Health Economics

Recommended Prerequisites

Not applicable.

Teaching Methods

Teaching methodologies include: the contextualization of themes using the presentation of relevant national and international data and indicators; the explanation of concepts and models; discussion of texts and concrete health policy measures.

Evaluation includes two regimes: general (exam) or an optional alternative regime consisting of the exam (50% of the final grade) plus work (50% of the final grade). The work consists in the elaboration of a summary of a scientific article related with the topics learned and its oral presentation in the classroom. The article is suggested by teachers or by the student (subject to approval). Critical appraisals, preferably using concepts learned during the course, are encouraged.

Learning Outcomes

At the end of the course, the student should have learned about the main topics of discussion concerning the health sector and to understand the specificities of this sector and how can they influence the individuals’ choices and health policies. The student should also be able to use basic principles and tools typical of economic analysis to critically evaluate aspects and events in the health sector as well as to be able to critically discuss scientific articles published in the related literature.

Work Placement(s)

No

Syllabus

The following themes are studied in the course: Relevance of the health sector in the economy (introductory part of the course); Specificities of the health sector and health economics (such as uncertainty, information asymmetry, among others); Models of demand for health and health care (including the Grossman’s Model); Information asymmetry and the individuals’ behavior (analysis of issues raised by information asymmetry such as moral hazard and agency relationship); Health insurance (with more detail); Production and supply of health care (definition of production of health care and concepts of efficiency); Equity in utilization and financing of health care (concepts and empirical methods); Main concepts of economic evaluation (types of economic evaluation, costs and the cost-effectiveness plan).

Head Lecturer(s)

Carlota Maria Miranda Quintal

Assessment Methods

Assessment
Exam: 50.0%
Research work: 50.0%

Bibliography

BARROS, Pedro Pita — Economia da saúde: conceitos e comportamentos. 2ª ed.. Coimbra: Edições Almedina, 2009. [ed. de 2005: BP 614 BAR].

DRUMMOND, Michael F.; STODDART, Greg L.; TORRANCE, George W. - Methods for the economic evaluation of health care programmes. 3rd ed.. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2005. [ed. de 1995: BP 614 PHE].

FOLLAND, Sherman; GOODMAN, Allen C.; STANO, Miron — The economics of health and health care. 6th ed.. Upper Saddle River : Prentice-Hall, 2009. [ed. de 2007 BP 614 FOL].

PHELPS, Charles E. — Health economics. 4th ed.. Reading, Mass. : Addison-Wesley, 2009. [ed. De 1997: BP 614 PHE].