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Postgraduate Handbook
EXECUTIVE MSc HEALTH ECONOMICS, POLICY AND MANAGEMENT
2017/19
lse.ac.uk/health-policy
December 2017
Dear Health Policy Student,
Welcome to the Department of Health Policy!
We are facing a massively changing landscape interms of health policy and economics: manydeveloped countries are spending more than 10%of GDP on healthcare compared to 7% in thenineties. With the inclusion of good health, andsocioeconomic determinants of health as keyamong the Sustainable Development Goals, wehave seen an increase in the health sector in low-income countries also, funded both by donoragencies and governments. Almost all countriesconsider health as a key policy priority. As a result,spending in low- and middle-income countries hasincreased from 1–2% in the 1980s to 5–7%, andthe health care sector employs more than 10% ofthe overall workforce in most countries. Thelandscape is becoming more complex because ofageing populations, growing health inequalities,increases in non-communicable disease, significanttherapeutic advances, and the digitalisationagenda. Key stakeholders are becoming moreglobal –with multiple players, including substantialfoundations like the Bill and Melinda GatesFoundation or the Clinton Foundation, NGOs likeOxfam or IRC, public-private partnerships such asthe Global Fund, and numerous supranational orintergovernmental agencies such as the G7.
The Department of Health Policy is devoted toexcellence in multidisciplinary teaching across thefull range of health economics and health policy,including the areas of health systems analysis,assessment of health policy reforms, global healthgovernance, health services research, healtheconometrics, microeconomic analysis of healthcare, the analysis of individual health behaviours,the economics of long-term care, pharmaceuticalpolicy and economics, and comparativeeffectiveness and cost-effectiveness of individualtreatments. Our research addresses the publichealth and health care challenges of the 21stcentury, to advance population health bothnationally and internationally.
The Department of Health Policy (formerly part ofthe Department of Social Policy) has one of thelargest global student bodies devoted to the studyof health policy and health economics, and isintent on becoming one of the most highlyregarded health policy and health economics
groups in the UK and Europe. It currently hasapproximately 300 postgraduate students,selected from a pool of top applicants from acrossthe globe. It houses LSE’s four health-relatedresearch centres and programmes: LSE Health, thePersonal Social Services Research Unit (PSSRU atLSE), the National Institute for Health ResearchSchool for Social Care Research (SSCR), and theEuropean Observatory on Health Systems andPolicies, who regularly host a wide variety ofseminars, conferences, and public addresses byleading academics and practitioners.
The Department, as part of the social policy unitof assessment, was ranked as the UK first in the2014 Research Excellence Framework, andregularly returns high teaching scores. With aworld-class faculty, many distinguished visitors,and a lively PhD cohort, we have an extremelystimulating environment for research and learning.
The interdisciplinary nature of health policy meansthat when you graduate you will be equippedwith a broad range of knowledge and skills thatcan be applied in many different settings. Manyhealth policy and health economics alumni applytheir academic training directly, working as policyspecialists in the government, internationalagencies and organisations, NGO and privatesectors. The high-level analytical and research skillsdeveloped by our degree programmes are alsohighly valued by employers as diverse as themedia, management consultancy, teaching andthe development sectors.
You will find LSE to be a vibrant and excitingplace. There is much to enjoy, both academicallyand socially. Being in the centre of the capital city,close to the heart of government and major mediahubs, LSE is uniquely well-placed to act as a hostfor the most distinguished of visitors.
I am sure your time here will be both rewardingand stimulating. Enjoy!
