HMM4301 – Optimal allocation of health care resources and economic evaluation of health care technologies
Schedule, syllabus and examination date
Course content
This course will include the following elements:
• Theoretical foundations for finding an optimal allocation of resources and applications related to the prioritization of health care resources.
• Types of economic evaluations and their relations: cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA), cost-utility analysis (CUA, and cost-benefit analysis (CBA).
• Opportunity cost in theory and practice
• Valuing health outcomes in non-monetary and monetary units
• Modelling future costs and outcomes, sensitivity analyses
• Efficiency vs equality
Learning outcome
The aims of this course are to: Give the students a basic understanding of the normative issues involved in prioritizing health care resources, as well as an understanding of the theoretical foundation of economic evaluation. Students should get a basic knowledge of the methods at hand for evaluation of diagnostic and therapeutic technologies within health care. The course should provide the necessary tools for understanding the literature in the field, and to carry out a simple economic evaluation. Students should understand the relevance of these methodologies for health policy and planning.
Admission
Students who are admitted to study programmes at UiO must each semester register which courses and exams they wish to sign up for in Studentweb.
If you are not already enrolled as a student at UiO, please see our information about admission requirements and procedures.
Prerequisites
Formal prerequisite knowledge
None
Recommended previous knowledge
Knowledge of modern Microeconomics
For instance the introductionary parts of HME4308 Health Economics and Market Failure can be helpful.
Teaching
Lectures and seminars with mandatory term paper. There will also be critical assessment of published analyses and computer exercises to illustrate relevant software.
Examination
Term paper and written exam. The term paper counts 1/3 of the final grade, and the written exam counts 2/3 of the final grade.
Examination support material
Calculator (only the calculator Citizen SR-270X is allowed)
Language of examination
All written exams and term papers at the master's programme in Health Economics, Policy and Management have to be conducted in English.
Grading scale
Grades are awarded on a scale from A to F, where A is the best grade and F is a fail. Read more about the grading system.
Explanations and appeals
Resit an examination
Withdrawal from an examination
It is possible to take the exam up to 3 times. If you withdraw from the exam after the deadline or during the exam, this will be counted as an examination attempt.
Special examination arrangements
Application form, deadline and requirements for special examination arrangements.