Health Technology Assessment

Core and Optional Courses

Core Courses

HTA: Policy and Principles
Purpose: To provide both a theoretical and practical understanding of the policy and principles behind, and the techniques involved with, the process of health technology assessment.
Aims: To provide a critical awareness of the broader policy context into which health technology assessment is located as well as a critical understanding of the theoretical underpinnings, principles and techniques of health technology assessment. In addition, the course will provide the opportunity to develop the confidence to apply specialised skills and initiative to translate policy issues into research questions and apply these principles to the assessment of health technologies.
Delivery: Lecture: Semester 1 
                 Seminar: Semester 1
Course Co-ordinator: Dr Elisabeth Fenwick, Senior Lecturer

Introduction to Statistics
Purpose: To provide both a theoretical and practical understanding of statistical issues and analysis required for health technology assessment.
Aims: To introduce the fundamental concepts in biostatistics, to provide an awareness of the statistical issues associated with study design and to provide an extensive understanding and practical application of the most common methods of data analysis
Delivery: Lecture: Semester 1
                 Seminar: Semester 1
Course Co-ordinators: Dr Jim Lewsey, Senior Lecturer
                                      Dr Daniel Mackay, Senior Lecturer

Introduction to Epidemiology
Purpose: To introduce the epidemiological approaches that are used to understand the health of populations.
Aims: To introduce the fundamental concepts of epidemiology, to provide a critical awareness of the principles involved in establishing causal associations and the basic measures of prevalence, incidence, risk ratios, odds ratios, attributable risk and their relationship to health technologies.  The major types of epidemiological studies will be explored (ecological, cross-sectional, case-control and cohort) using examples of research conducted in a variety of countries. 
Delivery: Lecture: Semester 2
Course Co-ordinator: Dr David Morrison, Reader

HTA Research Project/HTA: Practices
Purpose: To introduce the process of designing and developing a specific research proposal as well as the process of analysing and reporting a specific research project in the area of health technology assessment. 
Aims: To provide a practical understanding of the research process and the skills required to complete a research project. The course will provide the opportunity for students to develop the confidence and skills to translate policy issues into research questions and apply a range of specialised skills to the assessment of health technologies.
Delivery: Lecture: Semester 1 
                 Seminar: Semester 1
Course Co-ordinator: Dr Elisabeth Fenwick, Senior Lecturer

Optional courses

Decision Analytic Modelling
Purpose: To introduce the principles and techniques of decision analytic modelling as applied to the practice of health technology assessment.
Aims: To provide a critical awareness of the importance and application of decision analytic modelling within the process of health technology assessment, as well as its values and limitations. It will provide the opportunity to develop the confidence and initiative to apply specialised skills to critically appraise and construct decision analytic models for the assessment of effectiveness and/or cost-effectiveness.
Delivery: Lecture: Semester 2
                 Seminar: Semester 2
Course Co-ordinator: Dr Elisabeth Fenwick, Senior Lecturer

Economic Evaluation
Purpose: To provide both a theoretical and practical understanding of the techniques involved in economic evaluation of health technologies.
Aims: To provide a critical awareness of the role, and an extensive understanding of the application, of economic evaluation within health technology assessment. In addition, the course will provide the opportunity to develop the confidence to apply specialised skills to undertake economic evaluation of health technologies.
Delivery: Lecture & Practical: Semester 3
Course Co-ordinator: Dr Elisabeth Fenwick, Senior Lecturer

Economic Evaluation in Clinical Trials
Purpose: To provide both theoretical understanding and practical application of the techniques involved in economic evaluation alongside clinical trials.
Aims: To provide a critical awareness of the role, principles and practice of undertaking economic evaluation alongside clinical trials. In addition, the course will provide the opportunity to develop the confidence to apply specialised statistical skills to undertake economic evaluation alongside clinical trials.  Sound knowledge of statistical / epidemiological methods is assumed.
Delivery: Lecture & Practical: Semester 3
Course Co-ordinator: Professor Andrew Briggs, Chair in Health Economics

Evidence Synthesis
Purpose: To provide both theoretical understanding and practical application of evidence synthesis methodologies within the process of health technology assessment.
Aims: To provide a critical understanding of the principles and the practice of evidence synthesis methodologies (including systematic review and meta-analysis of direct, indirect and mixed treatment evidence). In addition, the course will provide the opportunity to develop confidence to apply these methodologies to develop the evidence base for health technology assessment.
Delivery: Lecture & Practical: Semester 3
Course Co-ordinator: Dr Olivia Wu, Reader

Further Epidemiology and Statistics
Purpose: To provide both a theoretical and practical understanding of more advanced techniques of statistics and epidemiology commonly applied in health technology assessment.
Aims: To provide an extensive understanding of the application and interpretation of more advanced epidemiological concepts and methods of data analysis.  In addition, the course will provide the opportunity to develop the confidence when applying these specialised skills within a health technology assessment setting.
Delivery: Lecture & Practical: Semester 3
Course Co-ordinator: Dr Cathy Johnman, Clinical Lecturer

Health Economics
Purpose: To introduce the concepts and principles of health economics.
Aims: This unit aims to provide students with a basic understanding of health economics, its value and limitations. It will familiarise students with the principles of health economics and the techniques of economic appraisal.
Delivery: Lecture: Semester 2
Course Co-ordinator: Dr Kathleen Boyd, Research Fellow

Managing Healthcare organisations
Purpose: To introduce the concepts of managing health care organisations and organisation theory.
Aims: To provide an understanding of the nature and role of management within health care organisations including the processes through which managers make decisions within organisations. In addition, the course will provide a critical awareness of the theories of management, leadership and organisation within a health care setting.
Delivery: Lecture: Semester 2
Course Co-ordinator: Dr Moira Fischbacher-Smith, Senior Lecturer

Qualitative Research Methods
Purpose: To provide an overview and introduction to the common methods used to undertake qualitative research in the social scientific study of health and illness and increasingly in health technology assessment, health services and other health-related research.
Aims: To provide an understanding of the role and importance of qualitative methods in developing the evidence base for health research. In addition, the course will provide a critical awareness of the challenges associated with the application and interpretation of qualitative methods within health technology assessment.
Delivery: Lecture: Semester 1 & 2
Course Co-ordinator: Dr Rebecca Shaw, Lecturer