Professor Elias MossialosHead of DepartmentDepartment of Health Policy
1 The School
2 The Essentials
2 Term Dates
2 LSE for You
2 Moodle
2 Email
3 Key School Services
3 Advice, Communications & Operations Team
3 Disability and Well-being Service
3 International Student Immigration Visa Advice Team
3 IT Support
3 Language Support
4 LSE LIFE
4 Library
4 Student Services Centre (SSC)
4 Timetables
5 School-wide Codes and Regulations
5 Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
5 Regulations and Codes of Practice – The Calendar
6 Research Ethics
7 Registration
8 The Department
9 Sources of Information
9 Department Committees and Student Representation
9 Teaching, Supervision, and Support
10 Examination and Assessment
10 Formative Assessment
10 Summative Assessment
11 Purpose of the Dissertation
11 Dissertation Planning
11 Departmental Assessment and Feedback Strategy
13 Marking Framework: MSc Programmes
14 Plagiarism
14 Defining Plagiarism
14 Avoiding Plagiarism
14 Detection of Plagiarism
15 The Programme
16 Programme Dates
16 Introduction
16 Programme Aims and Objectives
17 LSE Health
17 Health Policy
18 Health Economics
19 Programme Regulations and Classification Scheme
21 Provisions for MSc Health Economics, Outcomes andManagement in Cardiovascular Sciences
21 Choosing Your Option Courses
22 Option Courses
22 HP4B1E Pharmaceutical Economics and Policy
22 HP4B2E Health Care Quality Management
22 HP4B4EPrinciples of Evidence-Based Medicine andClinical Trials
23 HP4B3E Measuring Health System Performance
23 HP4D2E Principles of Health Technology Assessment
23 HP4B7E Advanced Health Economics
23 HP4B5E Statistical Methods in Health Care EconomicEvaluation
23 PS437E Behavioural Science for Health
24 Programme Organisation
24 Staff Contact Details
24 Ongoing Programme Communication
25 Dissertation
25 Title and Content
25 Supervision and the Role of the Supervisor
25 The Dissertation Proposal
25 Deadline for Dissertation Submission
26 Dissertation Proposal Form
27 Useful Internet Sites
CONTENTS
THE SCHOOL
LSE FOR YOU
lse.ac.uk/lseforyou
Use your LSE network username andpassword to login.
LSE for You is a personalised web portalwhich gives you access to a range ofservices. Here you can:
View and update your personal details
See your course listings
Reset your Library and networkpasswords
Monitor and pay your tuition feesonline
Check your exam results
You can access an online explainer on howto navigate and personalise LSE for You.
MOODLE
moodle.lse.ac.uk
Use your LSE network username andpassword to login.
Moodle is LSE's Virtual LearningEnvironment (VLE). Moodle is a password-protected web environment that containsa range of teaching resources, activities,assignments, information, and discussionsrelating to your study. The content ofMoodle is the responsibility of yourteacher, and it will likely vary from courseto course.
Moodle can be accessed from anycomputer connected to the internet, on-and off-campus. To access Moodle, visitmoodle.lse.ac.uk and use your LSE usernameand password to log in. This page alsohas links to help and advice on usingMoodle. You will also find links to Moodlefrom a number of web pages includingthe webpage for 'Staff & Students'. If youhave any technical problems withMoodle, you should contact the IThelpdesk [email protected].
The School use your LSE email address tocommunicate with you so you shouldcheck it regularly. Microsoft Outlook isavailable on all student PCs on the LSEnetwork. You can also access e-mail off-campus using webmail and remotedesktop or, on the move using emailclients for laptops and mobile phones. Forinstructions, please visit:lse.ac.uk/itservices/remote.
Should you experience any difficultieswith accessing your email, please use yourpersonal email to [email protected].
