Health Technology Assessment and Medical Decision-making

This course is mandatory for students at the Master's degree programme in Public Health. Course students may be admitted if total number of students do not exceed the regulated 30 number of students at the course.

The course covers the key principles of health technology assessment (HTA) and systematic review as tools to evaluate both positive and negative impacts of technologies, techniques, devices, programs and interventions used in public health. A national and international focus is taken of systematic reviews for healthcare policy and decision making.

The course begins with an overview of the history and development of evidence-based practice and systematic reviews, and provides an introduction to concepts of evidence and research. Much of the course concerns the steps of conducting systematic reviews, including forming research questions, literature searching, selecting a range of study designs, performing risk of bias assessments, conducting meta-analyses, and judging certainty in the estimate of effect.

The course continues with a short overview of ethical, financial, organizational and related issues for decision-making and priority setting in healthcare, as well as different decision making processes on the introduction of healthcare technologies.

Bachelor's degree (180 ECTS credits) in Health Sciences, Social Sciences or Natural Sciences, or equivalent qualification. For students who hold a Bachelor's degree in Social Sciences or Natural Sciences, the degree must contain a minimum 80 ECTS (or equivalent) within the fields specific to the Master's degree programme in Public Health; epidemiology, health economics, biostatistics, health sociology, global- and environmental health.

Recommended prerequisite: Basic epidemiology

Application Code: 9371 (Nordic applicants).

The student should be familiar with the principles of HTA and systematic reviews, and the role of HTA and systematic reviews in healthcare decision-making.

The student should be able to:

• Describe the concept of evidence-based practice
• Formulate research questions in a PICO format
• Apply the principles of systematic literature searching
• Determine different study designs
• Assess the risk of bias in different study designs
• Explain the core principles of meta-analyses
• Perform an evaluation of the certainty of the estimate of effect
• Identify ethical, organizational and similar issues to be analyzed in an HTA
• Explain different decision-making processes in healthcare

If you pass the examination in this course, you will get an reduction in credits (as stated below), if you previously have passed the following courses:

• HEL-3055 Health technology assessment 10 ects

The course will require students' presence on campus OR online during two teaching periods (times TBD). Attendance during the on-campus or online teaching is mandatory.

The primary method of course instruction is lectures, but there will also be seminars, discussions and practical skill-building exercises. Teaching is in English, but written assignments and exam may be answered in English, Norwegian, Swedish or Danish.

Language of instruction and examination

More info about the coursework requirements

80% attendance on all scheduled lectures, seminars and group work

One home assignment given after first gathering and must be submitted in Canvas

Re-sit examination