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Teaching
Why
Study Health Economics at the U of C?
| Jobs in Health Economics
| Masters Degrees
| Courses
Why Study Health Economics at the U of C?
In most
developed countries about 8-10 percent of the nation’s resources are
spent on delivering health care. Decisions that we make about
consumption of other commodities, participation in the labour market
and about regulation of other industries also impact on our health.
There is no doubt, therefore, that health is a very important area of
economic activity.
Health economics addresses several important questions with respect to
efficiency and equity:
- What is the best way
of delivering health care (the state versus the market)?
- How do we design
incentives in health care so as to ensure efficient health care
delivery?
- How do we ensure
health care is delivered equitably?
- How much should we
spend on health care?
- Is it possible to use
cost-effectiveness and cost-benefit analysis to evaluate different
health interventions?
- If so, how do we
measure ‘effectiveness’ and how do we measure ‘benefit’?
- What priority setting
frameworks can we use to ensure that regional health authorities
deliver maximum health to their communities?
- What economic
frameworks can we use to examine people’s behaviour with respect
to their health and health inequalities?
- Is it possible to
evaluate activities aimed at promoting better health?
If you are interested in
these types of questions, you should come to the University of Calgary
to research and study health economics.
Jobs
in Health Economics
Reflecting its growing
importance, there are several types of career paths to follow in
health economics. Faculty are besieged with requests for graduates in
health economics. These requests are from university-based
researchers, national and provincial governments, the pharmaceutical
industry; and private consultancy firms and research institutes.
Given the amount of future resources going into health research in
Canada and the growing importance of health regions in delivery and
financing of health care, there will be several opportunities over the
coming years for health economics jobs in the public sector.
In summary, if you are interested in career prospects for using
economics in practical settings, you should come to the University of
Calgary to study health economics.
Masters Degrees
Department
of Economics
- MA Program:
Currently, students registering for an MA in Economics (by thesis)
at the University of Calgary take six courses. Compulsory courses
are in Advanced Microeconomics (657) and Advanced Econometrics
(615). Two health economics courses (see above) are offered, one in
the Fall term and one in Winter term. Therefore, it is possible to
follow 'health economics stream' in the MA in Economics at the
University of Calgary.
- MA in Health
Economics: Students wishing to specialize further can take
a MA in Health Economics (thesis-based or course-based). Students
must take the two health economics courses (679 and 681, see above)
as two of the six half-courses required by the thesis-based program.
They must also take Microeconomic Theory (657) and Advanced
Econometrics (615). This leaves students with two options. For these
students are encouraged to select from the range of related courses
in the Departments of Economics and Community Health Sciences. Those
students intending to go on to the PhD level are counseled to take
Macroeconomic Theory (659) as most PhD programs would require this.
Students are encouraged to undertake a project with one of the
several health economics faculty at the UofC or to undertake a
Summer placement (e.g. with a local physician, health authority or
Health Ministry) in order to complete their project.
A course-based MA is also available – requiring ten half-courses
and the compulsory courses as outlined above.
- MEc Program:
It is possible for non-economists to study for this degree. The MEc
involves a student taking 8 half courses, two of which are the
health economics courses mentioned above. Three of the 8 courses
could be taken in health related disciplines such as those offered
in the Departments of Community Health Sciences, Nursing, and
Kinesiology. If specializing in health economics, at least one
course must be taken in the Department of Community Health Sciences.
The idea is to allow the non-economics courses to be tailored to the
student’s particular needs and interests.
In addition, a student may be required to take the four one semester
foundation courses designed to provide sufficient background in
economic theory and quantitative methods. Some or all of the
foundation courses may be waived. Thus, a maximum of 12 half courses
and a minimum of 8 half courses would be required to complete the
degree. A project is also required to complete this degree.
Contact: tel. 403-220-6064; fax 403-282-5262; dalip@ucalgary.ca;
Social Sciences Building, Room 427, or see our graduate web
page.
Department
of
Community Health Sciences
-
MSc in Community
Health Sciences: The basic (i.e. compulsory) courses for
this degree are in biostatistics, epidemiology and health research
methods. In addition, students can take a health economics course in
the Fall Term, taken jointly with students from the MA Economics
Program. Other courses in the Department of Economics can be taken
by students who wish to familiarize themselves with more fundamental
aspects of economics.
