M4. Evaluación Económica de Medicamentos y Tecnologias Médicas (2): Avances. Modalidad online (edición en inglés)

The information corresponding to the forthcoming edition of the programme will be updated

The International Master in Health Economics and Pharmaeconomics (online) (MESIOL) is divided in eight modules; the fourth one is oriented to introduce the basic concepts of the master.

The general aim of this module is to familiarise the participant with some recent advances in the use of techniques and instruments for the economic evaluation of pharmaceuticals and medical technologies and apply them to a number of case studies. This is the second of two teaching modules that pursue this objective.

• To become familiar with the main controversies and methodological problems that arise when we incorporate indirect or productivity costs into an evaluation, and to acquire criteria for assessing the quality of a cost estimation.
• To design and analyse, from a critical point of view, an economic evaluation study that employs the declared preference techniques most commonly used in cost-benefit evaluation of health services, the contingent valuation technique and joint analysis.
• To acquire criteria for decision-making on data collection, concerning both outcomes and costs, in an economic evaluation, and on the need to apply various modelling and sensitivity analysis techniques to the available data.
• To get to know and to evaluate the main criteria and ways of presenting, using and applying the results of economic evaluation studies of pharmaceuticals and medical technologies.

This distance learning programme is based on the wide experience in on-site academic education provided by 13 editions of the Master's Degree in Health Economics and Health Care Management given at Pompeu Fabra University (UPF), which in its early years was taught in conjunction with the University of Barcelona. This international distance learning programme also takes advantage of the experience provided by the various editions of the Spanish online course taught since 2002.

The materials for the distance modules have been prepared by researchers of renowned international prestige working at the UPF Research Centre on Economics and Health (CRES) and teaching staff of the Department of Economics and Business and the Department of Health Sciences of Pompeu Fabra University (Barcelona, Spain), together with other collaborators, all with proven academic and professional experience. The content of the various courses combines the explanation of the methodological foundations with the use of the instruments, based on the publications of the faculty and collaborators and the discussion of case studies taken from the specialized literature.

UPF and the Continuing Education Institute (IDEC) of Pompeu Fabra University provide all the necessary information technology infrastructure and other resources for the smooth running of the course. Taking advantage of the new possibilities offered by the information technologies, this course will be taught entirely online, combining the use of web technology, hypertexts and e-mail to allow continual teacher/participant and participant/teacher interaction.

This programme is aimed at professionals in the health sector and the pharmaceutical sector who cannot afford the time to attend an on-site course, or who prefer to work primarily through virtual communication. This International Master's Degree in Health Economics and Pharmacoeconomics meets the needs and requirements both of experienced professionals and of recent graduates who wish to increase their knowledge of these areas.

The programme is addressed to professionals who, wherever in the world they live, wish to follow a distance course with the characteristics we have outlined above. It is conducted entirely online, and at no time it is necessary to attend face-to-face sessions. The international edition of this programme is conducted entirely in English.

In particular, the programme is designed to complement the training of professionals with management responsibilities and graduates interested in acquiring the necessary skills to take on such responsibilities in:

• Hospitals, clinical laboratories and public and private health centres.
• Public bodies responsible for managing and/or funding pharmaceuticals and health services.
• Private insurance companies.
• Pharmaceutical companies and companies related to the distribution of pharmaceuticals.
• Pharmaceutical and health service management training centres.
• Consultancy and advisory firms related to the health sector, etc.

To date, the Spanish and the International edition of this online training programme has been followed by over 350 participants in several European, African and Latin-American countries.