HEALTH ECONOMICS
GRADO ECONOMÍA
Curso 2021/2022
1. Subject Information
(Date last modified: 05-07-21 10:56)- Code
- 103756
- Plan
- ECTS
- 6.00
- Type
- Opcional
- Year
- 4
- Duration
- Second semester
- Language
- ENGLISH
- Area
- ECONOMÍA APLICADA
- Departament
- Economía Aplicada
- Virtual platform
Professor Information
- Coordinador/Coordinadora
- José María Elena Izquierdo
- Group/s
- Único
- Centre
- Fac. Economía y Empresa
- Office
- 166 (Facultad de Derecho)
- Office hours
- To be determined
- Web address
- -
- jomarel@usal.es
- Phone
- 923.294500 ext. 1653
2. Association of the subject matter within the study plan
Curricular area to which the subject matter pertains.
Campos de aplicación
Purpose of the subject within the curricular area and study plan.
Knowledge of the characteristics of health as an investment and the approach to health care from economic analysis.
Professional profile.
Freelance professionals of economics and employees of the Public Administrations or private firms.
3. Prerequisites
It is advisable to have a basic knowledge of microeconomics and the analysis of public sector intervention in the economy. Intermediate or intermediate-high level of English (B2-C1)
4. Learning objectives
Students should know how to analyze the problems derived from market failures at different levels of healthcare delivery.
Students should be able to carry out an economic evaluation of a specific health technology considering the cost-effectiveness, cost-utility or cost-benefit analysis.
Students will be able to realize informed and useful reports about a given proposal to reform the health care system or any of its elements.
5. Contents
Theory.
- Basic concepts in health economics. Measurement and determinants of health. Aggregated health indicators. Healthcare systems organization.
- Health as an investment: production and demand for health. The demand for health care and health insurance.
- Health services providers. Variations in medical practice. Financing schemes for healthcare providers.
- Market failures and failures of public intervention in healthcare. Attitudes towards health: rational addictions and behavioral economics in healthcare.
- Evidence-based medicine: costs and outcomes. Methods for the economic evaluation of health technologies.
- Efficiency and equity in healthcare. Healthcare policies and recent reforms in healthcare systems.
6. Competences acquired
Basic / General.
C2, C4, C9, C17
Specific.
C5, C8, C9, C18,
Transversal.
C23, C25, C27
7. Teaching methods
The subject pivots between theoretical classes based on general handbooks and specialized papers (presented by students in class) and practical classes reviewing concepts and applying theoretical content to case studies. In addition, at least two online test controls will be carried out to review and keep up to date the contents seen throughout the course.
8. Anticipated distribution of the use of the different teaching methods
9. Resources
Reference books.
"Health Economics", Jay Bhattacharya, Timothy Hyde and Peter Tu, Palgrave McMillan, 2014
“Economic analysis in health care”, S. Morris, N. Devlin, D. Parkin y A. Spencer. Ed. John Wiley & Sons, 2ª ed. 2012.
Other bibliographic references, electronic or other types of resources.
B. González López-Valcárcel, J. Oliva Moreno, M. Trapero Beltrán, A. Hidalgo Vega y J. E. del Llano Señarís. “Economía de la salud”, Ed.Pirámide, 2018.
Martínez-Giralt, X. Economía de la Salud. Una guía para no economistas. Center for the Study of Organizations and Decisions in Economics (CODE). Universitat Autónoma de Barcelona. Mayo 2008
10. Assessment
General considerations.
The evaluation is carried out by combining the result obtained in the final examination, the result obtained in the online evaluations and the practical participation through the presentation of complementary readings and the resolution of practical problems.
Assessment criteria.
The final exam will involve between 50% and 60% of the final grade. The combination of active class participation (e.g. in practice resolution), the presentation of supplementary readings and the online test scores will provide the remaining percentage (between 40% and 50%).
Assessment tools.
Theoretical-practical final exam
Online tests
Practice resolutions
Presentation of supplementary readings in class
Assistance and class participation
Assessment recommendations.
It is highly recommended to take all online tests and present one of the readings in class
Guidelines in the case of failing the subject.
The recovery criteria shall, by default, be the same as those of the first evaluation. Students who have not scored in any of the continuing assessment items will only be evaluated by the final exam on a scale of 0 to 7 out of 10