same, but new computer exercises and group work assignments have been developed. Further the structure of the examination has been changed.
Student evaluation: In general, students are happy with the teaching, most students considered the topic of the course important and the students felt they had been given equal opportunities to achieve the learning outcomes. Further they considered the structure/implementation of the course and learning process satisfactory. However, the students have criticized the structure of the examination and for that reason changes have been done and more information is given beforehand.
Lessons learned: In the fall of 2017 a labor market day was arranged with a particular emphasis on health economics. Previous master students with one of our degrees (public health with a specialization in health economics) were invited as well as employer representatives from both the public and private sphere. One conclusion from the presentations and discussions during the day was that the is both a large and a growing demand for people with a competence in health economics. Another conclusion was that our courses in health economics are well suited to the job requirements that our graduates, now working as health economists, have met. The course in health economic evaluation is the first of our courses in health economics. As such it provides a good base for those of our students that wants to specialize in health economics taking more of the courses in this field. It is also a good base for students who wish to specialize in other public health fields but need the knowledge of what economic evaluation in the health field means.
tropEd accreditation: Accredited in Lisbon, May 2012; reaccredited in Berlin, Oct 2018 and in EC Telco in Nov 2023. This accreditation is valid until Nov 2024.
Remarks: There are two books used as course literature: Drummond MF(ed). Methods for the Economic Evaluation of Health Care Programmes. Oxford: Oxford university press, latest edition Gray AM, Clarke PM, Wolstenholme JL, Wordsworth S. Applied Methods of Cost-effectiveness Analysis in Health Care Oxford University Press, latest edition The first book is a standard reference text in the field of health economic evaluation. The second book includes computer exercises well suited for this course. In addition to this a number of scientific articles is used being distributed to our students via our electronic course site. Students must bring their own laptop Application Information https://www.umu.se/globalassets/organisation/fakulteter/medfak/institutionen-for-epidemiologi-och-global-halsa/troped/application-information-to-troped-students-2021-12-07.pdf
Email Address:	sun.sun@umu.se
Date Of Record Creation:	2012-07-16 02:57:20 (W3C-DTF)
Date Of Record Release:	2019-10-21 08:14:43 (W3C-DTF)
Date Record Checked:	2016-10-22 (W3C-DTF)
Date Last Modified:	2023-11-29 15:20:51 (W3C-DTF)