Syllabus

Master of Public Health

GPH 730 Health Economics – Spring A 2018

Credits - 3

Description

This course introduces Health Economics. Economic analysis provides a useful tool for studying the vast array of questions and problems surrounding the nation’s health care system. The health care industry will be compared and contrasted with other, more conventional industries or markets in order to identify strengths and weaknesses in the present system and insights into possible beneficial changes.

Course Format:
This course will be delivered through a web-based format and is designed for completion online. Within each of the eight modules, there are reading assignments, web-based projects, written assignments, and discussion questions or case studies. The weekly modules will be made available by 12:01 AM on Wednesdays.

Materials

Textbook: Henderson, James, Health Economics and Policy, 6th ed. Stamford, CT: CENGAGE Learning, 2015. (ISBN: 978-1-285-75849-7)

The film Escape Fire is required for Week 7. 

  • This film is available for purchase on iTunes or available for purchase or rent on Amazon

Learning Objectives and Outcomes

Program Competency

Course Outcome

Weekly Outcome

Evaluate public health programs’ use of financial resources and management techniques to achieve sustainability

Analyze the components and effectiveness of different programs and approaches to health care delivery and availability over time

Evaluate the ethical implications of different healthcare delivery processes.

Examine the financial and sociological benefits and drawbacks of healthcare rationing.

Discuss healthcare issues and delivery for uninsured individuals

Describe possible policy alternatives when considering altering the current healthcare system.

Analyze the factors in the pharmaceutical market that affect drug costs/affordability

Craft an analysis report that provides recommendations for a real world health economic problem.

Analyze the ways economic policy has affected various aspects of health care

Analyze how “moral hazard” affects the provision of health insurance.

Analyze how hospitalization and hospital costs contribute to overall healthcare costs.

Discuss the factors that contribute to a perceived shortage of physicians and nurses.

Assess how care consolidation affects services delivered and the availability of healthcare in different regions.

Compare how acute and chronic care are provided and funded in Canada, United Kingdom, and the United States.

Craft an analysis report that provides recommendations for a real world health economic problem.

Describe the ways economic policy has affected the diagnosis, incidence and treatment of addiction and mental health.

Utilize quantitative and qualitative data to identify and analyze factors affecting the health of a community

Evaluate the factors that influence the availability and pricing of health care and pharmaceuticals

Discuss the cost and burden of various health problems and how that could relate to the rising cost of medical care

Discuss how demand for healthcare services impacts cost and availability.

Examine the relationship between public health services and healthcare costs.

Explain the similarities and differences among the medical care systems of Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Analyze the factors that affect the payment and provision of extended and long-term health care.

Craft an analysis report that provides recommendations for a real world health economic problem.

Utilize economic data to support health care decisions

Apply basic economic terms and principles to health situations

Identify the causes of the debate and desire for health care reform in the U.S. and abroad.

Craft an analysis report that provides recommendations for a real world health economic problem.

Analyze the contributors to the current opioid crisis in order to make recommendations for solutions.

Assignments

Forum Discussions: 

Each student is expected to post at least twice each week in response to forum questions on that week’s topic.  Because this is an online course, the online discussion portion is an important way to exchange ideas with your classmates. Students will be graded on their participation and effort of their posts. These posts will take time to complete but they are an essential part of this on-line course and a great way to get to know your colleagues. Please be familiar with the course material (readings/lectures) before posting each week. Full marks will be given to those who ask questions, bring in new data from the literature or other resources, and demonstrate a thorough understanding of the topics for the week.

Final Project:

The purpose of this course is to introduce you to health economics. It provides you with useful tools for studying an array of questions and problems surrounding health care. The final project for this course will combine what you have learned throughout the course.

For your final project you will complete an analysis report. Choose a case study from the list below. Use the provided resources as a starting point for your own research. Each case study presents an authentic “real-world”  problem that needs to be addressed using specific concepts you were exposed to in this course. Please review the Final Project Document for a full description of this assignment. 

Quiz: 

There is one quiz in the first week of the course. This course will evaluate your understanding of the basic economic terms you were exposed to in your reading. 

 

Other Assignments: There are other assignments in this course. Make sure to review the Blackboard course for more information on each assignment.

