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PHPS41120

Academic Year 2025/2026

Health Economic Analysis (PHPS41120)

Subject:
Public Health & Population Sci
College:
Health & Agricultural Sciences
School:
Public Hlth, Phys & Sports Sci
Level:
4 (Masters)
Credits:
5
Module Coordinator:
Assoc Professor Carla Perrotta
Trimester:
Spring
Mode of Delivery:
Blended
Internship Module:
No
How will I be graded?
Letter grades

Curricular information is subject to change.

The module provides a solid understanding of the rationale and forms of health economic evaluations.
Students completing this module will be able to critically appraise existing health economic evaluation publications, the rationale for Health technology assessment as well as current Irish and European regulations on joint HTA.
The content includes the uses of evidence synthesis and utilities allocated to health states to estimate the effectiveness side of HEA.
The module provides a brief overview of different modalities of health financing and a basic understanding of disease cost models, using Obesity, Lung Cancer, and Smoking as examples.

This module is suitable for postgraduate students who want to learn a different set of skills that could prepare them for working in the pharmaceutical industry or government bodies (HIQA), postgraduate students conducting a health economic evaluation or professionals working in the pharmaceutical or medical device industry.

For students completing their Master of Public Health and Master's in Global Health, the module incorporates the role of HEE in the design and implementation of Public Health interventions beyond the use of HEE solely for the approval of new drugs.

About this Module

Learning Outcomes:

1) Recognise that HTA has a role in the decision-making process to fund new medical programs, new drugs or medical devices and differentiate between affordability and cost-effectiveness.
2) Critically appraise a health economic evaluation, including sources of costs, sources of effectiveness, and measures of effectiveness or utility.
3) Apply Health Economics concepts, -including HEE- to a decision-making scenario

Indicative Module Content:

Health Financing, cost containment methods and pros and cons of HTAs as a decision-making tool
Elements of a Health Technology Assessment
Types of Health Economic Evaluations ( Cost-effectiveness analysis, Cost-utility analysis and Cost-benefit analysis)
Cost sources, Effectiveness sources, Health utility sources
Decision tree models using Excel
Identifying costs and effectiveness
Budget Impact Analysis
Health Economics and Global Public Health- Practical Applications

Student Effort Hours:
Student Effort Type Hours
Autonomous Student Learning

70
Lectures

24
Computer Aided Lab

6
Total

100

Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
The module is offered in a hybrid format. Classes are live-streamed, recorded and uploaded to Brightspace.


Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations
Learning Recommendations:

Knowledge of evidence-based medicine, epidemiology or statistics is desirable.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Not applicable to this module.
 

Assessment Strategy
Description Timing Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade In Module Component Repeat Offered
Group Work Assignment: For MPH (and all its streams) case study-Conduct a HEE of a health programme
This is a shared assignment with Health Promotion and Global Health
The deadlines will be provided in Week 1		 Week 14 Standard conversion grade scale 40% No
40
 No
Group Work Assignment: Critical Appraisal of a Health Economic Evaluation - Presentation Week 8 Standard conversion grade scale 40% No
35
 No
Quizzes/Short Exercises: A collection of MCQs aimed at evaluating overall knowledge from the key topic areas covered during the first five lectures, lecture 11 (HIQA/HTA) and lecture 12 Decision tree workshop- Week 3, Week 5, Week 11, Week 12 Standard conversion grade scale 40% No
25
 No

Carry forward of passed components
No
 

Remediation Type Remediation Timing
In-Module Resit Prior to relevant Programme Exam Board
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 

Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment
• Group/class feedback, post-assessment
• Peer review activities

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Group feedback will be provided on the presentation day, along with opportunities for peer-reviewed feedback. Feedback on each component of the final assignment will be given post-assessment, and individual feedback will be available upon request.

Methods for the Economic Evaluation of Health Care Programmes/ Drummond. (Available @ UCD library on-line)
Health Economics. Textbook by Jay Bhattacharya, Peter Tu, and Timothy Hyd (Available @UCD library on-line)

Name Role
Assoc Professor Celine Murrin Lecturer / Co-Lecturer
Dr Diarmuid O'Donovan Lecturer / Co-Lecturer
Dr James O'Mahony Lecturer / Co-Lecturer
Assoc Professor Carla Perrotta Lecturer / Co-Lecturer
Dr Catherine Phillips Lecturer / Co-Lecturer
Mrs Karen Ryan Lecturer / Co-Lecturer

Timetabling information is displayed only for guidance purposes, relates to the current Academic Year only and is subject to change.
Spring Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30, 31, 32 Thurs 09:00 - 10:50
Spring Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 33 Thurs 11:00 - 12:50
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