Health Economics Study Materials

These resources were developed while studying health economics and related quantitative modules at postgraduate level. They are independent study materials by Dr. Kushan Liyana Arachchige. They are not official University materials, do not reproduce a University of Kelaniya course handbook, and have not been endorsed by the University or a module lecturer.

Use the pages to understand a method, check a calculation and plan your own work. Do not submit their wording as an assignment answer. Module instructions, learning outcomes and the current assessment brief remain controlling where they differ from this material.

Critical academic writing

Critical writing compares evidence, examines how a conclusion was reached and states what the evidence cannot establish. It does not become critical merely by adding negative language. A useful paragraph normally identifies the claim, evaluates the supporting method or source, considers credible alternatives and then reaches a proportionate conclusion.

The University of Manchester’s Academic Phrasebank provides adaptable language for referring to sources, comparing positions, reporting results and writing cautiously. Its phrases can help organise a sentence, but they cannot supply the underlying analysis.

Plan an assignment from the task

Begin with the assessment question, learning outcomes and marking criteria. Convert each required action—such as describe, calculate, compare, evaluate or recommend—into a section that produces visible evidence for the marker. Allocate words according to the marks and analytical difficulty rather than giving every section the same length.

The assignment-writing study guide uses a cohort-study exercise to demonstrate source selection, a 2×2 table, effect-measure calculations, interpretation and cautious discussion of confounding. It is guidance and a worked illustration, not a downloadable model submission.

Study-material repository

The original study index mapped several modules in the Master of Health Economics and Master of Health Service Management programme context:

• MHEC 51072 / MHSM 51073 — Accounting and Finance for Professionals;
• MMST 51012 / MHSM 51012 / MHEC 51012 — Basic Epidemiology;
• MHEC 51023 / MHSM 51023 — Basic Statistics;
• MHEC 51062 — Econometrics;
• MHEC 51052 / MHSM 51061 — Health Economics;
• MHEC 51042 — Inferential Statistics; and
• MHEC 51032 — Microeconomics.

Only reviewed material with a clear learning purpose is published here. The current set includes:

• basic statistics for health economics and service management;
• probability theory and health-risk reasoning;
• assignment planning with an epidemiology worked example; and
• market structures: monopolistic competition and oligopoly.

The module codes describe the setting in which the notes were developed. They do not make these pages part of an official syllabus. Two unreviewed course PDFs previously considered for migration remain excluded.

Practice structures, not answer templates

A rigid template can conceal weak reasoning. Use a structure that follows the task:

1. define the problem and scope;
2. state the method and assumptions;
3. present the evidence or calculation so another reader can check it;
4. interpret the result in the language supported by the design;
5. discuss uncertainty, limitations and plausible alternatives; and
6. answer the assessment question directly.

Tables, formula layouts and headings may be reused as study aids. The prose, argument and interpretation should be your own. Keep a record of any permitted AI assistance and follow the applicable academic-integrity rules.

Recommended reading

The following list was carried forward from the Health Economics reading record published in January 2026 and checked against publisher or bibliographic records on 14 August 2026. Several books are older editions. They remain useful for foundations or the history of the discipline, but current policy, prices and methods require newer evidence.

Definitions and broad foundations

• Culyer, A. J. (2010). The dictionary of health economics (2nd ed.). Edward Elgar. Publisher DOI record. A reference work for terminology; a third edition was published in 2014.
• Culyer, A. J., & Newhouse, J. P. (Eds.). (2000). Handbook of health economics (Vols. 1A–1B). North-Holland. Volume 1A and Volume 1B. A major survey of theory and empirical work at the time of publication.
• Glied, S., & Smith, P. C. (Eds.). (2011). The Oxford handbook of health economics. Oxford University Press. Oxford Academic record. Useful for connecting economic reasoning with health-system policy.

Health-care markets and institutions

• Feldstein, P. J. (2012). Health care economics (7th ed.). Delmar Cengage Learning. Publisher record. Primarily oriented towards the United States; institutional claims should not be transferred directly to Sri Lanka.
• Jacobs, P. (1991). The economics of health and medical care (3rd ed.). Aspen Publishers. A historical text; use a current source for contemporary health-system arrangements.
• Santerre, R. E., & Neun, S. P. (2010). Health economics: Theories, insights, and industry studies (5th ed.). South-Western Cengage Learning. Useful for introductory market analysis, with much of its institutional detail centred on the United States.

Developing-country health systems and financing

• Mills, A., & Gilson, L. (1988). Health economics for developing countries: A survival kit (HEFP Working Paper 01/88). London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Verified bibliographic record and abstract. Its clear account of resource allocation and financing remains historically useful, although the empirical context is dated.
• Zschock, D. K. (1979). Health care financing in developing countries. American Public Health Association, International Health Programs. A historical financing overview rather than evidence about current systems.

This revision links to publisher or institutional records instead of reproducing third-party copies. It does not include the deferred course PDFs.