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Introduction to Health Care Evaluation - ECO00050M

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  • Department: Economics and Related Studies
  • Credit value: 20 credits
  • Credit level: M
  • Academic year of delivery: 2023-24

Module summary

To introduce you to the basic concepts of clinical and economic evaluation of health care interventions.

Module will run

Occurrence Teaching period
A Summer Term 2023-24

Module aims

To introduce you to the basic concepts of clinical and economic evaluation of health care interventions.

Module learning outcomes

Upon successful completion of the module you should be able to:

  • Explain the basic concept of what economic evaluation is and why is is necessary.
  • Describe the different normative perspectives used in economic evaluation in health care.
  • Set up a decision problem for an economic evaluation in health care.
  • Consider the opportunity costs of different decisions.
  • Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of different ways of expressing the measures of the effect of an intervention (relative risk, odds ratio, risk ratio, the number needed to treat and differences in mean).
  • Explain what is meant by sampling error and the reasons we derive confidence intervals of estimates of effect.
  • Explain what is meant by a meta-analysis and its use in summarising the results of studies of similar interventions.
  • Describe different types of study design and their strengths and weaknesses.
  • Explain the differences between the various forms of economic evaluation.
  • Consider the different outcomes used for different forms of economic evaluation.
  • Calculate the quality-adjusted life years gained from a health care intervention.
  • Explain the various methods for valuing health states.
  • Explain the various methods for calculating willingness to pay.
  • Identify which costs are relevant to a given economic evaluation.
  • Explain how costs can be measured.
  • Understand how to measure and value cost.
  • Calculate appropriate ICERs from a set of mutually exclusive treatment options.
  • Demonstrate understanding of other decision rules.
  • Discuss the logic for discounting costs and consequences and perform a discounting calculation.
  • Discuss the need for modelling.
  • Undertake sensitivity analyses.
  • Undertake a critical appraisal.

Indicative assessment

Task % of module mark
Open Examination 100

Special assessment rules

None

Indicative reassessment

Task % of module mark
Open Examination 100

Module feedback

Feedback will be given in line with University guidelines

Indicative reading

  • Methods for the Economic Evaluation of Health Care Programmes, M.F.Drummond, M.J. Sculpher, K. Claxton, G.W. Torrance, B.J. OBrien, G.L. Stoddart. Oxford University Press 2015. 4th edition. ISBN 0198529457
  • Critical appraisal of epidemiological studies and clinical trials, J.M.Elwood. Oxford University Press 1998. 2nd edition. ISBN 0192627449
  • Hennekens CH, Buring JE. Epidemiology in Medicine. 1987.
  • Bhopal RS. Concepts of Epidemiology: an integrated introduction to the ideas, thoeries, principles and methods of epidemiology. 2002.
  • Torgerson, D, Torgerson, C. Designing randomised trials in health, education and the social sciences: an introduction. 2008.
  • The Economics of Health and Health Care, S. Folland, A.C. Goodman, M. Stano. Routledge, New York, NY, 2017 8th Edition
  • Economic Evaluation in Health Care: Merging Theory and Practice. M. Drummonds and A McGuire (eds). New York: OUP 2001.


The information on this page is indicative of the module that is currently on offer. The University constantly explores ways to enhance and improve its degree programmes and therefore reserves the right to make variations to the content and method of delivery of modules, and to discontinue modules, if such action is reasonably considered to be necessary. In some instances it may be appropriate for the University to notify and consult with affected students about module changes in accordance with the University's policy on the Approval of Modifications to Existing Taught Programmes of Study.