 

Grading Policy

Your grade in this course will be determined by the following criteria:

Grade Breakdown

Discussion3 points each = 24
Week 1 Quiz10 Points
Week 2 Discussion: Choose a Case Study2 points
Week 2 Written Assignment8 points
Week 3 Written Assignment8 points
Final Project Outline and Lit Review10 points
Week 5 Written Assignment8 points
Week 6 Written Assignment8 points
Final Project Submission22 points
Total100 points

Grade Scale

Grade Points Grade Point Average (GPA)
A 94 – 100% 4.00
A- 90 – 93% 3.75
B+ 87 – 89% 3.50
B 84 – 86% 3.00
B- 80 – 83% 2.75
C+ 77 – 79% 2.50
C 74 – 76% 2.00
C- 70 – 73% 1.75
D 64 – 69% 1.00
F 00 – 63% 0.00

Schedule

Course Calendar

Week 1: Jan. 3 – Jan. 10
Week 2: Jan. 10 – Jan. 17
Week 3: Jan. 17 – Jan. 24
Week 4: Jan. 24 – Jan. 31
Week 5: Jan. 31 – Feb. 7
Week 6: Feb. 7 – Feb. 14
Week 7: Feb. 14 – Feb. 21
Week 8: Feb. 21 – Feb. 25 (Sunday)

The assignment/discussion descriptions mentioned below are summaries. Please make sure to review the full assignment prompts in Blackboard.  There may be additional readings/videos that are not mentioned in this weekly summary, make sure to carefully review the modules in Blackboard. 

Week 1: Economic Principles and Medical Care Markets

Weekly Outcomes

  • Discuss the cost and burden of various health problems and how that could relate to the rising cost of medical care. 
  • Apply basic economic terms and principles to health situations. 

Readings

  • Textbook: Chapters 1, 2, & 3

Lectures

  • Course Overview
  • Week 1 Overview

Assignments

  • Discussion: Introductions and Cost Studies 
  • Quiz: Basic Economics

Week 2: Economic Evaluation and Demand for Health Care

Weekly Outcomes

  • Discuss how demand for healthcare services impacts cost and availability.
  • Evaluate the ethical implications of different healthcare delivery processes.
  • Examine the financial and sociological benefits and drawbacks of healthcare rationing. 

Readings

  • Textbook: Chapters 4 & 5

Lectures

  • Week 2 Overview 1
  • Week 2 Overview 2

Assignments

  • Discussion: Choose a Case Study
  • Discussion: Public Health and Demand
  • Week 2 Written Assignment: Rationing Health Care

Week 3: Health Insurance in the US

Weekly Outcomes

  • Examine the relationship between public health services and health care costs.
  • Discuss health care issues and delivery for uninsured individuals.
  • Analyze how “moral hazard” affects the provision of health insurance. 

Readings

  • Textbook: Chapters 6, 12, & 13

Lectures

  • Week 3 Overview 1
  • Week 3 Overview 2

Assignments

  • Discussion: Uninsured Individuals
  • Week 3 Written Assignment: Moral Hazard

Week 4: Managed Care, Health Care Systems in Canada and the UK

Weekly Outcomes

  • Identify the causes of the debate and desire for health care reform in the U.S. and abroad.
  • Explain the similarities and differences among the medical care systems of Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
  • Describe possible policy alternatives when considering altering the current health care system.

Readings

  • Textbook: Chapters 7, 11, 14, & 15

Lectures

  • Week 4 Overview 1
  • Week 4 Overview 2

Assignments

  • Discussion:Policy Change and Healthcare Cost
  • Final Project Outline and Literature Review

Week 5: Physician and Hospital Markets

Weekly Outcomes

  • Discuss the factors that contribute to physician and nurse shortages.
  • Analyze how hospitalization and hospital costs contribute to overall health care costs.

Readings

  • Textbook: Chapters 8 & 9

Lectures

  • Week 5 Overview 1
  • Week 5 Overview 2

Assignments

  • Discussion:Physician and Nurse Shortages
  • Week 5 Written Assignment: Medical Arms Race

Week 6: Pharmaceutical Markets

Weekly Outcomes

  • Analyze the factors in the pharmaceutical market that affect drug availability.
  • Assess how care consolidation affects services delivered and the availability of health care in different regions.

