30 minutes

What you can expect to learn (learning outcomes)

This module will teach you to:

• Define economic theory
• Understand what is cost in an economic evaluation
• Differentiate 'up-front' and 'downstream' costs
• Identify factors of resource use relevant to decision making
• Understand the role and relevance of economic evidence in Cochrane Intervention Reviews

Authors, contributors, and how to cite this module

Module 9 has been written and compiled by:

Luke Vale and Patricia Aluko, Health Economics Group, Newcastle University, UK.

Ian Shemilt, University College London, UK.

Dario Sambunjak, Miranda Cumpston and Chris Watts from Cochrane's Learning and Support Department.

A full list of acknowledgements, including our expert advisors from across Cochrane, is available at the end of each module page.

This module should be cited as: Vale L, Aluko P, Shemilt I, Sambunjak D, Cumpston M, Watts C. Module 9: Introduction to health economics. In: Cochrane Interactive Learning: Conducting an intervention review. Cochrane, 2017. Available from https://training.cochrane.org/interactivelearning/module-9-introduction-health-economics.

Staying up to date

This module was last updated in January 2018. The next planned review date is July 2018.

We're pleased to hear your thoughts. If you have any questions, comments or feedback about the content of this module, please contact us.