SPH 671 - Introduction to Health Economic Evaluation

3 units (fi 6)(EITHER, 3-0-0)

A required course for the Graduate Embedded Certificate in Health Economic Evaluation, this 3-credit course provides an introduction to health economic evaluation. Methodological areas covered include: (1) types of economic evaluation (including cost-effectiveness and cost-utility analysis); (2) defining the target population; (3) comparators; (4) the perspective of the evaluation; (5) time preference and discounting; (6) measuring and valuing health; (7) resource use and costs; (8) uncertainty and probabilistic analysis; (9) equity considerations; and (10) analysis and reporting of economic evaluations. Students will be introduced to Indigenous perspectives on measuring and valuing health, and those of other equity-seeking groups, and will consider the implications for health economic evaluations. By the end of the course, students will be familiar with current best practices for conducting health economic evaluations in Canada. Students will also learn how to construct basic decision analytic models, providing practical experience in applying these methods. No prior economics courses or experience required. Note: Credit may not be obtained for both PHS 671 and SPH 671.

SPH 672 - Advanced Health Economic Evaluations

3 units (fi 6)(EITHER, 3-0-0)

A required course for the Graduate Embedded Certificate in Health Economic Evaluation, this 3-credit course will build upon SPH 671 to provide students with a more advanced understanding of health economic evaluation. Methodological areas covered include: (1) advanced methods for probabilistic analysis; (2) value of information analysis; (3) perspectives on social choice; (4) advanced discounting considerations; (5) controversies in measuring and valuing health; (6) distributional cost-effectiveness analysis; (7) measuring opportunity cost; and (8) advanced modelling methods. Further consideration will be given to incorporating equity-seeking groups' perspectives on measuring and valuing health into health economic evaluations. Students will also learn how to construct complex decision analytic models, providing an opportunity to apply the more advanced methods covered in this course. By the end of the course, students will be familiar with current practices for conducting health economic evaluations in numerous jurisdictions and contexts, including developed and developing countries, and in both public health and health care. Pre- or Co-requisite: SPH 671.