Economic Evaluation in Health Care

Why should you attend?

There is an increasing need for a wide range of professionals in the health care field to have a firm understanding of economic evaluation methods.

• Health care commissioners and purchasers including PCTs need to interpret economic data to assess the relative cost-effectiveness of programmes and interventions.
• Health care providers at all levels need to take account of cost-effectiveness in the delivery of health care.
• Clinical and health service researchers are increasingly required to build economic evaluations into their studies.
• NICE, and similar bodies in other countries, require evidence on cost-effectiveness and use it to inform their recommendations.
• The pharmaceutical and devices industries need to be able to provide evidence on the cost-effectiveness of their technologies.

This three-day course run by the Health Economics Research Group (HERG) of Brunel University addresses the needs created in all such contexts.

Who should attend?

Anyone working in the health care field who needs to understand, use, review, commission or undertake economic evaluations of health care interventions.

This includes:

• professionals in the pharmaceutical and medical devices industries involved in designing trials and other studies;
• public health professionals;
• clinicians running trials where economics might be incorporated;
• hospital pharmacists and pharmaceutical advisors using published studies to inform perscribing;
• professionals in provider units who need to understand economic evaluation as part of the commissioning process;
• those making policy decisions in PCTs, Formulary Committees or NICE;
• health service researchers, with backgrounds other than in health economics, who are working in multidisciplinary teams.

Although the course focuses on the UK situation and the requirements of NICE, it has proved relevant and accessible to non-UK participants.

Participants on the course require no prior training in health economics. The course covers material of an introductory and intermediate level and provides the foundation for, and references to, more advanced materials and techniques. Potential participants who have previous training, or substantial experience, in this area are advised to contact HERG prior to registering, to discuss the appropriateness of the course content to their ongoing needs.

Aims of the course

To provide participants with the knowledge and skills necessary:

• to understand, to review and to use published economic evaluation studies;
• to be familiar with the key issues in setting up an economic evaluation study;
• to be able to identify the main data requirements for economic assessment of health care technologies.

To foster a multi-disciplinary environment in which participants from different professional backgrounds and the public and private sectors can interact.

On completion of the course, participants would be expected to be able:

• to identify the various types of economic evaluation together with their data requirements and informational content;
• to understand the alternative measures of outcome used in economic evaluation, including the concept of quality adjusted life years (QALYs);
• to appreciate the principles and practice involved in undertaking a cost analysis;
• to understand the role of trials and of models in economic evaluation;
• to appreciate how to deal with uncertainty in economic evaluation;
• to be able to tackle the practical and methodological tasks associated with designing and planning an economic evaluation;
• to use cost-effectiveness data, including cost per QALY, to inform policy decisions.

Comments from participants

• "Very interesting and enjoyable... impressed by constant presence of faculty who were all very approachable."
• "Good mix of theory and practice in an informal environment."
• "Very well structured. Good combination of presentations and group work. I found the group work particularly helpful."
• "Very professionally organised with excellent resources making it possible to go away and look at everything again and read the extra materials."
• "Excellent introduction to the subject."
• "Managed to get added value from the wide range of course participants."

Teaching structure and methods

• The first two days will focus on the basic methods of economic evaluation using presentations and syndicate group work on a pre-prepared case-study.
• Participants will be provided with prepared case-study material which they will use throughout the first two days.
• The third day will involve group work with faculty support, working through practical issues related to the design and conduct of a study.
• Participants will have an opportunity to bring their own projects, some of which will be used as the basis of the study design exercise on the third day.

Participants will be provided with some limited pre-course reading (approximately 2 weeks prior to the course). The course will involve presentations by members of the teaching faculty, intermixed with small syndicate groups of about six participants each.

Participants will be supplied with an extensive course folder including presentations, reading, other sources of information and case-study materials.

Course content and programme

Building upon a series of successful previous courses, this course will include: 

Day 1

• Arrive and register, 9.00am - 10.00am
• Introduction
• Rationale and an introduction to economic evaluations

Presentation on rationale and an introduction to economic evaluations followed by Syndicate Group exercise using the case-study, and a general discussion

• Costing methods and practice

Presentation on the theory and practice of costing, followed by a Syndicate Group exercise using the case-study, and a general discussion

Day 2

• Outcome measurement in economic evaluation

Presentations and video on valuing outcomes followed by a Syndicate Group exercise using the case-study

• Uncertainty in economic evaluation

Presentation on handling uncertainty in economic evaluation

• Frameworks for economic evaluation

Presentation on use of clinical trials versus models in economic evaluation.

Day 3

• Designing an economic evaluation

Presentation followed by Syndicate Group sessions for participants to design their own economic evaluations relating to areas they themselves have identified

• Continuation of design exercise

Syndicate Group session concluding with a plenary feedback session

Finish at 3.30pm ** The final programme may be subject to minor amendment

Teaching faculty

Course Leader

Dr Joanne Lord, Reader in Health Economics will lead the course. Other members from the teaching faculty will be drawn from the Health Economics Research Group.

Location

Combining a modern design with a peaceful rural setting, Denham Grove is set in 42 acres of grounds, just to the northwest of London, and getting there could not be simpler with easy access via the M40 and M25.

It offers excellent teaching facilities together with comfortable overnight accommodation with en suite bedrooms, free high speed internet access and TV with Sky Channels. Leisure facilities include a spa and indoor pool to revive and refresh you, along with a mini gym.

Reception

 

Meeting room

Prices

It is an explicit objective of this course to achieve a good mix of participants, ideally with a balanced representation from the health service and the commercial health care sector. As a university research group funded largely by the public sector, we consider it reasonable to charge a lower price to participants from the public sector than to those from the commercial sector.

Early booking discount (bookings received up to and including 30th September 2012): public sector employee £1045; commercial sector employee £1545. Bookings 1st October 2012 onwards: public sector employee £1345; commercial sector employee £1845. No VAT. Included in this price are:

• two nights en-suite accommodation at Denham Grove;
• all meals, tea, coffee;
• three days course participation and syndicate groups;
• all course materials.

Cancellation policy

Cancellation must be made in writing to Nicky Dunne, HERG, Brunel University, Uxbridge, Middlesex UB8 3PH):

• Prior to 1 March 2013: 100% refund.
• 2-21 March 2013: 75% refund.
• 22 March - 11 April 2013: 50% refund.
• 12 April 2013 or closer to start date: fees must be paid in full.

At any time the place can be transferred to a colleague.

For more information and a booking form please contact Nicky Dunne on +44 (0)1895 265443 or email: nicky.dunne@brunel.ac.uk