On this ExpertTrack, you’ll explore the theory of health economics to understand how scarcity and resources affect decision-making.

Healthcare resources are finite in every setting and, irrespective of the financing and organisation of a country’s healthcare system, decisions have to be made fairly.

You’ll also discover the use of health technology assessment (HTA) as one of the tools for priority setting. This knowledge will help you start thinking like a health economist and how we can ensure decisions are based on evidence and the best outcomes.

Explore healthcare systems and the healthcare market

You’ll unpack the healthcare market to understand how it operates differently from other markets.

This understanding will help you delve into healthcare systems around the world to compare and contrast how, for example, their financing differs.

Develop technical skills in using health technology assessment

HTA helps decision-makers understand the consequences of one (or several) alternative courses of action, and to select the options that produce the best outcomes at the lowest cost.

The institutionalisation of HTA is also seen as pivotal in supporting universal health coverage (UHC) – this includes in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC).

You’ll delve into key concepts of HTA methodology to understand how this can be used in decision-making and how it is already positively impacting access to healthcare globally.

Understand the use of health technology assessment in practice

With the theoretical knowledge of HTA, you’ll build on your practical skills to discover how HTA can be used in different contexts.

You’ll explore case studies from around the world to understand applications of HTA before exploring how countries and HTA bodies make trade-offs between costs and benefits in their decision-making.

Learn from the experts at The University of Glasgow

Throughout the ExpertTrack, you’ll be guided by the specialist at the Health Economics and Health Technology Assessment (HEHTA) Research Group at the University of Glasgow.

Learning from their expertise, and with the opportunity to interact with fellow learners, you’ll finish with the knowledge of how decisions in healthcare are made.