September 17, 2008

Indirect and Mixed Treatment Comparisons

Location: Leicester, England, UK Dates: 17-19 September 2008
Venue: Vaughan College

Course Organizers: Prof Keith Abrams, Prof Tony Ades, Debbi Caldwell, Dr Nicola Cooper, Dr Sofia Dias, Dr Alex Sutton and Dr Nicky Welton.

Intended Audience:

• Anyone undertaking or managing health technology assessments, including in the context of cost-effectiveness analysis.
• Statisticians, familiar with the principles of meta-analysis, who wish to learn about Bayesian methods for evidence synthesis particularly in the context of cost-effectiveness analysis.
• Anyone responsible for managing systematic reviews.

Overview: This course is for health economists, statisticians and decision modellers, and systematic reviewers interested in the extension of pair-wise meta-analysis to indirect and mixed treatment comparisons, in the context of either clinical effectiveness or economic evaluation.

The course focuses on Bayesian methods for statistically combining evidence from networks of trials, integrating statistical estimation within a probabilistic modeling framework. The assumptions underlying both pair-wise meta-analysis and mixed treatment comparisons are critically examined. The course also covers methods for detecting and managing heterogeneity and inconsistency.

This is an informal, hands-on course, based on a mixture of lectures and practical work on published datasets using the Bayesian Markov chain Monte Carlo package WinBUGS. Course tutors are available throughout to answer questions and help with exercises.

It is a collaboration between the Department of Health Sciences, University of Leicester and the Department of Community Based Medicine, University of Bristol.

Further Details and booking form can be downloaded at http://www.bristol.ac.uk/cobm/research/mpes

September 17, 2008: Short Course

November 19, 2008

SHORT COURSE: Using Discrete Choice Experiments in Health Economics: Theoretical and Practical Issues

Location: Aberdeen, Scotland, UK
Dates: 19-21 November 2008
Venue: King’s College, University of Aberdeen.

The Health Economics Research Unit (HERU) is pleased to announce the return of this popular short course. It is increasingly recognised in many publicly provided health care systems that limited resources coupled with unlimited demand require decisions to be made about the efficient allocation of scarce resources. Economic techniques can inform such decisions. One technique adopted, and further developed, by health economists over the past decade is the discrete choice experiment (DCE) (also know as conjoint analysis).

The short course will provide:

• Background information on the theoretical basis for, & application of, DCEs
• Hands-on experience in DCE design, and a practical guide to data input, data analysis, and the interpretation of DCE results
• An overview of methodological issues and recent developments in the application of DCEs.

This short course will provide an opportunity for those interested in the application of DCEs to discuss both practical and theoretical issues raised when applying the method. The short course will include group work sessions with feedback. No knowledge of economics or DCEs is assumed.

Places are limited if you are interested in attending this short course, please visit the HERU website for further information and registration details.

The University of Aberdeen is a charity registered in Scotland, No SC013683.

November 19, 2008: Short Course

December 4, 2008

Health Econometrics Workshop

Location: Milan, Italy
Dates: 4-6 December 2008

Venue: University of Milan - Bicocca

In recent years, health econometrics has been playing an important role in supporting health and social care policy decisions. This Workshop provides the opportunity to disseminate advances in the methods and applications of health econometrics.

Submission of papers: Papers for the Workshop will be selected on the basis of full drafts. Papers should be sent in electronic form to the address healthecon@le.ac.uk no later than 1st September 2008. Decisions will be made by 20th September 2008. Authors will have the opportunity to submit their papers for publication in a special issue of Economic Modelling.

There will be 5 keynote speakers:

• Badi Baltagi - Syracuse University
• William Greene - New York University
• Alberto Holly - University of Lausanne
• Andrew Jones - University of York
• John Mullahy - University of Wisconsin

For further information about the Workshop you can contact Dr. Francesco Moscone at fm83@le.ac.uk or visit http://www.le.ac.uk/economics/healtheconometrics/

December 4, 2008: Short Course

December 5, 2008

Master of Health Economics and Policy: University of Adelaide

Location: Adelaide, Australia
Application deadline: 5 December 2008

See the Program Website

Specialisations:

• Health Management
• Health Technologies
• Development Economics

Course aims:

The Master of Health Economics and Policy program is designed to provide specialisation in the related fields of health economics, health policy and health care management with a particular focus on international health systems. Graduates will develop the capacity to design health reform programs, analyse policy effectiveness, perform economic evaluations of health care interventions, and identify challenges for policy implementation and governance issues by combining management skills with a sound knowledge of economics and public health policies. The flexible structure of the course allows students to tailor their studies according to their educational background or career aspirations, focussing on the economic, health policy or management aspects of health care delivery and planning in countries at different stages of development.

Careers:

Graduates can expect to find employment in Ministries of Health around the world, health insurance funds, the pharmaceutical industry, management consultancies, academia and international organisations. The program is ideal for professionals in mid-career health policy, planning and management roles or those who plan a career in these fields.