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TERM DATES
lse.ac.uk/termdates
Year 1 Michaelmas Term Monday 4 December – Friday 15 December 2017
Year 1 Summer Term Monday 4 June – Friday 15 June 2018
Year 2 Michaelmas Term TBC Monday 3 December – Friday 14 December 2018
Year 2 Summer Term TBC Monday 10 June – Friday 21 June 2019
School closures
Christmas Closure 2017 Thursday 21 December 2017 – Monday 1 January2018
Easter Closure 2018 Thursday 29 March – Wednesday 4 April 2018
May Bank Holiday 2018 Monday 7 May 2018
Spring Bank Holiday 2018 Monday 28 May 2018
Summer Bank Holiday 2018 Monday 27 August 2018
Christmas Closure 2018 Friday 21 December 2018 – Tuesday 1 January 2019
Easter Closure 2019 Thursday 18 April – Wednesday 24 April 2019
May Bank Holiday 2019 Monday 6 May 2019
Spring Bank Holiday 2019 Monday 27 May 2019
Summer Bank Holiday 2019 Monday 26 August 2019
Christmas Closure 2019 Monday 23 December 2019 – Wednesday 1 January2020
THEESSENTIALS
KEY SCHOOLSERVICES ADVICE, COMMUNICATIONS
& OPERATIONS TEAM
The team provides advice to students onacademic matters (particularly aroundnon-progression, interruption andwithdrawals), run the Student Servicescounter, and coordinate Student ServicesCentre communications. Their specificresponsibilities include:
Your main contact for advising on theappropriate School services
Providing one-to-one advice on SchoolRegulations and Codes of Practice
Processing applications to the RepeatTeaching Panel and monitoringattendance
Producing replacement student ID cards
Administering the School's studentconsultative fora and the DepartmentalTutors Forum
Contact the Advice, Communications &Operations team with a general enquiry:
By email: [email protected]
Over the telephone: +44 (0)20 7955 6167
DISABILITY AND WELL-BEING SERVICE
lse.ac.uk/disability
The Disability and Wellbeing Service(DWS) runs free and confidential specialistservices:
The Disability Service, for students withphysical/sensory impairments and thosewith long-term or chronic medicalconditions
The Neurodiversity Service, for studentswith dyslexia, dyspraxia, Aspergersyndrome and other neurodiverseconditions.
The Mental Health and Well-beingService, for students with mental healthconcerns.
The DWS can also set up Inclusion Plans(IPs), outlining reasonable adjustmentssuch as extended library loans, negotiateddeadlines and rest breaks in exams. It runsseveral interest and support groups, forexample the Neurodiversity Interest Groupand the Circles Network. For furtherinformation, please visit the website oremail [email protected].
INTERNATIONAL STUDENTIMMIGRATION VISA ADVICE TEAM
lse.ac.uk/isvat
ISVAT provides detailed immigrationadvice for International Students, in linewith the changing immigration rules. It isvital that you approach ISVAT if you havevisa-related queries. Their online queryform on the ISVAT website lets yououtline your predicament confidentially,and they can then advise you by email. Incomplex cases, ISVAT will make individualappointments.
Please note that your Department is notqualified to provide you with visa advice.
IT SUPPORT
lse.ac.uk/imt
You can find the Student IT Help Deskand Laptop Surgery on the first floor ofthe LSE Library. Please contact the IT HelpDesk ([email protected]) for support forSchool-owned hardware and software onthe LSE network, network and emailaccount issues, and general IT queries.
LANGUAGE SUPPORTENGLISH FOR ACADEMIC PURPOSES
lse.ac.uk/languages
The Language Centre is on hand to giveyou advice and support throughout yourtime at LSE. Please see lse.ac.uk/languagesfor information on the English forAcademic Purposes (EAP) In-sessionalSupport Programme.
3
KEY SCHOOLSERVICES LSE LIFE
lse.ac.uk/lselife
LSE LIFE is the School’s centre foracademic, professional, and personaldevelopment. They can guide you to findyour best way to study and make themost of your time at LSE.
LSE LIFE offers:
Guidance and advice on key study skills:effective reading, academic writing,and critical thinking.
Workshops on skills development,professional advancement andleadership, and balancing work, life,and studies all at once.
A place to meet and work togetherwith your peers on group projects andresearch.
Support in making the transition backto university life.
Advice on working in study groups andon cross-cultural communication andteamwork.
LSE LIFE is located on the ground floor ofthe LSE Library. The LSE LIFE team,together with advisers and specialistsfrom LSE Careers, LSE Library, theLanguage Centre and other parts of theSchool, will be available to answer yourquestions in the first weeks of yourteaching taking place. Reach them [email protected]
LIBRARY
lse.ac.uk/library
Your LSE student card is also your librarycard. Staff at LSE Library are available forany inquiries you may have about usingtheir collections, using electronicresources and accessing journals.
