Session: Applying Economic Concepts to Public Health

The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA

2012.0: Sunday, November 10, 2002: 8:00 AM-11:30 AM

Oral

Applying Economic Concepts to Public Health

Statement of Purpose and Institute Overview:

Economics is a systematic way of thinking about resources. Economic analysis has become an increasingly important tool to guide health care resource allocation decisions. Delivery of cost-effective services requires health managers to have a good grasp of health economic concepts. This institute presents and introduction to economic analysis for public health. The purpose is to provide participants with a clear view of the applicability of some basic economic concepts and tools as they apply to health behavior and resource allocation decisions, including the market mechanism, efficiency, optimization, and economic evaluation techniques. The discussion will draw examples from demand for prevention, youth tobacco and alcohol use, and obesity in the USA. The bulk of the institute is structured around a series of basic concepts about allocation decisions. Each concept is illustrated in detail using public health examples. Where applicable, participants will be advised on how best to apply economic concepts to their own professional experience. At the end of the workshop, participants should be able to develop an economic perspective on health behavior and prevention, and an ability to read and appraise health economic articles.

Learning Objectives: The objective is to enhance participants' understanding of economic behavior and demonstrating the power of health economics as input to health policy. The workshop is designed based on the conviction that the knowledge of economics has a great potential value to public health professionals and the knowledge can be delivered in a language and framework that is understandable and relevant to their experience and needs. Each concept is discussed from the basics, and the discussion will be presented using intuitive reasoning. The presentation will include ample examples and questions at the end of each session to reinforce learning. After completing this institute, participants will be armed with analytical techniques and conceptual insights about public health economics. Upon completion of the institute participants will be able to: 1. Describe the role of economics in public heatlh 2. Describe the role of economic incentive for individual behavior 3. List 4 factors in determining consumer demand 4. Describe the meaning of opportunity cost 5. Define the meaning of elasticity of demand 6. Define the meaning of "optimal choice behavior" 6. Define the meaning of "optimal allocation" 7. To apply the economic concepts as a managerial tool in making choices or decisions that will provide for an optimum allocation of limited health care resources. 7. List three factors that provide rationale for government intervention in public health 8. Explain why economic approach is necessary to understand health behavior choice.

See individual abstracts for presenting author's disclosure statement and author's information.

Organizer(s):

Shahram Heshmat, PhD

8:00 AM

Introduction and Orientation

8:10 AM

Economics Defined
Shahram Heshmat, PhD

9:10 AM

Economic approach
Shahram Heshmat, PhD

9:55 AM

Break

10:10 AM