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Decision and Cost-Effectiveness Analysis in Medicine
EPI 213 Winter 2012 (2 units)




UCSD, Division of Global Public Health


OBJECTIVES

Decision and cost-effectiveness analysis are the tools used in medicine to formally portray clinical and policy decisions. Decision analysis estimates the health consequences of alternative courses of action. Cost-effectiveness analysis estimates economic costs per gain in health status. The objectives of this course are to give trainees the following knowledge and skills:

  • Understand the principles of decision analysis (DA), including decision trees to portray action options and their consequences.
  • Understand the principles of cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA), including health and cost inputs and cost-effectiveness ratios.
  • Understand uncertainty, how it is quantified, and how it is addressed in DA/CEA.
  • Understand disease state (Markov) modeling and its uses.
  • Understand and experience steps in conducting a DA/CEA.
  • Use a computer spreadsheet to do DA/CEA computations.
  • Design a DA/CEA in an area of expertise.
  • Know how to critique published DA/CEAs, including structure, inputs, and findings.
PREREQUISITES

Designing Clinical Research (Epi 202) and working familiarity with MS Excel, including navigation through a workbook and basic entry/copy/paste functions, and willingness to learn graphing and other functions. Exceptions to these prerequisites may be made with the consent of the Course Director, space permitting.

FACULTY

Course Co-Director:

James G. Kahn, MD, MPH
Phone: 510-457-8094
email: jgkahn@ucsf.edu
Skype ID: jgkahn

Course Co-Director:

Jose Luis Burgos, MD, MPH
Phone: 619-819-8369
email: jlburgos@ucsd.edu

Lecturers:

James G. Kahn, MD, MPH
Phone: 510-457-8094
email: jgkahn@ucsf.edu

 

Elliot Marseille, DrPH, MPP
Phone: 925-254-5379
email: emarseille@comcast.net

Section Leaders:

James G. Kahn, MD, MPH
Phone: 510-457-8094
email: jgkahn@ucsf.edu

 

Jose Luis Burgos, MD, MPH
Phone: 619-819-8369
email: jlburgos@ucsd.edu

 

Elliot Marseille, DrPH, MPP
Phone: 925-254-5379
email: emarseille@comcast.net

Grader:

Janelle Downing
email: janelle.downing@gmail.com

Teaching Assistant:

Renee Hsia, MD
email: Renee.Hsia@emergency.ucsf.edu


FORMAT

Lectures: 6 core sessions on methods, 4 guest lecturers on cost-effectiveness research topics.

Sections: 6 sessions. Review of homework assignments, discussion of questions from lecture or syllabus.

Schedule: Thursday afternoons, January 5- March 15.

TEXTBOOK

Methods for the Economic Evaluation of Health Care Programmes by M F Drummond, B O'Brien, G L Stoddart and G W Torrance. Oxford Medical Publications. 2nd Edition. 1997.

Textbooks may be purchased from the UCSF online bookstore (as well as Amazon and other vendors).

GRADING

Grades will be based on total points achieved on homework (~40% each for mammography programmed exercise and development of own DA/CEA) and the final exam (~20%). Since the homework assignments build on prior assignments, it is essential to do each one and to stay on time. Late assignments will be sharply down-graded according to lateness. The two lowest scores are dropped.

ENROLLMENT

This course is open to a limited number of individuals outside of the ATCR and Master's programs. Preference is given to UCSF-affiliated personnel. We regret that auditing is not permitted. To apply for this course please fill out and submit the application below. Cost and submission information are in the application.

Application (Word doc, 20KB)