Follow us atwww.twitter.com\LSELibrarywww.facebook.com\LSELibrary
STUDENT SERVICES CENTRE(SSC)
lse.ac.uk/ssc
You will find the Student Services Centreon the ground floor of Old Building. TheCentre provides advice, information, andsignposting on the following services:
Admissions (drop-in service)
Certificates of registration
Course choice and class changes
Examinations and results
Fees – process fee payments anddistribute cheques (drop-in service)
Financial support – advice onscholarships, awards, prizes, emergencyfunding and studentships (drop-inservice)
Information for new arrivals
Programme registration
Graduation ceremonies
Transcripts and degree certificates
Visa and immigration advice (drop-inservice)
The SSC provides a counter service forstudents at the following times:
11am–4pm over the first week on yourtime on campus
You can also contact Student Services bytelephone. Details of who to contact andmore information on advice can be foundon the SSC website.
TIMETABLES
lse.ac.uk/timetables
The Timetables Offices is responsible forscheduling and allocating rooms to all ofthe School’s courses. Teaching begins onMonday 4th December 2017. Thetimetable of your taught courses can beviewed on the Timetables website.
Notification of changes to teachingarrangements is communicated via yourLSE email address.
4
SCHOOL-WIDECODES ANDREGULATIONS
EQUITY, DIVERSITY ANDINCLUSION
lse.ac.uk/equalityanddiversity
To uphold the School’s commitment toequality of respect and opportunity as setout in the Ethics Code, we will treat allpeople with dignity and respect, andensure that no-one will be treated lessfavourably because of their role at theSchool, age, disability, gender (includinggender identity), race, religion or beliefsexual orientation, marriage and civilpartnership, pregnancy and maternity andsocial and economic background.
In practice, this means we expect you to:
Treat all members of the Schoolcommunity fairly and with respect;
Act courageously and openly, withrespect for the knowledge andexperience of others;
Play your part in creating anenvironment that enables all membersof the School community to achievetheir full potential in an environmentcharacterised by equality of respect andopportunity; and
Actively oppose all forms ofdiscrimination and harassment,including challenging and/or reportingunacceptable behaviour.
The School is committed to embeddingand mainstreaming equity, diversity andinclusion. For further advice orinformation, please visit the School’s Equityand Diversity website and follow us onTwitter @EDI_LSE
Access Guides to LSE buildings
lse.ac.uk/DisabledGo
DisabledGo have produced detailedaccess guides to the LSE campus andresidences, and route maps between keylocations.
REGULATIONS AND CODESOF PRACTICE –THE CALENDAR
lse.ac.uk/calendar
General School and ProgrammeRegulations
The School has regulations, policies andprocedures covering many aspects ofstudent life and you should familiariseyourself with them. Some of theregulations explain the organisation andconduct of your academic study. Theseinclude information about the structure ofprogrammes, assessment, graduation andwhat to do if illness affects your studies.
Codes of Good Practice
The Codes of Good Practice explain thebasic obligations and responsibilities ofstaff and students. They set out what youcan expect from your Department – andwhat Departments are expected toprovide – in relation to the teaching andlearning experience. The Codes coverareas like the roles and responsibilities ofAcademic Advisers and DepartmentalTutors; the structure of teaching at theSchool; and examinations andassessment. They also set out yourresponsibilities, i.e. what the Schoolexpects of you.
You can find further details of relevantregulatory documents under the SchoolRegulations. We recommend that you alsoread the School’s Student Charter which setsout the vision and ethos of the School.The Ethics Code highlights the coreprinciples of LSE life.
5
SCHOOL-WIDECODES ANDREGULATIONS
RESEARCH ETHICS
Research is not only integral to the workof academic staff, but many students willundertake a piece of primary research aspart of their dissertation or thesis.Although any particular empiricalinvestigation may be modest in scope, if itinvolves human participants it is essentialthat those conducting the researchconsider and address any ethicalimplications that may arise. All studentsare expected to discuss the ethicalimplications of their research with theirAcademic Adviser. Where appropriate, aresearch ethics checklist and a researchethics review questionnaire should becompleted and submitted to theDepartment.
