Introduction to Health Economics and Outcomes Research (CTS-0157)

Fall 2025 · CTS 0157 · Tufts University · 2 credits · Undergraduate

This course introduces the fundamentals of Health Economics and Outcomes Research (HEOR). We begin with an overview of the issues addressed by HEOR – including the measurement of health benefits in terms that can be compared across disease domains, and the inclusion of cost impacts across time and over multiple societal sectors that extend beyond health care itself. The first part of the course examines key economic concepts and their relation to health care, including the demand for health care, the structure and consequences of health insurance, and markets for pharmaceutical products. The second part of the course focuses on understanding health economic analysis based on recommendations issued by the Second Panel on Cost Effectiveness in Medicine and Health for the US. The lectures include measuring preferences for health outcomes, estimating costs, simulation modeling, and ethical issues in cost-effectiveness analysis. Finally, through a series of case studies, the course introduces students to important sources of data for the HEOR field.

Course codes: CTS-0157, CTS 0157, CTS0157, CTS-157, CTS 157, CTS157

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