| Unit name | Economic modelling for healthcare decision-making |
|---|---|
| Unit code | BRMSM0049 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | M/7 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
| Unit director | Dr. Howard Thom |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
Concepts in the economics and policy of health and care Quantitative methods for economic evaluation and health policy analysis |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you may not take alongside this one | |
| School/department | Bristol Medical School |
| Faculty | Faculty of Health Sciences |
Building on the knowledge of economic evaluation that students will have gained from earlier units, this unit aims to introduce students to commonly used tools for economic modelling to inform healthcare policy, with a focus on decision trees and Markov models. The unit covers the entire modelling process from specification of the decision problem; building the model structure; identifying and synthesising evidence to populate the model; coding, validation, and evaluation of the model; conducting sensitivity and value of information analyses; and interpreting results. The unit also covers critical appraisal of economic models.
By the end of the Unit, students should be able to:
The course will be delivered using blended learning. The course will be delivered through two intensive 3-days blocks (36 hours) of in-person teaching (lectures and computer practicals), one in TB2A and one in TB2B, and through asynchronous materials (14 hours), both lectures and exercises, spread across TB2.
Students will also be expected to spend 150 hours on self-study / assessment.
Formative assessment will be threaded through the unit in the three-day face-to-face teaching blocks using individual and group exercises . There will be a specific formative assessment comprising the plans for the model that the student will develop for summative assessment. This should cover the PICO (Population, patient or problem, Intervention, Comparison, Outcome) model for clinical questions (ILO1, ILO2), possible evidence sources with advantages/disadvantages (ILO3), conceptual modelling framework (ILO2), and plans for implementation (ILO4).
The summative assessment will be a single assignment with marks weighted for specific elements. The summative assessment will ask students to build an economic model using appropriate software to address a clinical policy question. Students will all build a model in the same topic area, but will have choice in selecting the model approach and the software to be used. The marks for the assignment will be weighted as follows.
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. BRMSM0049).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the Faculty workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. If you have self-certificated your absence from an
assessment, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (this is usually in the next assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any extenuating circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