School Policy
All students who plan to undertakeresearch as part of their programme ofstudy must read the LSE Research EthicsPolicy and discuss any ethical implicationswith their Academic Adviser, beforeundertaking any research. Please considerthe LSE Research Ethics Policy and associatedEthics Review Forms when outlining yourresearch.
Ensuring the ethical propriety of researchis a requirement of all academic staff, andthis is something to which a variety ofbodies concerned with the governanceand funding of research are increasinglyattentive – not only in the UK, but also inmany other countries in which LSE-basedresearchers may seek to conduct theirinvestigations. Certain overseasgovernments have procedures for the
approval of all or any research thatdirectly involves their citizens.
Collaborating agencies may require thatproposed research be independentlyvetted. In such instances the School has aResearch Ethics Committee that may beconsulted. Although it would not usuallyapply to student research projects, thereare certain circumstances in which a pieceof research may have to be subject toprior independent ethical scrutiny andapproval. For example, any research thatinvolves patients of the UK NationalHealth Service must have approval by aLocal Research Ethics Committee.
In addition, the following research wouldalso need ethical approval:
Research involving vulnerable groups;sensitive topics.
Research involving groups wherepermission of a gatekeeper is requiredfor access to members.
Research conducted without fullinformed consent.
Research involving access to records ofconfidential information.
Research which would induceunacceptable psychological stress,anxiety, pain or humiliation.
6
REGISTRATIONProgramme Registration
lse.ac.uk/registration
At the start of your academic study, youwill need to formally register or re-register. Before registration taking place,it is paramount that you complete andsubmit all your outstandingdocumentation. At registration, you willbe asked to provide proof of youreligibility to study in the UK in order toreceive your LSE ID card and be admittedto the teaching session.
Certificate of Registration
lse.ac.uk/certificateofregistration
A certificate of registration provides proofto organisations, such as the HomeOffice, council tax offices and banks, thatyou are registered as a current student atthe School. It details your full name, dateof birth, term time and permanent homeaddresses, student number, the title,subject, start and end dates of yourprogramme, registration status andexpected date of graduation.
Once you are formally registered with theSchool you can print out your certificateinstantly via LSE for You (LFY) under the‘Certification and Documentation option.If you require a certificate withinformation beyond what is on theCertificate of Registration please seelse.ac.uk/registrydocuments.
Interruption / Deferral / Withdrawal /Programme Transfers / Change ofMode of Study
lse.ac.uk/registrationChanges
INTERRUPTION: with approval from yourdepartment you can take a break in yourstudies. Interruptions are one calendaryear long. You are required to return atthe start of the nearest applicableMichaelmas term. Summer terminterruptions are not possible. For moreinformation, please seelse.ac.uk/interruptions.
DEFERRAL: if you complete the teachingyear but have difficulties in the lead up toor during the exam period, then inexceptional circumstances you can seek todefer assessment/s to the followingacademic year. For more information,please see lse.ac.uk/deferrals
7
THE DEPARTMENT
AN OVERVIEWOF YOURDEPARTMENT
SOURCES OF INFORMATION
Department Web Pages
lse.ac.uk/health-policy
Please refer to the Department websitefor staff details, programme and courseinformation, news and events, and linksto other useful sites.
www.facebook.com/DeptofHealthPolicy
https://twitter.com/LSEHealthPolicy
For news and views, follow us on Twittervia @LSEHealthPolicy
Campus Noticeboard
There is a departmental noticeboardlocated in the lobby area on the groundfloor of Cowdray House (COW).
LSE Events
Our world-renowned LSE Public Events arenot to be missed, with past speakersincluding Bill Gates, Nelson Mandela, andthe Dalai Lama. With your executiveschedule focussing on intensivecoursework, you can catch up these withLSE Podcasts. The LSE Students’ Union runsthe LSE Gym, and they offer activities forother interests – from professionalnetworking to wine-tasting.
