The Department of Economics and the Centre for Health Economics and Policy Analysis (CHEPA) at McMaster University collaborate in offering an exciting opportunity for students to obtain graduate training in economics with a concentration in health.

Ph.D. in Economics with Health Economics as a Field

Students electing to concentrate their research in health economics fulfil the normal requirements for the Ph.D. program in economics. These include completion of courses in economic theory and econometrics and comprehensive examinations in economic theory and two fields.

The core course requirements for health economics are Economics 788 and Economics 791 (course descriptions follow). Students choose additional courses either from the offerings of the Department of Economics in the Faculty of the Social Sciences or from appropriate graduate courses offered in other Departments and Faculties at McMaster, particularly the Faculty of Health Sciences
(Health Research Methodology Program). Examples of suitable courses within the Department of Economics include the Economics of Population (710 or 711), Public Finance (731), Labour Economics (781 or 782) and Industrial Organization (784). Course descriptions are found on the Programs page. Relevant courses in Health Sciences include Economic Evaluation for the Evaluation of Health Services (HRM 737), Fundamentals of Health Research and Evaluation Methods (HRM 721), and Health Policy Analysis (HRM 738) (course description can be found below). Courses from other Departments and Faculties may be appropriate depending on the interests of the student.

M.A. in Economics with a Concentration in Health Economics

It is also possible for students to obtain an informal concentration in health economics while completing their M.A. degree. In addition to courses in Health Economics offered by the Department of Economics, students may take up to two courses in other graduate programs at McMaster.

Special Features of Graduate Training in Economics at McMaster

The collaboration between the Department of Economics and CHEPA provides a unique opportunity for rigorous training in health economics. Notable features include the concentration of health economists and other health services researchers at McMaster. The six members of the Department of Economics with an interest in health economics (Contoyannis, Crossley, Dooley, Grignon, Hurley, Spencer) are complemented by and additional sixteen members or associate members of the CHEPA, three of whom are economists. The availability of course work in both economics and other Faculties, particularly health sciences, broadens the training options. CHEPA also exposes students to behaviour and policy formulation in the health and health care sectors in a number of contexts, including the behaviour of health care professionals, hospitals and other health care facilities, and public policy formulation at the provincial, national, and international levels. In addition, a multi-disciplinary Ph.D. program in Health Research Methodology, which includes health services research, is provided through the Faculty of Health Sciences. There also are number of health-related research centres at McMaster with whom students may interact, including the McMaster Institute for the Environment and Health, the Centre for the Evaluation of Medicines, and the Health Information Research Unit. Finally, there are attractive opportunities for fellowship and research funding available for student specializing in health economics.

Additional Information: If you have specific questions or would like additional information, please contact the Chair, Graduate Studies Committee, Department of Economics, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario Canada L8S 4M4. Phone (905) 525-9140, ext. 24731 or FAX (905) 521-8232 or econgrad@mcmaster.ca.

ECONOMICS 788. Health Economics. A survey course on the economics of health and health care. Topics include the determinants of health, the nature of health-care services, insurance, the organization, financing, and utilization of health-care services, and the evaluation of health-care services. Both theory and evidence are examined. (This course is cross-listed as
HRM 788).

ECONOMICS 791. Advanced Topics in Health Economics. An advanced course in the economics of health and health care with an emphasis on modeling and testing of theories of the behaviour of individuals and organizations. Specific topics vary from year to year. In recent years topics have included the population health and health care; modelling provider behaviour; normative frameworks for economic analysis in the health sector; equity in health care; demography, aging and the health sector, prescription drug policy, health in the workplace, and program evaluation methodologies.

CLINICAL HEALTH SCIENCES - HEALTH RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

CHS-HRM 721. Fundamentals of Health Research and Evaluation Methods. This is a basic course in health research methods. Topics include concepts of health, formulation of research questions, structured literature reviews, study designs, selection of study populations, choice of measurement instruments, and study interpretation issues such as determination of causality and the effectiveness of clinical and community interventions.

CHS-HRM 737. Economic Analysis for the Evaluation of Health Services. This is a practical course in the techniques for economic evaluation of health-care programs. The methodologies of cost-benefit, cost-effectiveness, and cost-utility analysis are examined in detail and several applications of each are reviewed. During the course each student is expected to complete an economic evaluation of a specific health or health-care program or intervention. Normally the course is offered in the Winter Term (term 2); students wishing to enroll in the course must consult with the instructors early in the Fall to discuss their research project.

CHS-HRM 738. Health Policy Analysis. The course describes the area of health policy analysis, stressing the need to examine both clinical and public policy. Various methods in policy analysis are explored, including techniques from political science, psychology, economics, epidemiology and clinical epidemiology, and sociology. Following the introduction of a framework for health policy analysis, each week is spent on a specific methodology and the application of the methods to a specific topic in health policy.

Course Titles of Other Potentially Relevant Courses in Health Sciences Include:

CHS-HRM 727. Theory and Practice of Measurement

CHS-HRM 730. Introduction to Research Methods for Randomized Controlled Clinical Trials

CHS-HRM 735. (Same as Geography 736) Environment and Health: Theory and Policy

CHS-HRM 736. Community Health Measurement

CHS-HRM 743. Systematic Review Methods

CHS-HRM 744. Health Status Measurement

CHS-HRM 762. Evaluation of Health and Health Care Programs

Descriptions of these courses can be obtained from the graduate Program in Clinical Health Sciences (Health research Methodology), Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, McMaster University, HSC Room 2C8 Hamilton, Ontario L8N 3Z5, (905) 525-9140, ext. 22218. Exchange students (and others) wishing to take any of the above listed courses in Clinical Health Sciences without enrolling in the M.A. or Ph.D. programs in Economics must apply in writing for approval in advance.