Contact: tel. 403-220-4288; fax 403-270-7307; chsgrad@ucalgary.ca;
Heritage Medical Research Building, Room 2, or visit their web
page.
MD-Health Economists
This career path is
intended for people with MDs who wish to specialize in health
economics aspects of their chosen area of clinical expertise. Given
the demands placed on health economics to get involved in all sorts of
important clinical areas, this is an effective way of ensuring that
high-quality work is conducted in these areas by those with clinical
expertise in the areas but under the supervision of a health economics
expert.
The aim here, is to train MDs to a level whereby they are the ones who
lead research projects on economics (usually economic evaluation) in
their clinical field. There is no specific route for this. Recently, a
nephrologist (Braden Manns) was introduced to health economics through
the course 755.61. Braden then decided to visit the University of York
in the UK for a year, where he completed the coursework for a MSc in
Health Economics. On completion of his coursework, Braden returned to
Calgary and fulfilled his MSc requirements by conducting a Summer
placement project under the supervision of Dr. Cam Donaldson.
Braden is now member of the Health Economics Program at the UofC.
Members of the Health Economics Program are keen to support this type
of training, and, currently, other MDs are considering undertaking the
University
of York MSc with a placement back in Calgary.
Contact: Dr. Cam Donaldson, Svare Chair in Health Economics,
University of Calgary (cdonalds@ucalgary.ca;
tel. 403-220-2481; fax 403-270-7307).
PhD
in Community Health Sciences and Economics
Community
Health Sciences students are encouraged to focus on health
economics as the area of research for their thesis. This would
give such students a PhD in health research. For admission to
the PhD program, the applicant should hold a Master's degree or MD or
equivalent degree and, depending upon the proposed area of
specialization, have completed three to five of the required courses
for the MSc degree or equivalents.
Contact: tel. 403-220-4288; fax 403-270-7307; chsgrad@ucalgary.ca;
Heritage Medical Research Building, Room 2, or visit their web
page.
With health economics as a major field within the Department
of Economics, students there are also encouraged to enter
the PhD program with "health" as their area of
specialization. In addition to departmental requirements
for the MEc degree, the requirements for a specialization in Health
Economics are as follows:
(i) Students must take Economics 679 and 681 (as two of the
eight required half-courses); and
(ii) Students must take one graduate course, approved by the Economics
Department, in the Medical Sciences Faculty, as one of the eight
required half-courses.
Contact: tel. 403-220-6064; fax 403-282-5262; dalip@ucalgary.ca;
Social Sciences Building, Room 427, or see our graduate web
page.
Courses
Health economics faculty teach two health
economics courses at the graduate level, as well as graduate-level
econometrics and undergraduate health and micro courses.
Specialized courses (linked
to outline):
- Econ
679 / MDSC 755.61 – Health Economics I (Health
Economics and Health Policy)
This is a non-technical introduction to
health economics concepts and how they can be applied at various
levels of health policy. The course concentrates on economics
of health care systems (discussing the role of markets and market
failure in health policy, incentives and reform of health care,
equity in health care), the evaluation of interventions (cost
effectiveness and cost benefit analysis as applied to health care)
and the economics of health (how can health authorities use
economics to maximize health gain? How can economics be used
to help understand health behaviour and health promotion?).
The course invites graduate students in Economics and Community
Health Sciences, the philosophy being that these groups should start
to learn from each other from an early stage in their careers.
Co-ordinators: Dr. C. Donaldson / C. Mitton
- Econ
681 – Health Economics II (Special Topics in Health
Economics)
This course is a general introduction to current research in the
economics of health and medical care, geared to students with
significant research interests related with these fields. It is more
advanced than Health Economics I and, for the most part, is aimed at
economists only and is tailored to the interests of participants.
Main topics of this course include: the Demand for Health and the
Production of Health; Patient Behavior and Insurance; Physician
Agency; Hospital Behavior and Payment System; The Medical Care
Markets and Contracting; Health behavior / Economics of Health;
Advanced Topics in Economics Evaluation of Health Care; The
Economics of Mental Health; and Managed care Incentives.
Co-ordinator: Dr. Mingshan Lu
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