Research stay at the University of York, Centre for Health Economics

Through my supervisors’ networkand financial support from the faculty and Epinor, we managed to organize this research stay independent of any other projects than my own.

The theme of my PhD project is regional variation in utilization of health care services. With my background in economics, I appreciated to stay in an institute filled with researchers thinking in terms of utility functions and diminishing returns. During my stay, I had the opportunity to have several meetings with professor Huge Gravelle. Through our conversations, I was made aware of some of the weaknesses in my approach to the project, and how to develop methods to improve it. I also took advantage of the other researchers in York, working with similar projects as myself. This inspired the hypothesis for what will be the second paper in my PhD. As a visiting PhD student, I had the opportunity to participate in weekly seminars, and I sat in on some courses.

The city itself is about twice the size of Tromsø, with several surrounding villages. The history of York goes back to roman times, but it seems like citizens are particularly proud of their Viking heritage. The old city walls are accessible to the public, and many of the old towers have been transformed into cafés. The cobblestone streets and old crooked houses give the city a nice atmosphere. It’s a reason why tourists flock to the city during summer.  While it is hard to point to quantifiable results from my research stay in York, I have no doubt that I will benefit from the visit in the long run. I would like to thank everyone at the Center for Health Economics in York for making me feel welcome, and thank Epinor for making it possible.