POPLHLTH 719 : Health Economics
Medical and Health Sciences
2020 Semester Two (1205) (15 POINTS)
Course Prescription
Course Overview
The general objective of this course is to provide students with an understanding of some fundamental economic concepts and principles, and the ability to apply those concepts and principles to issues and problems that health care decision makers face on a day to day basis.
The course is divided in four broad sections as follows
1. Some basic health economic concepts
2. Markets and health care
3. Financing health services
4. Evaluating health services
Capabilities Developed in this Course
| Capability 1: | Disciplinary Knowledge and Practice |
| Capability 2: | Critical Thinking |
| Capability 3: | Solution Seeking |
| Capability 4: | Communication and Engagement |
| Capability 5: | Independence and Integrity |
| Capability 6: | Social and Environmental Responsibilities |
Learning Outcomes
- Demonstrate and apply basic economic concepts to issues and problems relating to healthcare decision making. (Capability 5.3 and 6.2)
- Examine and assess the market model and its associated incentives, and appreciate how this framework can be used to analyse the behaviour of different actors within the health system. (Capability 1.2 and 2.2)
- Examine and assess the incentives and disincentives associated with different systems of financing health services and how these can influence health service outcomes. (Capability 3.2 and 4.1)
- Explore the ways in which economic evaluation of health services including utility-based measures of health outcomes could be used to inform healthcare decision making. (Capability 2.1 and 5.1)
Assessments
| Assessment Type | Percentage | Classification |
|---|---|---|
| Assignments | 30% | Individual Coursework |
| Assignments | 30% | Individual Coursework |
| Final Exam | 40% | Individual Examination |
| 3 types | 100% |
| Assessment Type | Learning Outcome Addressed | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |||||||
| Assignments | ||||||||||
| Assignments | ||||||||||
| Final Exam | ||||||||||
- Due dates for assessments must be strictly observed
- Extensions will only be given in very exceptional and unavoidable circumstances, and if approved by the course coordinator/lecturer prior to the assessment due date. Penalties will be imposed for extensions (see below)
- Late assessments where an extension has not been given will be penalised as follows:
- Up to 2 weeks (including weekend days) late - 5% off the assessment total mark for each day late e.g.
- if an assessment is out of 40 and is 1 day late, then 2 marks (5% of 40) will be deducted from the grade achieved
- if an assessment is out of 40 and is 5 days late, then 10 marks (25% of 40) will be deducted from the grade achieved
- More than 14 days late – the assessment will NOT be graded
Learning Resources
Course Contacts
Workload Expectations
POPLHLTH 719 occupies four full days spaced at monthly intervals at the School of Population Health at Grafton Campus. This course is a standard 15 point course. It is suggested for this course that three to four hours be set aside to prepare for each session. Overall, a 15 point postgraduate course is estimated to require 10 hours a week over a 12 week semester, including campus attendance (30 hours), the rest of the time will be for reading, assignments, study and exam preparation.
Digital Resources
Course materials are made available in a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas which also includes reading lists and lecture recordings (where available).
Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the instructor.
Academic Integrity
The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework as a serious academic offence. The work that a student submits for grading must be the student's own work, reflecting their learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced. This requirement also applies to sources on the internet. A student's assessed work may be reviewed against online source material using computerised detection mechanisms.
Inclusive Learning
All students are asked to discuss any impairment related requirements privately, face to face and/or in written form with the course coordinator, lecturer or tutor.
Student Disability Services also provides support for students with a wide range of impairments, both visible and invisible, to succeed and excel at the University. For more information and contact details, please visit the Student Disability Services’ website at http://disability.auckland.ac.nz
Special Circumstances
If your ability to complete assessed coursework is affected by illness or other personal circumstances outside of your control, contact a member of teaching staff as soon as possible before the assessment is due.
If your personal circumstances significantly affect your performance, or preparation, for an exam or eligible written test, refer to the University’s aegrotat or compassionate consideration page: https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/academic-information/exams-and-final-results/during-exams/aegrotat-and-compassionate-consideration.html.
This should be done as soon as possible and no later than seven days after the affected test or exam date.
Student Feedback
At the end of every semester students will be invited to give feedback on the course and teaching through a tool called SET or Qualtrics. The lecturers and course co-ordinators will consider all feedback and respond with summaries and actions.
Your feedback helps teachers to improve the course and its delivery for future students.
Class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the department and faculty staff-student consultative committees.
Student Charter and Responsibilities
The Student Charter assumes and acknowledges that students are active participants in the learning process and that they have responsibilities to the institution and the international community of scholars. The University expects that students will act at all times in a way that demonstrates respect for the rights of other students and staff so that the learning environment is both safe and productive. For further information visit Student Charter (https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/forms-policies-and-guidelines/student-policies-and-guidelines/student-charter.html).
Disclaimer
Elements of this outline may be subject to change. The latest information about the course will be available for enrolled students in Canvas.
In this course you may be asked to submit your coursework assessments digitally. The University reserves the right to conduct scheduled tests and examinations for this course online or through the use of computers or other electronic devices. Where tests or examinations are conducted online remote invigilation arrangements may be used. The final decision on the completion mode for a test or examination, and remote invigilation arrangements where applicable, will be advised to students at least 10 days prior to the scheduled date of the assessment, or in the case of an examination when the examination timetable is published.