Assessment Brief and Feedback Form
Module title: Health Economics
Assessment task: Essay
Word count limit: 2500
Learning outcomes assessed in this assessment
2. Evaluate and compare the key methods of economic evaluation utilised in health economics.
4. Critically analyse the role of equity in health economics and the concept of rationing and priority setting in order to most appropriately allocate limited resources.
Assessment Guidelines
Critically compare the health funding systems from two different countries. In doing so focus on the equity, equality and fairness of each system in trying to meet the health needs of its population, as well as the mechanisms for distributing both the costs and the benefits of health care. Finally, compare health outcomes across both populations and evaluate the relative effectiveness of each.
General Guidance
Your assignment should be word processed (handwritten assignments are not accepted), using time new roman size 12 font, double spaced, with numbered pages and your student number printed as a footer on every page.
The word limits stated for this assignment excludes the reference list at the end of the assignment but includes all text in the main body of the assignment (including direct quotations, in-text citations, footnotes, tables, diagrams and graphs).
Please be aware that exceeding the word count limit will affect the academic judgement of the piece of work and may result in the award of a lower mark.
Appendices are not considered a supplement, and thus, will not be assessed as part of the content of the assignment. As such, they will not contribute to the grade awarded, however it may be appropriate to use an Appendices section for any material which is a useful reference for the reader. Please note that appendices are not included in the word count.
The majority of references should come from primary sources (e.g., journal articles, conference papers, reports, etc.) although you can also utilise area specific textbooks.
You must ensure that you use the University of Suffolk’s Harvard style of referencing.
Please indicate the word count length at the end of your assignment.
Your work should include and cover the following sections/aspects and content (as shown and stated in the table below). The specific percentage marks allocated to each section/aspect of your work is stated below. Please also note that the Level 7 marking criteria (located towards the end of this assessment brief) will also be used to reflect this overall grade. Please remember that achievement and demonstration of learning outcomes 2 and 4 is being assessed in this assessment.
Section/aspect Content to cover Marks available
Introduction Introduce the health funding systems from two different countries, one of them being a low-income country and the other being a high-income country. Briefly outline the health funding system in each country. Following this, identify at least one health outcome of concern in the low-income country and at least one health outcome of concern in the highincome country. 15 Marks
Discussion Critically compare the health funding systems in the two different countries through undertaking the following:
(1) From a critical analysis perspective, focus on the equity, equality and fairness of each health funding system in trying to meet the health needs of the population in each country with a focus on the health outcome(s) of concern identified in each country.
(2) Focus on the mechanisms that can be used for distributing both the costs and benefits of health care within each country related to the health outcome(s) of concern identified in each country. This will require an 40 Marks
evaluation and comparison of key methods of economic evaluation that are utilised in health economics (for example, cost-effectiveness
analysis, cost-utility analysis, cost-benefit analysis etc.). Relevant and appropriate published economic evaluations should be highlighted here to support this evaluation and comparison.
(3) Compare the health outcome(s) of concern identified in each country and evaluate the relative effectiveness of the health funding system in each country in addressing the identified health outcome(s) of concern for that country.