Economic Analysis of Health Systems

2 February to 6 March

Workload: 40 hours per week
Faculty: Dr. Wim Groot, Dr. M. Pavlova, Dr. A. Ament, Dr. H. Maarse
Assessment: At the end of the course, a written test will be held.

Content and objectives
In many countries, health care takes place in highly complex systems. While a simple economic view looks upon doctors, hospitals and pharmaceutical firms or pharmacies on the supply side, and patients as consumers on the side of demand, modern health care systems are much more sophisticated. This course introduces the main aspects of the nature of health economics, demand for health care and supplier-induced demand, insurance issues, supply-side issues, equity aspects of health care systems, economic evaluation of medical interventions, the economics of prevention, economics of the pharmaceutical industry, competition in health care and contracting health services.

Literature

·        Folland, S., A. Goodman & M. Stano, The Economics of Health and Health Care. Prentice Hall, 2007, fifth edition (SL W 74).

·        WHO. World Health Reports. Especially relevant is the WHR 2000: Health Systems: Improving Performance (http://www.who.int/whr/2000/en/)

·        Culyer, A. & J. Newhouse (eds.), The Handbook of Health Economics, Elsevier, Amsterdam, 2000