KEYSTONE / Module 5 / Session 2: Microeconomics for Health

KEYSTONE HPSR Initiative// Module 5: Economic analysis //Session 2: Microeconomics for Health
This is the second video session of Module 5: Economic analysis, of the KEYSTONE Teaching and Learning Resources for Health Policy and Systems Research

Module 5: Economic analysis
An economist’s approach to understanding and studying health systems problems is underpinned by principles of economic reasoning such as: How does one make a rational choice? Is it efficient? Is it equitable? What is the trade-off between efficiency and equity? And is it cost-effective? These principles of reasoning can be applied to a range of questions around the production of health and health services, demand and supply of health services, principal-agent relationships, and incentive mechanisms in health systems. This module outlines the basic concepts of economics (opportunity cost, factors influencing demand and supply of health care, how does market function etc.) stimulates the participants to think about the debates about failure of market in health care and the role of the Government and give an overview about costing of health care programs and role of economic evaluation in health care.

There are 4 videos in this module.

Module 5: Economic analysis

The other modules in this series are:
Module 1: Introducing Health Systems & Health Policy
Module 2: Social justice, equity & gender
Module 3: System complexity
Module 4: Health Policy and Systems Research frameworks
Module 6: Policy analysis
Module 7: Realist evaluation
Module 8: Systems thinking
Module 9: Ethnography
Module 10: Implementation research
Module 11: Participatory action research
Module 12: Knowledge translation
Module 13: Preparing a Research Plan


KEYSTONE is a collective initiative of several Indian health policy and systems research (HPSR) organizations to strengthen national capacity in HPSR towards addressing critical needs of health systems and policy development. KEYSTONE is convened by the Public Health Foundation of India in its role as Nodal Institute of the Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research (AHPSR).

The inaugural KEYSTONE short course was conducted in New Delhi from 23 February – 5 March 2015. In the process of delivering the inaugural course, a suite of teaching and learning materials were developed under Creative Commons license, and are being made available as open access resources. The KEYSTONE teaching and learning resources include 38 videos and 32 slide presentations organized into 13 modules. These materials cover foundational concepts, common approaches used in HPSR, and guidance for preparing a research plan.

These resources were created and are made available through support and funding from the Alliance for Health Policy & Systems Research (AHPSR), WHO for the KEYSTONE initiative.