PBH 320: Health Economics

Goal: Health economics is the application of economic principles and techniques of analysis to health care in support of the public good. By successfully completing this course, students will learn how to analyze the effectiveness of health policy outcomes through an economic lens, and how to use available resources to improve the quality of healthcare.
Content: Topics covered in this course include health care spending, an introduction to health-related econometrics, and economic evaluation. Social determinants such as birthplace, age, work and living conditions vastly affect an individual’s healthcare spending. Students will learn how healthcare spending is affected by socio-economic disparities, both in terms of individual expense and government spending. Mathematical modeling is vital to understanding the economics of healthcare. Students will learn how to implement a regression-based approach to explore health care policy outcomes on different populations. There are a variety of methods of economic evaluation, including cost-benefit analysis, cost-effectiveness analysis, budgetary impact analysis and more. Students will learn to use model-based simulations to assess health outcomes in terms of cost-effectiveness. Students will also be introduced to QALYs (Quality-Adjusted Life Years) and DALYs (Disability-Adjusted Life Years) as key metrics for evaluating the effectiveness of healthcare.
Prerequisite(s): ECO 102 Issues in Macroeconomics (preferred) or ECO 104 Issues in Microeconomics.
Credit: 3
Note: PBH 320 is only available online through the RIZE Consortium. Please contact the Registrar’s Office for additional details and information on enrolling in the course. Only open to students majoring in Public Health.
Degree Level: Undergraduate