Unit name | Concepts in the economics and policy of health and care |
---|---|
Unit code | BRMSM0046 |
Credit points | 20 |
Level of study | M/7 |
Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 1A (weeks 1 - 6) |
Unit director | Dr. Noble |
Open unit status | Not open |
Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
None |
Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
None |
Units you may not take alongside this one |
None |
School/department | Bristol Medical School |
Faculty | Faculty of Health Sciences |
Why is this unit important?
This unit comprises an initial introduction to the key concepts used in health economics and policy analysis; it also introduces core ideas related to the sociology of health and illness that are relevant to policy analysis. Ideas around resource allocation and policy thinking are introduced for health and care services and for public health. The unit introduces basic concepts and principles in both health economics and policy analysis. Core concepts that will be explored include: scarcity and opportunity cost; need, demand and supply in health and care; values in the economics and policy of health and care, particularly equity and efficiency (‘value for money’); agency relationships; multi-stakeholder approaches to health and care provision including patient and public involvement and the multi-dimensional concept of quality.
How does this unit fit into your programme of study
The unit will introduce key areas of study in health economics and policy analysis. An understanding of these key concepts is essential to further study on the MSc Health Economics and Health Policy Analysis.
An overview of content
The unit will also provide an introduction to some key areas of study in health economics and policy analysis: economic evaluation and the underlying normative theory; markets and market failure in health and care systems; public goods and the role of public/government intervention; models of health and care provision and financing; inequalities and social determinants of health; behavioural economics and nudge theory.
How will students, personally, be different as a result of the unit
Students will have acquired an understanding of the basic concepts of Health Economics and Health Policy which will enable them to undertake further study.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this unit, students should be able to:
The course is delivered as a mixture of:
(i) three days of face-to-face teaching in TB1A. This will comprise a mixture of presentation and interactive sessions, with the aim being to make the most of the face-to-face environment,
(ii) weekly tutorials (face-to-face or online) offering the opportunity for interaction with tutors and peers, and providing a focus for formative assessment activities (7 hours),
(iii) asynchronous online lectures providing material that will form the focus of the weekly tutorials (25 hours), and (iv) self study (150 hours).
Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative):
There will be ongoing formative assessment throughout the three-day face-to-face teaching blocks and asynchronous sessions utilising methods such as quizzes, group exercises and discussion, with both tutor and peer feedback (ILOs 1, 3, 4, 5). More substantial formative assessments will be particularly linked to tutorials and will involve activities such as presentation of content in seminar settings to evaluate understanding of concepts (ILOs 1, 3, 4, 5), development of search strategies to find information sources and material related to core economic and policy concepts, extraction of relevant data from key papers, appraisal of evidence sources and synthesis and interpretation across sources (ILO 2). These activities will prepare students for the summative assessment.
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):
The summative assessments will test students on their ability to apply core economic and policy concepts taught on the unit to different contexts and challenges. (ILOs 1-5, 100% marks for the unit). Students will complete an exam with a combination of unseen Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) and Short Answer Questions (SAQs).
When assessment does not go to plan
If you do not pass the unit, you will normally be given the opportunity to take a reassessment as per the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes. Decisions on the award of reassessment will normally be taken after all taught units of the year have been completed. Reassessment will normally be in a similar format to the original assessment that has been failed.
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. BRMSM0046).
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 University 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. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.