Introduction to Health Economics for Health Technology Assessment

Every decision to fund a new medicine or medical device involves trade-offs — between cost and benefit, innovation and affordability, individual need and population impact. Health technology assessment (HTA) is the structured, evidence-based process through which these trade-offs are navigated — and it sits at the centre of some of the most consequential decisions in modern health systems. Whether you are developing a funding submission, advising on policy, or simply want to understand how these high-stakes decisions are made, the ability to engage with HTA evidence and methods is an increasingly essential skill.

This course is run by Melbourne Health Economics within the Centre for Health Policy and provides an introduction to HTA, with a focus on health economics methods.

Through a balanced program of short lectures, real world case studies and practical exercises, participants will develop an understanding of how HTA guides resource allocation decisions for health care in Australia and the Asia Pacific region. The course will showcase variations in HTA processes across the region and explore where the discipline is heading in the future.

Who is this course designed for?

This is an introductory course, designed for policy makers, clinicians, researchers, managers and others working in the health sector with an interest in health technology assessment.

Pre-requisites

No previous knowledge required, but this course is complementary to the Introduction to Cost Effectiveness Analysis in Health and Practical Methods for Health Economic Evaluation courses.

Course outline

The standard course comprises one core module, two electives (participants can choose two from four options) and a concluding panel discussion with Q & A. Participants wishing to engage more deeply in the subject can choose to take all four electives.

Day 1: 13th October 2026 (12pm to 5pm AEDT)

Core Module – Part 1: HTA in Context.

This session introduces participants to what HTA is, how it functions within health systems, and the range of decisions it is used to inform — from early-stage technology development through to pricing, reimbursement, and post-market review. Drawing on comparisons across Australia, New Zealand, and selected Asia-Pacific jurisdictions, participants will explore how HTA systems differ in their scope, governance, and the types of technologies they evaluate.

Core Module – Part 2: The HTA Evidence Base.

This session introduces the main types of health economic methods used in HTA, including cost-effectiveness, cost-utility, and cost-benefit analysis, and explains when and why different approaches are applied. Participants will be introduced to the key concepts that underpin economic evidence in HTA — including quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs), incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs), and cost-effectiveness thresholds — and will work through a practical example to consolidate their understanding.

Elective 1: Patient reported outcomes and utilities

This elective explores how patient reported outcomes and health utility values are generated, validated, and used in economic evaluation — giving participants a clearer understanding of how patient-centred evidence shapes funding recommendations and where its limitations lie.

Day 2: 14th October 2026 (12pm to 3pm AEDT)

Elective 2: Economic evaluation methods for vaccines

This elective introduces the key methods and frameworks used to assess the value of vaccines within HTA processes, with reference to real-world examples from national immunisation programme decisions.

Elective 3: HTA of chronic diseases

This elective examines the methods and considerations specific to evaluating health technologies for chronic conditions, drawing on case examples from areas such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and musculoskeletal disorders.

Day 3: 15th October 2026 (11pm to 2pm AEDT)

Elective 4: HTA of genomics

This module explores the unique methodological and policy questions that arise when applying HTA to genomic technologies, including issues of clinical uncertainty, equity, and value definition.

Concluding Panel discussion: The future of HTA

This interactive session will include a panel discussion of experts, who will explore current controversies and consider future directions for HTA. Participants will have the opportunity to converse with panelists, course tutors and their peers in a Q&A session.