Readings

  • Textbook: Chapter 10

Lectures

  • Week 6 Overview 1
  • Week 6 Overview 2

Assignments

  • Discussion: Pharmaceuticals
  • Week 6 Written Assignment: Consolidation of Services

Week 7: Extended and Long-Term Care

Weekly Outcomes

  • Analyze the factors that affect the payment and provision of extended and long-term health care.
  • Compare how acute and chronic care are provided and funded in Canada, United Kingdom, and the United States.
  • Craft an analysis report that provides recommendations for a real world health economic problem.

Lectures

Course Calendar

  • Week 7 Overview

Assignments

  • Discussion: Acute and Chronic Care
  • Final Project Submission

Week 8: Addiction & Mental Health

Weekly Outcomes

  • Describe the ways economic policy has affected the diagnosis, incidence, and treatment of addiction and mental health.
  • Analyze the contributors to the current opioid crisis in order to make recommendations for solutions.

Readings

  • Textbook: Chapter 11

Lectures

  • Week 8 Overview

Assignments

  • Discussion: The Opioid Crisis

 

Student Resources

Online Student Support

Your Student Support Specialist is a resource for you. Please don't hesitate to contact them for assistance, including, but not limited to course planning, current problems or issues in a course, technology concerns, or personal emergencies.

Questions? Visit the Student Support Public Health page

UNE Libraries:

UNE Student Academic Success Center

UNE's Student Academic Success Center (SASC) offers a range of free online services to support your academic achievement. Writing support, ESOL support, study strategy and learning style consultations, as well as downloadable resources, are available to all matriculating students. The SASC also offers tutoring for GPH 712 Epidemiology, GPH 716 Biostatistics, GPH 717 Applied Epidemiology, GPH 718 Biostatistics II, and GPH 719 Research Methods. To make an appointment for any of these services, go to une.tutortrac.com. For more information and to view and download writing and studying resources, please visit:

Information Technology Services (ITS)

  • ITS Contact: Toll Free Help Desk 24 hours/7 days per week at 1-877-518-4673

Accommodations

Any student who would like to request, or ask any questions regarding, academic adjustments or accommodations must contact the Student Access Center at (207) 221-4438 or pcstudentaccess@une.edu. Student Access Center staff will evaluate the student's documentation and determine eligibility of accommodation(s) through the Student Access Center registration procedure.

Policies

AMA Writing Style Statement

The American Medical Association Manual (AMA) of Style, 11th edition is the required writing format for this course. Additional support for academic writing and AMA format is provided throughout the coursework as well as at the UNE Portal for Online Students.

Online resources: AMA Style Guide

Turnitin Originality Check and Plagiarism Detection Tool

The College of Professional Studies uses Turnitin to help deter plagiarism and to foster the proper attribution of sources. Turnitin provides comparative reports for submitted assignments that reflect similarities in other written works. This can include, but is not limited to, previously submitted assignments, internet articles, research journals, and academic databases.

Make sure to cite your sources appropriately as well as use your own words in synthesizing information from published literature. Webinars and workshops, included early in your coursework, will help guide best practices in APA citation and academic writing.

You can learn more about Turnitin in the Turnitin Student quick start guide.

Technology Requirements

Please review the technical requirements for UNE Online Graduate Programs: Technical Requirements

Course Evaluation Policy

Course surveys are one of the most important tools that University of New England uses for evaluating the quality of your education, and for providing meaningful feedback to instructors on their teaching. In order to assure that the feedback is both comprehensive and precise, we need to receive it from each student for each course. Evaluation access is distributed via UNE email at the beginning of the last week of the course.

Late Policy

Students are responsible for submitting work by the date indicated in Brightspace.

Quizzes and Tests: Quizzes and tests must be completed by the due date. They will not be accepted after the due date.

Assignments: Unless otherwise specified, assignments will be accepted up to 3 days late; however, there is a 10% grade reduction (from the total points) for the late submission. After three days the assignment will not be accepted.

Discussion posts: If the initial post is submitted late, but still within the discussion board week, there will be a 10% grade reduction from the total discussion grade (e.g., a 3 point discussion will be reduced by 0.3 points). Any posts submitted after the end of the Discussion Board week will not be graded.