Course duration:

2 years full-time study (4 semesters, 48 units). Part-time – maximum completion time 8 years. Students with an Economics background can apply for up to 12 units credit reducing the program duration to 1.5 years. First intake: Semester 1, 2009 (February 2009)

Entry requirements:

• Bachelor of Economics at University of Adelaide or equivalent
• Students without a Bachelor of Economics degree will have to complete the Graduate Certificate in Economics at the University of Adelaide (4 courses - 12 units, 6 months duration) before being admitted to the Masters program. These courses will fully count towards the Master of Health Economics and Policy program.
• Successful applicants without a Bachelor of Economics degree (including AusAid sponsored candidates) will receive a packaged offer (Graduate Certificate PLUS Master of Health Economics and Policy).

Application:

Application for Master of Health Economics and Policy in Public Health need to be submitted through SATAC by Friday 5th December 2008.  You also then need to complete the Additional Information Form 2009 (pdf 58kB) and then send this to the Public Health Postgraduate Administration officer by Friday 5th December 2008.

Further information is available from the Course Director:

Professor Christian Gericke, Chair in Public Health Policy
Email: christian.gericke@adelaide.edu.au

or from the Administrative Officer, Ms Angela Noble
Email: angela.noble@adelaide.edu.au

December 5, 2008: Masters

January 11, 2009

Global Health Leadership Forum: University of California, Berkeley

Location: San Francisco, California, USA
Dates: 11-18 January 2009

Venue: TBA

Website: http://ahlf.berkeley.edu/

An innovative program for senior health executives: a program from the University of California, Berkeley School of Public Health, co-founded with UPF/CRES, Barcelona

Description: A certificate program in which renowned senior faculty and leaders from key international and national organizations interact with high-level participants regarding evidenced-based solutions to key policy and management issues. Participants grapple in a practical manner with the issues and options that have been converging internationally. The alumni network has over 100 leaders from 35 countries.

Sample Issues Include:

• Workshops on leadership and evidence-based management
• Effective policy implementation and strategies for health systems change
• How to assure quality
• Achieving appropriate public vs. private health insurance mix
• Innovations in payer and health delivery connections
• Lessons learned from managed care techniques / innovative budgeting techniques
• Using cost-effectiveness analysis to define “best coverage and delivery buys”
• Making use of the new consumerism
• “Information therapy” prescriptions for consumers
• Technology changes and future health care predictions
• Workshops on pandemic preparedness and health care ethics
• IT and care management systems including a field trip to Kaiser Permanente

Selected San Francisco Speakers:

• Sir Richard Feachem, First Executive Director, Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria;
• Ian Morrison, health care futurist;
• Leonard Schaeffer, founding Chairman of WellPoint; high level officials from Kaiser Permanente;
• Arnie Milstein, expert on health care purchasing, and expert faculty from UC Berkeley and UC San Francisco. 

Faculty Advisors: Richard M. Scheffler, Dean Stephen M. Shortell (UCB Faculty), Guillem Lopez-Casasnovas (UPF Barcelona), and Alex Preker (World Bank)

Program Director: Meg A. Kellogg
Email: ghlf@berkeley.edu  Applications: Currently being reviewed for San Francisco January 2009

January 11, 2009: Short Course

September 1, 2009

MSc Health Economics and Decision Modelling (new for 2009): School of Health and Related Research (ScHARR)

Location: Sheffield, England, UK
Programme Start Date: September 2009

Prospective Students Career Prospects

Health economics and decision modelling is undergoing a massive expansion internationally as governments, insurers, healthcare organisations and the pharmaceutical industry meet the need to analyse the costs and benefits of health related strategies. There is an international shortage of qualified specialists at post graduate level.

This internationally focussed Masters course is intended to equip participants with the techniques and methods of health economics and modelling to meet these needs. It is ideal for students wishing to pursue a career as a professional health economist / modeller.

Opportunities exist around the world, including the USA, UK, Europe, Australia and Canada, in:

• the pharmaceutical industry
• government or other policy organisations
• healthcare purchase or provider organisations
• health related consultancy
• the medical research sector
• academia

Principal aims of the course

The role of mathematical modelling in informing healthcare resource allocation decisions has been increasing over the past two decades. The MSc in Health Economics and Decision Modelling is the only Masters programme in the UK with a specific focus on the practical application of mathematical modelling to inform healthcare decision problems. This is a truly bespoke course, bridging the gap between the underlying theory and application of mathematical modelling for decision making and more traditional health economics. The three principal aims of the course are as follows:

• Equip students with a professional level analytical skill-base required to evaluate and improve the efficiency and effectiveness of healthcare systems for which they have responsibility
• Provide an in-depth understanding of current state-of-the-art methods for mathematical modelling to support and inform evidence-based healthcare decision problems
• Provide a firm grounding for students wishing to pursue research degrees in health economics and mathematical modelling

This MSc is very focused on the techniques and methods of health economics and modelling, which are applicable to a vast range of settings.

Contact us

If you would like to be considered for enrolment or would like to ask any questions regarding this Masters programme, please send your e-mail to:

HEDM Course Administrator

Alternatively, write to:

Gary Toon - Course Administrator
MSc Health Economics and Decision Modelling
School of Health and Related Research (ScHARR)
Regent Court
30 Regent Street
Sheffield
S1 4DA
United Kingdom

PLEASE NOTE: This course has now completed the final stages of development, and subject to Faculty of Medicine approval in October ‘08, will become operational in September ‘09.

September 1, 2009: Masters