Economics (ECON) 321
Economics of Health Care (Revision 3)
Revision 3 closed, replaced by current version.
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Delivery Mode:Individualized study or grouped study.
Credits:3
Area of Study:Social Science
Prerequisite:None. A basic understanding of mathematics would be an asset to the student.
Centre:Centre for State and Legal Studies
ECON 321 has a Challenge for Credit option.
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Overview
The primary purpose of ECON 321 is designed to introduce you to the discipline of health economics, where the principles of economics are applied to the health care sector. Like other economics courses, Health Economics is primarily concerned with how scarce resources are allocated. Much of the material presented in this course is similar to that found in an introductory economics course, but the emphasis here is on how concepts such as supply and demand, cost, and utility are applied to the health care sector. This course looks at how the economic behaviours of health care consumers and suppliers, particularly in Canada, affect the manner in which resources are allocated.
Outline
Unit 1: Introduction to Economics of Health Care
Unit 2: Outputs and Outcomes—The Products of the Health Care System
Unit 3: Economic Dimensions of the Canadian Health Care System
Unit 4: The Demand for Health Care
Unit 5: Cost
Unit 6: Supply of Health Care Services
Unit 7: Demand and Supply
Unit 8: Specific Health Care Market Models
Unit 9: The Labour Market
Evaluation
To receive credit for ECON 321, you must achieve a minimum grade of “D” on the final exam, and an overall grade of “D” (50 percent) or better for the entire course. You are advised not to attempt the final exam until you have received feedback on both assignments. The weightings for each assignment and the final exam are as follows:
Assignment 1 | Assignment 2 | Final Exam | Total |
---|---|---|---|
25% | 25% | 50% | 100% |
To learn more about assignments and examinations, please refer to Athabasca University's online Calendar.
Course Materials
Textbook
Jacobs, P. & Rapoport, J. (2002). The economics of health and medical care (5th ed.). Gaithersburg, MD: Aspen Publishers, Inc.
Other materials
The course materials also include a course manual and assignments, study guide and a reading file.
Athabasca University reserves the right to amend course outlines occasionally and without notice. Courses offered by other delivery methods may vary from their individualized-study counterparts.
Opened in Revision 3, April 21, 2008.
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Last updated by SAS 11/10/2015 14:34:18