Costs and Health Services by Mwimba Chewe - Department of Health Policy and Management - Health Economics HSM 4230

Description

This comprehensive set of university notes provides an in-depth overview of key health economics concepts, focusing on the critical evaluation of healthcare interventions through cost-effectiveness and cost-benefit analysis. Authored by Mwimba Chewe for the Health Economics HSM 4230 course within the Department of Health Policy and Management, the material serves as essential tertiary revision material for students pursuing diplomas and degrees in health sciences, public health, and health administration. The notes systematically cover foundational topics such as the principles of health technology assessment (HTA), the mechanics of calculating Incremental Cost-Effectiveness Ratios (ICERs) and Average Cost-Effectiveness Ratios (ACERs), and the construction of a cost-effectiveness frontier to identify non-dominated treatment strategies. It further explores the application of Quality-Adjusted Life Years (QALYs) and Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) for measuring health outcomes, the influence of different analytical perspectives (social planner vs. patient), and the real-world implications of insurance coverage and rationing in healthcare decision-making, with contextual references to systems like Zambia's NHIS. This authoritative resource is designed to support exam preparation and academic mastery for students seeking to understand the economic evaluation of health services and technologies. Review this material to strengthen your grasp of health economics principles for your upcoming assessments