HP4D5E      Half Unit
Methods for Evaluating Health Programs and Policies

This information is for the 2023/24 session.

Teacher responsible

Dr Mylene Lagarde COW 3.02

Availability

This course is available on the Executive MSc in Health Economics, Outcomes and Management in Clinical Sciences and Executive MSc in Health Economics, Policy and Management. This course is not available as an outside option.

Course content

Clinicians have long used experimental methods (randomized trials) to test the efficacy of drugs and other medical treatments. Whilst economists and other social scientists have used alternative quasi-experimental  methods to determine the causal effects of policies, they are increasingly using the experimental approach to evaluate the effects of a range of public policies.



The objective of this course is to teach students about the different quasi-experimental approaches and to unpack the principles of experimental (randomised) methods for evaluating policies, programmes, and interventions relevant to health policy. This course will draw on examples from LMICs (low and middle income countries).

 

This course will provide an overview of the principles and models of evaluation, including the importance of developing a theory of change. We will then provide an overview the main quasi-experimental designs for evaluating health interventions and policies. Next we will focus on key technical principles of experimental approaches (including issues of statistical power and sample size calculation), and discuss the nature and impact of a range of problems (e.g. attrition, spillovers, compliance) to the internal validity of a study design. Data and measurement considerations for quantitative studies will be discussed. The course will conclude with practical and ethical issues when undertaking randomised evaluations.

Teaching

This course will be delivered as a combination lectures and seminars, totalling a minimum of 20 hours. As well as access to lectures, students will work in small groups to develop their research design during seminars. 

Formative coursework

 

1,000 word outline

 

Indicative reading

Glennerster, R., & Takavarasha, K. (2013). Running Randomized Evaluations (STU - Student edition ed.): Princeton University Press.



Gertler, Paul J., Sebastian Martinez, Patrick Premand, Laura B. Rawlings, and Christel M. J. Vermeersch. (2016) Impact Evaluation in Practice, second edition. Washington, DC: Inter-American Development Bank and World Bank. doi:10.1596/978-1- 4648-0779-4.



Cartwright, N. & Hardie, J. (2012). Evidence-Based Policy: A practical guide to doing it better. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.



Gerber, A. S., & Green, D. P. (2012). Field Experiments: Design, Analysis and Interpretation. New York, NY: Norton.

Assessment

1 x Protocol (100%) 3,000 words max

Key facts

Department: Health Policy

Total students 2022/23: Unavailable

Average class size 2022/23: Unavailable

Controlled access 2022/23: No

Value: Half Unit

Guidelines for interpreting course guide information

Course selection videos

Some departments have produced short videos to introduce their courses. Please refer to the course selection videos index page for further information.

Personal development skills

  • Team working
  • Problem solving
  • Application of numeracy skills
  • Specialist skills