Please make every effort ahead of time to contact your instructor and your student support specialist if you are not able to meet an assignment deadline. Arrangements for extenuating circumstances may be considered by faculty.

Student Handbook Online - Policies and Procedures

The policies contained within this document apply to all students in the College of Graduate and Professional Studies. It is each student's responsibility to know the contents of this handbook.

Student Handbook

UNE Course Withdrawal

Please contact your student support specialist if you are considering dropping or withdrawing from a course. The last day to drop for 100% tuition refund is the 2nd day of the course. Financial Aid charges may still apply. Students using Financial Aid should contact the Financial Aid Office prior to withdrawing from a course.

Academic Integrity

The University of New England values academic integrity in all aspects of the educational experience. Academic dishonesty in any form undermines this standard and devalues the original contributions of others. It is the responsibility of all members of the University community to actively uphold the integrity of the academy; failure to act, for any reason, is not acceptable. For information about plagiarism and academic misconduct, please visit https://www.une.edu/studentlife/plagiarism.

Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to the following:

  1. Cheating, copying, or the offering or receiving of unauthorized assistance or information.
  2. Fabrication or falsification of data, results, or sources for papers or reports.
  3. Action which destroys or alters the work of another student.
  4. Multiple submissions of the same paper or report for assignments in more than one course without permission of each instructor.
  5. Plagiarism, the appropriation of records, research, materials, ideas, or the language of other persons or writers and the submission of them as one's own.

Charges of academic dishonesty will be reviewed by the Program Director. Penalties for students found responsible for violations may depend upon the seriousness and circumstances of the violation, the degree of premeditation involved, and/or the student’s previous record of violations.  Appeal of a decision may be made to the Dean whose decision will be final.  Student appeals will take place through the grievance process outlined in the student handbook.

Attendance Policy

Online students are required to submit a graded assignment/discussion prior to Sunday evening at 11:59 pm ET of the first week of the term. If a student does not submit a posting to the graded assignment/discussion prior to Sunday evening at 11:59 pm ET, the student will be automatically dropped from the course for non-participation. Review the full attendance policy.

Late Policy

Assignments: Late assignments will be accepted up to 3 days late; however, there is a 10% grade reduction (from the total points) for the late submission. After three days the assignment will not be accepted.

Discussion posts: If the initial post is submitted late, but still within the discussion board week, there will be a 10% grade reduction from the total discussion grade (e.g., a 3 point discussion will be reduced by 0.3 points). Any posts submitted after the end of the Discussion Board week will not be graded.

Please make every effort ahead of time to contact your instructor and your student support specialist if you are not able to meet an assignment deadline. Arrangements for extenuating circumstances may be considered by faculty.

Student Handbook Online - Policies and Procedures

The policies contained within this document apply to all students in the College of Graduate and Professional Studies. It is each student's responsibility to know the contents of this handbook.

UNE Online Student Handbook

UNE Course Withdrawal

Please contact your student support specialist if you are considering dropping or withdrawing from a course. The last day to drop for 100% tuition refund is the 2nd day of the course. Financial Aid charges may still apply. Students using Financial Aid should contact the Financial Aid Office prior to withdrawing from a course.

Academic Integrity

The University of New England values academic integrity in all aspects of the educational experience. Academic dishonesty in any form undermines this standard and devalues the original contributions of others. It is the responsibility of all members of the University community to actively uphold the integrity of the academy; failure to act, for any reason, is not acceptable. For information about plagiarism and academic misconduct, please visit UNE Plagiarism Policies.

Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to the following:

  1. Cheating, copying, or the offering or receiving of unauthorized assistance or information.
  2. Fabrication or falsification of data, results, or sources for papers or reports.
  3. Action which destroys or alters the work of another student.
  4. Multiple submissions of the same paper or report for assignments in more than one course without permission of each instructor.
  5. Plagiarism, the appropriation of records, research, materials, ideas, or the language of other persons or writers and the submission of them as one's own.

Charges of academic dishonesty will be reviewed by the Program Director. Penalties for students found responsible for violations may depend upon the seriousness and circumstances of the violation, the degree of premeditation involved, and/or the student’s previous record of violations.  Appeal of a decision may be made to the Dean whose decision will be final.  Student appeals will take place through the grievance process outlined in the student handbook.