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Main themes of ECHE 2010
01.
Economics of ageing
02.
Economics of information technology in health care
03.
Economics of prevention and health promotion
04.
Economics of social care
05.
Health care financing and provision
06.
Implementing health economics
07.
Macro economics, health and health care
08.
Migration, health and labour markets
09.
New developments in the theory and methodology of health economics
10.
Performance measurement in health care systems
11.
Pharmaceutical markets
12.
Valuing health
13. Economic evaluation
Abstract submission instructions and online abstract submission
Please see:
http://eche2010.abstractsubmit.org
Deadline for submission of abstracts
The abstract submission has been closed
on 15 December 2009.
Main themes of ECHE 2010
in more detail
01. Economics of ageing
The topic of the microeconomics of ageing discusses the demand and
supply decisions associated with ageing. The demand and the
supply, provision and financing, of health care are changing in
Europe due to the ageing of the population. On the demand side,
the needs, need perceptions, utilization and financial, social and
psychological resources of the ageing population will likely
change. On the supply side, the ageing of the labour force may
impact the service provision. At the macroeconomic level the
changing age-structure within the population has implications for
the functioning and economic sustainability of health care
systems. We invite papers that discuss ageing and health care both
from a microeconomic and macroeconomic point of view.
02. Economics of information technology in health care
The development of information technology (IT) affects health care
in many ways. While IT may or may not influence the demand for
care, it certainly affects the production of services and
integration of care, financing and provision etc.. Moreover, the
patient’s role in care processes is expected to change with the
introduction of new IT. This session expects a wide variety of
studies on IT. Papers on the microeconomics of IT, both from
patients’, producers’ and also providers’/payers’ points of view
are welcome. Similarly, studies on the macroeconomics of
information technology (such as trends), and on economic
evaluation of information technologies are also welcome.
03. Economics of prevention and health promotion
Nowadays, there is a strong belief that by allocating more
resources to prevention, the population's health can be
substantially improved while at the same time reducing the growth
of health care costs. The purpose of this theme is to present
studies that investigate the potential of prevention to reduce the
incidence and prevalence of acute and chronic diseases. This theme
invites presentations that assess the economic, efficiency and
distributional impacts of prevention strategies and also those
that assess policy interventions aiming to reduce the occurrence
of diseases and accidents and their complications. These may
include, for example, cost‑effectiveness analyses of different
prevention interventions aimed at reducing lifestyle risk factors,
or evaluations of early detection strategies or health promotion
activities. We also welcome papers that assess economic and social
determinants of ill health and risky behaviour.
04. Economics of social care
Organisation, provision and financing of social care vary from
country to country. In some countries social services are closely
linked with the health sector, while in other countries it is
linked with the social sector, especially in the case of elderly
care and care for the disabled. We invite papers discussing both
broad and specific economic aspects of social services. Papers may
address topics dealing with the economics of social care systems,
the organising, provision and financing social care, efficiency
and productivity issues, as well as issues related to social
security. Papers discussing the economic and functional
integration of health and social services are also welcome.
05. Health care financing and provision
Health care systems are undergoing continuous reforms in attempts
to improve efficiency in the financing and provision of services.
Centralisation, integration, payment for performance, outsourcing,
privatisation, service vouchers and waiting-time reforms are some
examples of topical issues discussed in many countries. All
reforms that affect the prevailing provision and financing system
have both intended and unintended financial, incentive and
distributional effects on the health care systems, services,
providers and professionals. Papers discussing both broad and
specific issues in health care financing and provision and their
incentive and distributional effects are welcome. Research on new
emerging financing models as well as service vouchers, personal
health saving accounts and new forms of health insurance are
invited. Studies on the incentive effects of health care reforms
on a system, organisational and personnel level are welcome. We
look forward to studies on tax- and insurance-based systems as
well as public–private mix systems. Studies on various provision
and resource allocation mechanisms, e.g., pricing and capitation
methods, are welcome as well as studies on user charges and
deductibles.
06. Implementing health economics
The number of professional health economists and published
research has increased dramatically over the years. Is there
evidence that the growing numbers have affected health care
decision-making, i.e., is health economics research
cost-effective? We invite papers that highlight how health
economics research has influenced health policy decision-making as
well as the financing and organising of health care services at
the macro-, meso- or micro level. We also welcome papers that shed
light on what factors promote acceptance of recommendations by
health economics research.
