Program Description
Applied Health Economics & Outcomes Research (AHEOR)
- is an academic discipline that establishes the efficacy of a product, service, or treatment
- compares its effectiveness to other interventions
- considers its incremental cost efficiency to determine optimal clinical application and overall economic value.
Master's Degree
The Masters of Science (MS) builds upon the foundation concepts presented in the Graduate Certificate and focuses on the advanced application of concepts necessary for the modern practice of AHEOR in research and industry settings. This option contains ten online courses and a capstone project, which is specifically designed to enhance the student’s career trajectory. This option can be completed in two years.
Two track options allow students to focus their studies in AHEOR:
Industry Track
The industry track will prepare students to manage HEOR research in the industry (e.g., Pharma, Insurance, Payers). It will provide students with information on up-to-date HEOR tools, competencies in HEOR analysis and interpretation, as well as applicability and meaningfulness of HEOR evidence. The target audience will include individuals who wish to start a career in the healthcare industry, individuals in industry who want to expand/advance/re-tool their career, individuals in payer/insurance environment who want to learn how HEOR fits in their sector, and individuals in pharmacy space who want to expand/advance/re-tool their career.
Research Track
The research track will prepare students to conduct HEOR research. It will provide students with strong analytical and statistical competencies. The targeted audience will include individuals with a BS who want to perform HEOR research in industry/consulting firm/insurance, and individuals interested in pursuing a PhD program but still undecided.
Learning Goals/Outcomes
The AHEOR program prepares graduates to be successful in the ever-changing healthcare environment driven by data and analytics by preparing them to:
Graduate Certificate
- Compare historical trends to current issues in U.S. healthcare organization, delivery and financing.
- Explore the impact of government policies on health insurance products.
- Examine the strengths and weaknesses of research design and statistical methods in evaluating product or service efficacy.
- Discuss the key concepts and applications of quantitative modeling in economic evaluations in health care.
Master’s Degree (Above Plus)
Apply analytic methods (e.g., burden of illness, evidence evaluation, statistics and research design, financial impact, cost-effectiveness, and decision analysis) to inform resource allocation, relative value assessments, and policy initiatives.
- Interpret and apply conceptual frameworks used in HEOR, such as economic metrics (e.g., cost-effectiveness), quality of life evaluations (e.g., utilities and patient-reported outcomes) and healthcare technology assessment evaluations from an international perspective (e.g., budget impact analysis, guidelines, formularies, and utilization incentives and disincentives).
- Communicate policy implications to various stakeholders and decision-makers that reflect AHEOR concepts and techniques.
- Conduct and manage HEOR projects in real-world healthcare settings
- Assume leadership roles in the decision process regarding the allocation of healthcare resources.
Curriculum: Industry Track, 33 credits
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| AHE 501 | Economics of Health Insurance | 3 |
| AHE 502 | Statistics I | 3 |
| AHE 504 | Economic Modeling I | 3 |
| AHE 505 | Statistics II | 3 |
| AHE 506 | SubjectiveOutcomesHealthEval | 3 |
| AHE 509 | Epi & Evidnc Outcomes Research | 3 |
| AHE 510 | Adv Res Meth for Appl Obs Stud | 3 |
| AHE 512 | Economic Modeling II | 3 |
| AHE 507 | Claims-Based AHEOR | 3 |
| AHE 508 | Intl Health Tech Assessment | 3 |
| AHE 652 | Strat Capstone Portfolio&Pres | 3 |
| Total Credits | 33 | |
Curriculum: Research Track, 33 credits
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Master of Science | ||
| AHE 501 | Economics of Health Insurance | 3 |
| AHE 502 | Statistics I | 3 |
| AHE 504 | Economic Modeling I | 3 |
| AHE 505 | Statistics II | 3 |
| AHE 506 | SubjectiveOutcomesHealthEval | 3 |
| AHE 509 | Epi & Evidnc Outcomes Research | 3 |
| AHE 510 | Adv Res Meth for Appl Obs Stud | 3 |
| AHE 512 | Economic Modeling II | 3 |
| HDS 500 | Fundamentals of Data Wrangling | 3 |
| HDS 502 | Exp Data Ana & Unsprvsd Learn | 3 |
| AHE 651 | Capstone Research Project | 3 |
| Total Credits | 33 | |