Health Economics Evaluation

This module introduces the principles and methods of economic evaluation in health care, a key tool for informing decision-making in systems facing limited resources. Economic evaluation is widely used in health policy and Health Technology Assessment (HTA) to support decisions on reimbursement, prioritisation, and resource allocation. The course covers the main types of economic evaluation, including cost-effectiveness, cost-utility, and cost-benefit analysis, focusing on the measurement and valuation of costs and health outcomes and the interpretation of results such as incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs). A core component of the module is decision-analytic modelling, introducing decision trees and Markov models as tools to synthesise evidence and extrapolate costs and outcomes beyond available data. The module also situates economic evaluation within the broader HTA framework and provides students with the skills needed to critically appraise and interpret economic evidence for health policy and decision-making.

Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to:

• Explain the role of economic evaluation in health care decision-making
• Distinguish between CEA, CUA, CBA
• Measure and value costs and health outcomes
• Interpret ICERs and cost-effectiveness planes
• Build and interpret decision trees and Markov models
• Conduct and interpret sensitivity analyses
• Critically appraise published economic evaluations

In presence

Lectures, class discussions, and practical sessions on selected tools, complemented by the analysis of empirical studies and students’ presentations.

Option A: Assignment (70%) + Participation (30%). Students are required to prepare an assignment and a presentation based on the critical reading of a specific topic.

Option B: Final written exam (100%). The exam includes multiple-choice theoretical questions and exercises, and a limited number of open-ended questions.