Units / MPH5221
MPH5221 · Determining value for money in health care
2026 Handbook6 credit pointsLevel 5Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine
Last checked: 23 Aug 2026 UTCOverview
You will be introduced to the basic concepts, methods and applications of economic evaluation in the healthcare sector. Topics include the different methods of economic evaluation (e.g. cost-minimisation analysis, cost-effectiveness analysis, cost-utility analysis, cost-benefit analysis); the strengths and limitations of studies and study design; analysing the quality of evidence; how economic evaluation differs from other forms of evaluation; and how information from an economic evaluation can aid decision making. Practical applications include when to undertake an economic evaluation, designing an economic evaluation, the steps in conducting an economic evaluation; and the tools and methods for measuring costs and outcomes and analysis.
Offerings
| Campus | Teaching period | Mode |
|---|---|---|
| Alfred Hospital | Second semester | Some activities have a choice of on-campus or online teaching activities in a block period (FLX-BLK) |
Assessment
The Handbook does not list a final examination among the assessment items. That is not a guarantee there is none.
| # | Assessment | Type | Weight | Hurdle |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Multiple choice quizzes (4 x multiple choice quizzes each with 10 questions) | Quiz / Test | 10% | — |
| 2 | Oral presentation (15 mins) | Presentation | 20% | — |
| 3 | Essay (2,100 words) | Written | 35% | — |
| 4 | Data analysis, reporting and interpretation (2,100 words) | Written | 35% | — |
Assessment details may change. Please refer to the assessment information in Moodle closer to the start of the teaching period.
Requisites
prohibitions
- HEC5973 — Economic evaluation in health care
Learning outcomes
- Explain the essential characteristics of economic evaluation, and how it differs from other forms of health care evaluations
- Compare and contrast the different methods of undertaking an economic evaluation
- Explain the basic steps in conducting an economic evaluation of a health care intervention
- Explain the different types of cost that will be included in an economic evaluation and how to measure and value these costs
- Analyse the different methods of presenting health outcomes in an economic evaluation
- Calculate the main results from economic evaluations using incremental cost-effectiveness ratios, cost-effectiveness planes, the net benefit approach and acceptability curves
Workload
6 hours of teacher directed study per week, including combination of synchronous and asynchronous lectures, videos, zoom sessions and tutorials. 6 hours per week of self-directed study. Total per week = 12 hours
| Activity | Duration |
|---|---|
| Workshops | 24 hours |
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