Inequalities in healthcare access, utilisation and health outcomes exist in New Zealand and globally. Addressing health inequalities is a goal of the current New Zealand health reforms, and delivering equity an obligation in Te Tiriti o Waitangi. Health equity also features throughout the UNs Sustainable Development Goals. While healthcare resources are finite, wants and demands on the healthcare system are growing, resource allocation decisions need to be both efficient and equitable. This course in Health Economics will cover a selection of topics in health economics, particularly with respect to the methods employed to inform resource allocation decisions and broader issues of health financing.
The course will begin with an overview of the health and healthcare issues in New Zealand and globally, including the level of health and the level of inequity in health and the amount of healthcare funding and its distribution. We will then consider a number of different tools and methods available to promote equity and efficiency in decision making; including how healthcare systems are organised, how healthcare is funded, how health professionals are paid, methods of evaluation, tools to inform decision making and methods to measure societal preferences. Topics will range from macroeconomic issues like New Zealand’s Wellbeing Budget, to microeconomic issues like the funding of medicines and the incentives to promote healthy behaviours. The course will consist of lectures and class discussion, with the final weeks dedicated to group work and presentations to pitch health policies and complete a policy report.