Health Economics

COURSE OBJECTIVE
In this course students learn to:

• make economic analyses of health care policies (Knowledge; Research Skills);
• analyse health care policy objectives (Research Skills);
• measure the extent in which health care policy objectives have been reached (Research Skills);
• formulate economic requirements for effective health care systems (Academic Skills);
• identify causes of cost increase in health care (Academic Skills);
• perform longitudinal analyses of cost developments in health care (Research Skills);
• design measures for effective cost containment (Academic Skills).

COURSE CONTENT
The central theme of this course is the economic optimalization of health care systems. This course provides students the necessary economic knowledge to analyse health care policy and to analyse the economic effects of health care policy measures. The following topics will be addressed:

• health care system’s main objectives;
• methods to evaluate the economic performance of health care;
• the analysis of the influence of market coordination;
• the causes of growth in health care expenditures;
• diversification of health care processes and ways to control this variation;
• cost control in health care.

TEACHING METHODS
Lectures. Tutorials.

TYPE OF ASSESSMENT
Written exam - individual assessment. Assignment (policy report).