Short Courses

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 HERG of Brunel University addresses the needs created in all such contexts.

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.

To provide participants with the knowledge and skills necessary: 

• to understand, to review and to use published economic evaluation studies and to be familiar with the key issues in setting up an economic evaluation
• 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).
• appreciate the principles and practice involved in undertaking a cost analysis.
• understand the role of trials and of models in economic evaluation.
• appreciate how to deal with uncertainty in economic evaluation.
• be able to tackle the practical and methodological tasks associated with designing and planning an economic evaluation.
• use cost-effectiveness data, including cost per QALY, to inform policy decisions.

• "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."

• 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 two 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.

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

Day One

• 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 Two

• 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 Three

• 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 amendments.

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.

Online course fee: 26th - 28th May 2021 ONLY

• Early booking discount up to 18^th April, Public Sector: £750 Private Sector: £950 PhD student: £600
• Booking after 19^th April, Public Sector: £850 Private Sector: £1050 PhD student £680

Campus -based course fee: 10th - 12th November 2021

Non-residential fee includes:

• Three days course registration
• comprehensive course materials
• tea/coffee
• lunch
• welcome dinner on first day

Early booking discount by 30th September 2021 for Nov:

• Public sector £900
• Private sector £1,300

Registration from 1st October for Nov:

• Public sector £1,000
• Private sector £1,500

Accommodation

• Two nights in en-suite bedroom
• continental breakfast
• dinner
• WiFi
• use of Spa facilities
• Double bed room £200

Cancellation must be made in writing to HERG Admin (herg-admin@brunel.ac.uk), HERG, Brunel University, Uxbridge, Middlesex UB8 3PH):

• 6 weeks prior to the start of the course: 100% refund after which all fees to be paid in full.
• March course: 26th February
• 21 May course: 30th April
• 21 November course: 15th October 

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

If you would like to discuss the suitability of this course for yourself or for colleagues, please contact: Dr Subhash Pokhrel (Subhash.Pokhrel@brunel.ac.uk) . For registration queries, please contact HERG Admin (herg-admin@brunel.ac.uk)

We look forward to hearing from you soon.