2024/25 Taught Postgraduate Module Catalogue

MEDR5260M Introduction to Health Economics

15 creditsClass Size: 40

Module manager: Dr Alison Smith
Email: a.f.c.smith@leeds.ac.uk

Taught: Semester 2 (Jan to Jun) View Timetable

Year running 2024/25

Module replaces

PHLT5025M

This module is approved as an Elective

Module summary

High income countries spend a considerable proportion of their GDP on health care services and technologies. This module considers how health care interventions can be assessed using economic tools to aid the decision making of healthcare agencies and improve the efficiency of health care systems. The module provides students with a grounding in the role and application of economics in health and health care. The application of the economic concepts and theory within the module will provide students with a greater understanding of the challenges facing the health sector today and how they may be both explained and addressed. Topics include health care markets, the role of government, health financing; equity in health (care); and financing and distribution of health care.

Objectives

- To develop knowledge and understanding of economic theory relating to efficiency, effectiveness, value and behaviour and its application to health care;
- Develop a critical understanding of alternative types of economic analysis as applied to health care for health technology assessment
- Application of alternative types of economic analysis and appraisal of their strengths and limitations
- Develop an understanding of how to interpret analysis results
- Gain knowledge of the requirements of healthcare agencies such as NICE

Learning outcomes
On successful completion of this module the student will be able to:
- Demonstrate in-depth knowledge of the nature and role of economics in the context of health and health care;
- Demonstrate a sophisticated understanding and application of relevant concepts and principles to the analysis of given problems within a health care context

Skills outcomes
On successful completion of this module the student will have acquired:
- An awareness of contemporary social and contextual issues of health care decisions and policies
- Skills to link health care decisions evaluation, social consequences and policy implications.
- Understand the requirements and implications of analyses for healthcare decision makers

Syllabus

The teaching style for this module will be active and participative. Where the module is taught entirely online we will replicate ‘group activities’ and students will be asked to complete online tasks and activities that mirror the pre-Covid19 teaching style. In a series of seminars with activities, and in class practical exercises, students will be introduced to the following:
- Economic concepts in the context of health and health care: decision making given limited resources
- Market failure and government intervention
- Regulation of health care markets
- Financing and reimbursement
- Health care systems in a global context
- Well-being quality of life and QALYs
- Incentives and health care
- Inequalities in health (care); finance and distribution
- Methods of economic evaluation: cost-effectiveness, cost-utility and cost-benefit analyses; decision analytic models; and generalisability

Teaching methods

Delivery type	Number	Length hours	Student hours
Lectures	10	1.00	10.00
Seminar	5	2.00	10.00
Independent online learning hours			1.00
Private study hours			129.00
Total Contact hours			20.00
Total hours (100hr per 10 credits)			150.00

Private study

Students will have to prepare the seminars with suggested reading. They will study and reflect on the teaching materials, seminar contents and further reading to prepare for the assessment.

Opportunities for Formative Feedback

Completion of practical tasks during contact time. Where the module is taught entirely online this feedback will mirror the pre-Covid19 opportunities, taking the form of private study worksheets followed by an online discussion forum.
Independent learning and formative self-assessed feedback on practical exercises...

Methods of assessment

Coursework

Assessment type	Notes	% of formal assessment
Essay	3,500 words	100.00
In-course MCQ	Available on line and self marked	0.00
Total percentage (Assessment Coursework)		100.00

Students will have to prepare the seminars with suggested reading. They will study and reflect on the teaching materials, seminar contents and further reading to prepare for the assessment. Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated

Reading list

The reading list is available from the Library website

Last updated: 03/10/2024

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