University of Tasmania, Australia

• 29th, 30th, 31st May, 9am-5pm
• 3rd, 4th June, 9am-5pm
• 5th June 9am-1pm

This five-and-a-half-day short course aims to provide students with a basic understanding of health economics, its value and limitations. It will familiarise students with the application of economic theory to health and health care issues, and review and analyse policy and practice in the health care sector. There will be a particular focus on economic evaluation, why it is important for decision-making and how it is undertaken.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this course it is anticipated that participants will be able to:

• Apply economic theory to a variety of health sector issues.
• Evaluate and critically appraise economic studies of healthcare interventions.
• Compare and contrast the range of evaluation techniques and apply them in the appropriate circumstances.
• Critically analyse different policy issues.

Content

• Principles of health economics: key concepts and economic tools; scarcity, need, demand, opportunity cost, margins, efficiency and equity.
• The production of health: what is health, what influences it?
• The market for health: supply, demand, market failure.
• Healthcare system and healthcare reform: financing healthcare, provision of healthcare, models of healthcare systems; the Australian healthcare system.
• An introduction to economic evaluation: types of economic evaluations, costs, outcomes, incremental cost effectiveness analysis.
• Critical appraisal: appraising published economic evaluations, finding literature, appraisal criteria.
• Rationing health care: the role of economic evaluation in decision-making.
• Equity and inequalities: defining equity, health inequalities – measuring and resolving.

Who Should Attend

This practical workshop has been designed for health professionals, policy advisors and researchers who want to understand the basics of health economics and its relevance to the health service. No previous knowledge of economics is required.

Facilitator: Dr Paula Lorgelly

Dr Paula Lorgelly is an Associate Professor in the Centre for Health Economics (CHE), Monash University. Prior to joining CHE in January 2010, she spent a decade working in academic in the United Kingdom. She lectured both undergraduate and postgraduate economics, health economics and public health students, and designed and ran a successful short course on undertaking economic evaluations alongside clinical trials. Much of her research focuses on economic evaluations, particularly with respect to complex interventions, and she is an investigator on a number of grants across a range of clinical areas including cancer, HIV, diabetes and maternal health. She was recently appointed to the Economic Subcommittee of the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC), and in this capacity she provides advice on submissions for drugs seeking reimbursement on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS).

Cost

$1990 (GST inclusive)

Includes all meals, refreshments and printed learning materials.

Numbers are limited