23790 Behavioural Health Economics
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Subject handbook information prior to 2025 is available in the Archives.
Credit points: 3 cp
Subject level:
Postgraduate
Result type: Grade and marksRequisite(s): 23710 Behavioural Decision Making AND 23711 Behavioural Game Theory
There are course requisites for this subject. See access conditions.
Description
This subject covers the application of behavioural economics principles to questions related to health decisions both on the consumer and on the health provider side. It also looks into policy decisions.
The course articulates conceptual considerations to the large body of empirical research, which has pertained to the study of health decisions from a behavioural economic perspective.
Subject learning objectives (SLOs)
| 1. | Analyse the role of behavioural factors in individual decisions pertaining to health, including lifestyle choices, health insurance choices and physician decision-making |
|---|---|
| 2. | Critique common policy interventions in the health domain |
| 3. | Propose a policy intervention for improving decision making in the health domain using insights from behavioural and health economics |
Contribution to the development of graduate attributes
The subject equips students with tools from behavioural and health economics to explain the determinants of individual behaviour in the health domain, including the role of behavioural biases and heuristics for decision making in health and health care. The students will also learn to analyze and design policy interventions aimed at improving health and well-being. The skills and knowledge developed in this subject are of critical importance to graduates who will work on health issues and policies in the public or private sector.
This subject contributes to the development of the following graduate attribute(s):
- Intellectual rigor and creative problem solving
- Professional and technical competence
Teaching and learning strategies
This subject is taught through a blend of online resources, self-directed study and seminars. Subject content will be presented to students in a variety of formats (ppt slides, notes, articles) and delivered both online and in-class. All learning materials will be provided to students on Canvas, but students are also expected to seek information independently. At the beginning of each module, students are expected to review materials and complete tasks on their own before attending a weekly Zoom review session with the lecturer. During interactive face to face seminars students will further engage with the material by learning behavioural economics concept and methods relevant to the decision making in health domain and by applying these to solve problems and case studies in-class, either individually or in small groups. Students will receive individual feedback in-class from the lecturer.
Content (topics)
- Introduction to behavioural health economics
- Applications of behavioural economics in health I: lifestyle choices, risky health behaviours and policy interventions in this area
- Applications of behavioural economics in health II: people’s decisions about purchasing health insurance and policy interventions in this area
- Applications of behavioural economics in health III: physician decision-making and policy interventions in this area
Assessment
Assessment task 1: Online test (Individual)*
| Objective(s): | This addresses subject learning objective(s): 1 and 2 |
|---|---|
| Weight: | 35% |
| Length: | 1 hour (online, open book) |
| Criteria: |
*Note: Late submission of the assessment task will not be marked and awarded a mark of zero. |
Assessment task 2: Case study (Individual)
| Objective(s): | This addresses subject learning objective(s): 1, 2 and 3 |
|---|---|
| Weight: | 65% |
| Length: | Word limit: 2000 words. |
| Criteria: |
|
Minimum requirements
Students must achieve at least 50% of the subject’s total marks.
References
Hanoch, Y., Barnes, A.J., and Rice, T. (Eds.). (2017). Behavioral Economics and Healthy Behaviors: Key Concepts and Current Research (1st ed.), Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315637938
Roverto, C.A. and Kawachi, I. (Eds.) (2015). Behavioral Economics and Public Health. Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315637938
Thaler R and Sunstein C (2021), Nudge: The Final Edition: Improving Decisions About Money, Health, and the Environment, Yale University Press.
Cawley J. and Ruhm, C.J. (2011). The Economics of Risky Health Behaviours. Handbook of Health Economics, Volume 2, 2011, pp 95-199.
Chandra A., Handel B., and Schwartzstein J. (2018). Behavioral Economics and Health-Care Markets. Handbook of Behavioral Economics: Applications and Foundations 1. Volume 2, 2019, Pages 495-502.
Chandra A., Cutler D., and Song Z. (2012). Who Ordered That? The Economics of Treatment Choices in Medical Care. Handbook of Health Economics, Volume 2, 2011, pp 397-432.