ECON483 Seminar in Microeconomics Winter 2022
Hello, dear friend, you can consult us at any time if you have any questions, add WeChat: daixieit
Department of Economics
ECON483 Seminar in Microeconomics (Health)
Winter 2022
Tentative outline
Objectives: This seminar requires students to conduct independent research and write a paper in health economics, an applied microeconomics area. Options range from analyzing and modeling a problem to drafting a policy paper based on economic analysis. Learning objectives: (i) Analysis of a real-world problem; (ii) Development of policy arguments using economic analysis; (iii) Improvement of written and oral communication skills with an eye to future careers.
Seminar schedule and evaluation
1. Weeks 1-4: I will introduce, in synchronous sessions, the topics and questions in health economics (as in table below) during the first four weeks. Students will have to find a topic; formulate and explain a research question, including a brief literature review with 5-7 academic papers and any other academic source. A submission of 1-2 pages required. Failure to submit triggers a negative incentive of 3pts deduction from final mark (one letter bracket).
|
Part |
Topics in health economics (readings in OnQ) |
|
Intro |
Introduction to healthcare systems (Ch. 1) |
|
Demand |
Demand for health and healthcare (Ch. 2) |
|
|
Health and income (Ch. 3) |
|
|
Markets for MD services Ch. 4) |
|
|
Insurance demand: Adverse selection (Ch. 5) |
|
|
Insurance demand: Moral hazard (Ch. 6) |
|
Supply |
Financing and production of healthcare (Ch. 7) |
|
|
Doctors, hospitals and healthcare plans (Ch. 8) |
|
|
Pharmaceuticals and pharmacare (Ch. 9) |
|
|
Long-term care (Ch. 10) |
|
|
Public health (Ch. 11) |
|
Systems |
Healthcare systems (Ch. 12) |
2. Weeks 5-6: Paper full proposal submitted: Expected findings, methodology (theoretical or empirical) to be used, literature review expanded to 12+ academic papers (10%). Individual consultations
scheduled.
3. Weeks 7-8: 10-minute presentations (10%). Strictly enforced; synchronous sessions.
4. Weeks 9-10: Individual consultations and initial full paper submission by week 10 (20%).
5. Weeks 11-12: Individual consultations and voluntary presentations (in synchronous sessions).
6. Final version submitted by week 12 (60%).
Final output: The research paper (approximately 5,000 words) is clearly the final product of the course. The process offers incentives by milestones (as in evaluation). The research topic is finalized by week 6 as proven by submission of the paper proposal (substantial literature review and the model).
Attendance: Attendance in all synchronous sessions, Tuesdays 8-10pm Kingston time, is mandatory.
Suggestions for finding topic, writing LitRev and submitting a proposal
Finding a paper topic
(https://www.umflint.edu/library/how-select-research-topic)
Brainstorm for ideas: Surely, you started thinking. If not, search around words/expressions like healthcare insurance, health and wealth, health inequities, moral hazard and adverse selection in healthcare, doctors, nurses, hospitals, malpractice, doctor compensation, hospital compensation, care homes, pharmaceuticals, pharmacare, Bismarckian and Beveridgean systems, …
Read: Start from my reading list; browse The Economist, J. Econ. Perspectives and J. Econ. Literature. Go to e-journals in library and search for NBER health discussion papers, type in health journal to find such journals as J. Health Econ., Health Econ., European J. Health Econ. (While reading papers, make sure you annotate to use in LitRev.) Focus on one or two of your ideas and cluster your readings around ideas. For example, if you happen to be interested in Australia’s Royal Flying Doctor Service. Find readings, start imagining questions such as how to pay them (salary, per patient, blend, since they are like firefighters one may learn from paying firefighters), how to equip them (fixed-wing aircraft for which an airport is needed or helicopters with no need for airport), would it be more efficient to install cliniques, fly doctors or paramedics, how to organize the network hubs and spokes. Keep focusing and thinking: Is this a feasible topic? Did you find economics articles? Why such a service? Is the Australian model transplantable to Canada (think of Ornge,https://www.ornge.ca/home), to Switzerland, to China?
Hypothesis: Now you need a hypothesis. Australian outback is sparsely populated and so is Canadian boonies. Thus, you may ask whether Canadian provincial healthcare systems will be more efficient by shutting down remote hospitals and replacing them with a Canadian Flying Doctor Service. What now? Now think about a simple model, simple enough you can handle and conduct analytical work. Peek at potential benefit-cost analyses (health econ. is full of such work) if you want to apply to your research question, dig out data if you can do empirical research by econometrics (this is arguably the most time-consuming option).
2022-01-27