SESS3007 Health Economics and Policy

PLEASE NOTE: This module will not be available in 2016-17

Summative Assessment

Coursework 1 2,000 words (25%), 2 Hour Examination (75%)

Formative Assessment

To be confirmed

Module Outline

Health is the most fundamental measure of economic progress. There is increasing interest in health and health care as well as the role of government in securing these. Ambitious and controversial health care reform programmes are being introduced or are on-going across Russia, Central Asia and parts of Eastern Europe as well as in Western Europe and the US. This course in ‘Health Economics and Policy’ is a 0.5 course unit introducing the economics of health. By teaching you to look at health and health care through the lens of the economist, this course will transform the way you think about health and health care. The course builds a theoretical framework which provides the tools for examining the main problems in the health care sector and the challenges faced in the design of public policy aimed at improving the delivery and effectiveness of health care. Defining questions of the course include:

• Why do some people have health and others do not?
• Why don’t individuals simply buy and sell as much health as they need?
• How can and do societies supply (& finance) health care and services?
• How should society spend its health resources?

The course draws on examples from across the globe but pays particular attention to the (often unique) health dynamics and reforms of the post-Communist countries of Eastern and South-Eastern Europe, Russia and Central Asia.

Aims and objectives

1. The ability to apply economic theory, models and empirical techniques to the analysis of decision making by individuals, health care providers and governments with respect to health and health care.
2. A critical awareness of the strengths and limitations of decision making and public policy in the context of health care.
3. A greater understanding of market failure, government failure and the policy options when both are prevalent.
4. An awareness of how ethical considerations become relevant in economic policy making.
5. An awareness and understanding of the full range of health ‘determinants’, including health care.
6. Skills of working critically with academic literature at the interface of theory and evidence.
7. Improved critical thinking and analytical skills.
8. Presentation, essay writing and problem solving skills

Indicative Texts

• Folland, S., Goodman, AC. and Stano, M. (2013) The Economics of Health and Health Care, Seventh edition, Pearson.
• Morris, S., Devlin, N. and Parkin, D. (2012) Economic Analysis in Health Care. John Wiley and Sons. 2nd edition, forthcoming.
• Guiness, L. and Wiseman, V. (2011) Introduction to Health Economics (Understanding Public Health). Open University Press.
• Phelps, CE. (2010) Health Economics. Fourth edition, Pearson (International Edition).
• McPake, B. and Normand, C. (2008) Health Economics: An International Perspective. Second edition, Routledge.
• Jones, AM. (2006) The Elgar Companion to Health Economics. Edward Elgar

AFFILIATES

This module is open to affiliate students (dependent upon personal timetable, availability and subject to meeting prerequisites)

Please note: This outline is accurate at the time of publication. Minor amendments may be made prior to the start of the academic year.