The first module of this course, Introduction to Health Economics, covers key economic concepts which explain the mechanisms driving above policies/behaviour. The main objective of this module is to introduce you to several economic concepts relevant to healthcare management and demonstrate how they are applied to actual situations in the healthcare industry. The second module of this course, Financial Management, introduces many accounting principles, processes and procedures and their general application to the healthcare system. This module helps you develop a sound working knowledge of basic financial statements as well as an understanding of budgeting for decision-making and managerial control in health management. Together, these modules will assist you to understand economic principles and techniques that influence decision-making and government policy in the healthcare industry. They will also provide you with core capabilities for making health management decisions related to budgets and resources.  In both modules the emphasis is on understanding how finance and economics can be used in day-to-day decision-making – so a practical scenario-based approach will be taken. Similarly, the assessments will also focus on practical applications of the concepts.

This course is a core course of the Master of Health Leadership and Management Program, comprising 6 units of credit towards the total number of units required for completion of the masters program.

Mode of study

Face-to-face classes on-campus for Internal students & fully online for Distance External students

Key contact

A/Prof Anurag Sharma
Course Convenor
+61 (2) 9065 9490
anurag.sharma@unsw.edu.au

Who should do this course?

We welcome students from any discipline and level of experience to contribute perspectives and understandings. In addition, we encourage you to engage with the material, ask questions, discuss relevant issues with teachers and colleagues, and regard the available literature with a critical eye. 

Course outcomes

The aim of this course is to provide you with core capabilities in understanding and applying financial concepts and techniques as well as the principles and tools of healthcare economics to inform your decision-making as a healthcare manager.

In Module 1, the aim is to introduce you to issues and theoretical perspectives of health economics and to enable you to relate these concepts and approaches to your own personal and work experiences so you have a better perspective on how the overall Australian health system functions. In Module 2, the aim is to introduce you to fundamental accounting methods that you can apply to a health service context and equip you with practical skills that will help you become a better healthcare manager.

By the end of Module 1, you should be able to:

  • identify and outline the key aims, concepts and principles of health economics

  • outline the unique features of the healthcare market and how these influence decisions relating to equity and efficiency

  • explain the reasons why governments intervene in the healthcare industry and the impact this has on the demand for health services

  • identify specific factors that influence the current and future demand and supply of health care

  • explain the role, limitations and usefulness of economic analysis and economics as a way of thinking, particularly when applied to the healthcare sector

  • discuss the advantages and disadvantages of activity-based funding as a means of financing the provision of health services.

By the end of Module 2, you should be able to:

  • identify the three main financial statements – ie. the balance sheet, profit and loss statement and cash flow statement

  • demonstrate a working knowledge of the doctrines and conventions of accounting, such as relevance, reliability, materiality and timeliness. 

  • explain the difference between cash and accrual accounting

  • calculate a break-even point for a health service

  • construct a budget and analyse the difference between budgeted and actual outcomes

  • apply these accounting concepts to better understanding the cost and revenue structures of the organisation in which you work

  • outline the main features of the Australian healthcare system – in particular how health spending is managed and the roles and responsibilities of various levels of government and why health expenditure is increasing.

Learning & teaching

This course assumes no prior knowledge of either economics or finance. It is important that health services managers make the best possible use of the resources available to them. Whatever your area of management responsibility, skills in financial management enable you to use financial information to help in your decision-making and thus contribute to something bigger – getting better health care to more people. This course will not turn you into a financial expert able to produce vast amounts of numbers and statistics. But it will assist you to become more comfortable with financial information, so you will be able to construct a budget or develop financial projections for a new service. You will also learn how to critically examine financial information so that you can identify key issues and discuss these confidently with your finance team and senior management colleagues.

This course assumes no prior knowledge of accounting, financial management or economics and starts at a very basic level and then works into more complex problems. At all times the aim is to introduce you to concepts and skills that will be of value in your everyday work.

Assessments

Assessment Task 1 – Health care economics online quiz
Weighting: 5%
Length: 10 Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)

Assessment Task 2 – Health care economics 
Weighting: 40%
Length: Five short answer questions + one essay type question

Assessment Task 3 – Financial management calculation & short discussion questions
Weighting: 45%
Length: Calculation questions and short discussion questions

Assessment Task 4 – Online discussion
Weighting: 10%
Length: n/a

Readings & resources 

Module 1 Health Economics textbook: Folland S, Goodman A & Stano M, The Economics of Health and Health Care, 8th edition, International Edition, New York: Routledge, 2018, ISBN: 9781351595216. 

Module 2 Financial Management textbook: J Birt, K Chalmers, S Maloney, A Brooks and J Oliver, Accounting: Business Reporting for Decision Making, 6th edition, John Wiley & Sons, 2016, ISBN: 978-0-7303-4404-9.