07. Macro economics, health and health care
Health is a central input to socioeconomic development.
Cost-effective interventions for controlling major diseases exist,
but economies are facing major resource constraints due to aging
populations and intensifying tax competition across countries. At
the same time, a range of system constraints hamper global and
national efforts to develop innovate solutions. Health economists
often focus on economic impacts within the health care sector,
giving less attention to the wider effects on societies. Given the
size of possible effects beyond the health care sector, knowledge
about the social efficiency of various policies may depend on the
assessment of these wider effects. We welcome all contributions to
the discussion on the relationship between the health sector and
the macroeconomy.
08. Migration, health and labour markets
Ageing of the population and the declining labour force are
anticipated to create new challenges for health care markets in
many European countries. Several countries have started to recruit
health care professionals abroad to alleviate the increasing
demand for skilled labour. At the same time, non-labour related
migration outside Europe has forced health systems to respond to a
changing disease spectrum and cultural challenges posed by
migrants. We invite papers discussing current and anticipated
economic issues within health care labour markets in general, as
well as papers specifically focusing on migration issues related
to both professionals and migrants. Papers addressing the
intricate relationship between migration, migrants’ health and its
impact on demand and supply in health care services in Europe are
also welcome.
09. New developments in the theory and methodology of health
economics
The theoretical and empirical methodologies of health economics
have developed rapidly in recent years because of improved
theoretical methods and access to better data sets. We invite new
theoretical and methodological contributions in all fields of
health economics. Submissions in the fields of health economics
with less theoretical and methodological emphasis are particularly
welcome, but new contributions in already well-developed fields
are also appreciated. Special emphasis will be on payment
mechanisms and incentives in health care, the role of information
in agency relationships, the role of cost-effectiveness analysis
in the pricing, reimbursement and innovation of health care
technologies, and new developments in the methodology of economic
evaluation. Both theoretical analysis and new methodological
approaches in empirical health economics are equally welcome.
10. Performance measurement in health care systems
Performance measurement evaluates the extent to which a health
care system meets its key objectives. The measurement can be
performed at different levels; health care system, health care
organisation or individual practitioner. We invite papers
discussing various economic aspects of performance evaluation,
such as measurement of equity, efficiency and productivity, as
well as papers discussing performance measurement in specific
domains, e.g., hospital, primary care and mental care. Papers
dealing with the role of performance measurement in influencing
health policy, e.g., how performance indicators are used to reward
providers, are also welcome.
11. Pharmaceutical markets
Pharmaceutical markets are in a state of flux in many European
countries. The increasing role of generics, reference pricing and
other forms of regulation have increased price and quality
competition within the market. The quest for value for money is
one of the most critical challenges faced by pharmaceutical
markets in many countries. We invite papers discussing the
relationship between drug costs and benefits from different
viewpoints: patient, health care organisation, industry and
society. Papers related to pharmacoeconomics and outcomes research
are invited. Also papers discussing the role of cost-effectiveness
in reimbursement systems, the regulation of pharmaceutical markets
and methodological issues are welcome.
12. Valuing health
When estimating quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) for
cost-utility analyses of health care technologies a crucial
question is the extent to which the values for health states
produced by health-related quality of life instruments are valid
in reflecting trade-offs between length and quality of life.
Similarly, when carrying out cost-benefit analyses a crucial
question is, how to derive a valid monetary value for health
effects. There are conflicting opinions about the validity of
different valuation methods in these respects – there is no gold
standard of how (by which valuation method) and from whom the
valuations should be derived. We welcome especially papers that
address these types of validity-related issues, either from a
theoretical or empirical perspective or otherwise shed new light
onto the issue of valuing health.
13. Economic evaluation
The economic evaluation of health care systems, services,
products, methods and processes may be one of the largest and most
active fields of research within health economics. While most of
the published economic evaluations have focused on
micro-evaluation, i.e., cost-effectiveness of health care
interventions and products, the methodology can be applied at the
meso-level to assess the performance of organisations, e.g.,
hospitals, as well as the at macro-level to assess health systems
performance. Papers presenting empirical results on the micro-,
meso- and macroeconomic evaluation of health care products,
services, methods and processes as well as economic evaluations of
health care systems are welcome under this theme.
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