Applied Econometrics: Health Economics Winter

Semester 2023/24

This course is taught within the Graduate School of Economics, Finance, and Management (GSEFM) of the Universities of Frankfurt, Mainz and Darmstadt. The course takes place in the 2nd half of the winter semester (6 contact hours per week). The first class starts on Friday, Dec. 8th, 9.00 am. In order to receive the course materials that you need to have before the first class, you have to send me an email before December 1st (vanewijk[at]uni-mainz.de)!

Course outline

In each session we will focus on a different topic within the field of Health Economics. I.e. researchers usually try to identify causal relations using non-experimental data and use quasi-experiments & the “econometric toolbox” for solving the causality issue.

Health Economics is one of the central sub fields within the broader domain of Applied Microeconometrics. The course hence has a double focus: A. the methods – students will learn about state-of-the art econometric methods and will learn to critically evaluate research. B. the content – students will get to learn about a number of important topics that are currently at the focus of attention of health economists.

Course set-up

Each session consists of 3 parts:

  1. A short lecture on today’s topic
  2. All students together conduct an in-depth critical analysis of a pre-selected empirical paper: as if they were reviewing for a scientific journal. Much of this takes place in the form of small-group work.
  3. A presentation of another empirical paper by a student. Again, this entails a critical analysis: “as if reviewing for a scientific journal” and should involve interactive discussions with the rest of the class.

Before each class, you have to thoroughly read the pre-selected paper, so that you can participate in the in-class discussions and exercises. This also applies to the first session on Dec. 8th. You will receive details on this once you have sent me your registration email.

Course link (OLAT)