OVERVIEW

Choices in the health field are today more and more difficult. On the one hand, the progress of research in the medical field is able to increase survival and quality of life, but at the same time there is also an increase of inequality among people. Health policy should choose how to allocate resources at best reconciling individual and social interest. 

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

The course is aimed at deepening the understanding of the principles of economic policy in the health sector with particular reference to concrete cases designed to evaluate the introduction of new technologies and the impact of certain instruments of health policy (different modes of remuneration of regulators, rules for the allocation and cost standard mode of co-payment).

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

The course aims to take up some of the basic concepts of economics to apply them to health systems, where decisions are particularly hard from an economic point of view. Economic analysis in the health field provides additional elements to politicians to choose followint  criteria of efficiency, equity and appropriateness.

At the end of the lessons the students will be able to:

• describe health systems and compare them with each other
• read and comment documents, studies and reports produced by the national and international princely institutions
• perform simple economic evaluations (indicators, production efficiency, allocation of resources) -use the acquired knowledge to independently evaluate specific case studies or situations
• choose reliable information sources
• communicate the concepts acquired clearly and in a proper language

PREREQUISITES

It is recommended to have some knowledge of Microconomics and Macroeconomics topics (demand, market, production, public goods and externalities, gross national product, public expenditure)

TEACHING METHODS

An active frequency is required to take advantage of all participatory educational initiatives that will be implemented. In particular, laboratories will be held with the use of clickers and economic assessments will be carried out on concrete cases in the computer lab using simple applications on xls.

An alternative teaching amethod and program for non attending students is foreseen which provides online lessons accessible through aulaweb, the e-learning platform of the University

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

The 6 credits program includes the first 6 points; The 9 credits program include all the 9 points

1. Methods for the economic analysis of health care systems
2. Socio-economic conditions and deprivation
3. Allocative efficiency, cost-benefit analysis, Health Technology Assessment
4. Production efficiency, analysis of the production costs. Care pathways.
5. Individual and collective choices (demand vs need, public financing vs. public production
6. Comparative analysis of health systems
7. Financing, standard cost, payment systems for providers
8. Parametric and non parametric model to assess efficiency (Data Envelopment Model)
9. Models for economic evaluation in health care (decision trees, Markov, sensitivity analysis)

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

Material will be distributed and suggested during the lessons

For non-attending students, it is mandatory to check aulaweb regularly in order to utilize all e-learning tools provided by the teacher: on line lessons, slides, papers to read, link to Department Library, discussion forum.

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

Exam Board

ANGELA TESTI (President)

PAOLO LANDA

SERENA SCOTTO

LESSONS

LESSONS START

II Semester

Class schedule

HEALTH ECONOMICS & POLICY

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

Written exam (open questions). 

For attending students there are also applications of simple evaluation software in the computer room and the presentation of group research work.Active participation in the laboratories contributes to the final evaluation

ASSESSMENT METHODS

Question requiring to give definitions are proposed to verify knowledge and understanding. Question about interpretation of some document and reports are proposed to verify the  ability to apply knowledge and understanding.

Simple exercises are proposed to verify the ability to use the knowledge acquired with autonomous evaluation skills with reference to applied case studies

Exam schedule

FURTHER INFORMATION

The course gives 9 CFU, but a part of the course can be included in the study plan as a chosen activity giving  6 CFU.

It is strongly recommended to have already passed the Microeconomics and Macroeconomics exams.

The following skills are provided:

Knowledge and understanding. Students must be able to understand and  describe health systems at the macro and microeconomic levels     

Ability to apply knowledge and understanding. Students must be able:

-to apply the knowledge acquired to read and discuss documents and data produced by the main national and international institutional authorities;

-to develop simple economic evaluations (indicators, cost effectiveness analysis, measurement of production efficiency)

 Making judgments Students must know

-how to use the knowledge acquired with autonomous evaluation skills with reference to applied cases, both on a conceptual and operational level.         

-how to choose reliable information sources to obtain data to evaluate specific contexts.     

Communication skills Students must acquire the typical technical language of health economics in order to communicate clearly and unambiguously with specialist interlocutors (managers, professionals etc).