By the end of the course, participants should:
• have some insight into the analytical perspective and principles underlying the application of economic evaluation for decision making, such as utility, equity, efficiency and decision analytic modelling
• be familiar with many of the methods used in different types of economic appraisal
• be better able to assess research which includes estimates of cost, outcome measures, Markov modelling, etc. and which can be used to inform decision making.

The course will cover a range of approaches that can be described as ’cost-benefit analysis’ and which have been used to assess some of the advantages and disadvantages of a vast range of policies and projects. Such methods have been applied widely in the health care sector, but the course will also present case studies of applications to many other areas of government policy.

Starting with an overview of some of the theory underlying economic evaluation as well as some of the ways in which it is practiced in the health-care sector and when assessing social care services, the course will then continue with the more practical application of economic evaluation to a number of fields. The latter part of the course will show how to generate cost-effectiveness data through decision analytic modelling and use them in decision making, with applications to public policies, namely mass screening in public health and school dropout in education.

Evaluation is based on active participation in lectures and exercises, and on the completion of a learning diary. The learning diary should be sent by email to the course coordinator: hannu.laurila(at)uta.fi by 31.12.2015.

Enrollment key to course Moodle page: CBA15

This course is aimed for post-graduate students in health sciences, economics, social sciences or other policy-related subjects. Advanced graduate students in these fields of research are also welcome.