HP4A4E Half Unit
Health Economics
This information is for the 2025/26 session.
Course Convenor
Prof Alistair Mcguire
Availability
This course is compulsory on the Executive MSc in Health Economics, Policy and Management. This course is not available as an outside option to students on other programmes.
Course content
Distinction between health and health care. Nature of health care as an economic commodity. How markets and insurance markets work, and how they can fail for health care and health insurance. Incentive mechanisms and principal-agent relationships in health care. Yardstick competition and Diagnostic Related Group payment schemes. Labour markets in health care. Economic evaluation as a regulatory tool.
Teaching
The course will be delivered in no less that 22 hours and includes lectures and seminars. In seminars students will work in small groups to complete problem sets and learning activities set by the course lead.
Formative assessment
1,500 word essay forms the basis of formative review
Indicative reading
The following is a basic reading list for the course: S Folland, A C Goodman & M Stano, The Economics of Health and Health Care (3rd edn), Prentice Hall, 2001; B McPake, L Kumaranayake & C Normand, Health Economics - An International Perspective, Routledge, 2002.
Students will be given access to essential readings before the course begins through the pre-sessional reading programme on Moodle, which they will be expected to read prior to the first day of class.
Assessment
Take Home Assessment (100%)
Key facts
Department: Intercollegiate
Course Study Period: Autumn Term
Unit value: Half unit
FHEQ Level: Level 7
CEFR Level: Null
Total students 2024/25: Unavailable
Average class size 2024/25: Unavailable
Controlled access 2024/25: NoCourse selection videos
Some departments have produced short videos to introduce their courses. Please refer to the course selection videos index page for further information.