DEPARTMENT COMMITTEESAND STUDENTREPRESENTATION
Programme Meetings
Each term, a departmental meetingallows staff and students the opportunityto meet and discuss issues relating totheir programme of study as well as widerSchool issues.
Each degree programme holds regularmeetings to discuss and resolveprogramme and course-specific concerns.In addition to course participants, thesemeetings are normally attended by theProgramme Director and the ProgrammeManager and other relevant courseteachers.
TEACHING, SUPERVISION,AND SUPPORT
Teaching
Lectures are an integral part of yourprogramme and will introduce themesand ideas on a particular topic before thecorresponding seminar (postgraduate).Attendance at seminars is compulsory andattendance is recorded.
Academic Adviser
At the start of your degree programme,you will be assigned an Academic Adviserwho is also usually your dissertationsupervisor.
Your Academic Adviser is your tutor andwill guide and assist you in your learningdevelopment, and is also available to helpwith any personal difficulties. When youare on campus, you should makearrangements to see your Adviser and usethe advice and feedback hours to keep intouch with them. Any issues that cannotbe resolved with your Adviser, you maywish to take to your Programme Director.
The Academic Adviser’s responsibilitiesinclude:
Providing academic guidance andfeedback on students’ progress andperformance, and to discuss anyacademic problems they mightexperience.
Providing pastoral support on non-academic issues, and referring studentsto the appropriate support serviceswithin the School.
Implementing the provisions outlined inInclusion Plans (IPs) for disabledstudents, in liaison with the School’sDisability and Wellbeing Service.
Advising on course selection.
Informing the Programme Director andSchool of any student whose progressis not satisfactory.
The Academic Adviser will provideguidance on approach, coverage,questions to be asked, outline structureand research design of the dissertation –however, they are not there to do theresearch for you. The Academic Adviser
9
will provide guidance and feedback basedon student input and discussion. Studentsshould initiate the meetings, and theyshould make the most of those, coveringa range of topics and gettingcomprehensive feedback and advice from.Therefore, it is the student’s responsibilityto submit, with reasonable notice,material that can form the basis ofdiscussions with the Academic Adviser.
Role of the Programme Director
A Programme Director is responsible foreach taught programme. Theresponsibilities of the Programme Directorinclude:
Providing students with detailedinformation about their programme.
Providing a programme induction fornew students, including information onthe selection of options andarrangements for supervision.
Arranging regular termly meetings withstudents.
Providing a direct channel ofcommunication between the Schooland any student who is encounteringacademic or pastoral difficulties.
Agreeing, where appropriate, astudent's request for course choiceoutside the degree regulations.
Agreeing, where appropriate, astudent's request for a degree transfer.
Agreeing, where appropriate, astudent’s request for deferral /interruption.
EXAMINATION ANDASSESSMENT
FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT
Formative (non-assessed) coursework isdesigned to prepare you for thesummative (assessed) work that you willcomplete later in the course. Formativeassessment might include essays, problemsets, presentations, or mockexaminations. The purpose is to provideyou with an opportunity for feedback onyour work. All courses include some kindof formative assessment and you will begiven full information about the requiredpiece(s) of work by the course convenerand/or your Programme Administrator.
SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT
Summative assessment counts towardsyour final degree award. Summativeassessment may take the form of awritten examination, an essay, apresentation or a combination of two orthree of these modes of assessment. Themodes of summative assessment are setout in each course guide and you will begiven full details of your summativeassessment by the relevant ProgrammeAdministrator.
Exceeding the Word Limit
Written work must not exceed the wordlimit. If it is clear that a piece ofcoursework exceeds the set word limit, apenalty mark will be applied. The penaltymark to be deducted will be determinedby the percentage of words over the limit.
Extensions
If you have good cause not to meet asummative assessment deadline becauseof illness/injury, bereavement or otherserious personal circumstances, youshould first discuss the matter with thecourse teacher and seek a formalextension from the Chair of theappropriate Sub-Board of Examiners. Thismust be done as early as possible.
Extensions will be granted only wherethere is good cause backed by supportingevidence (e.g. medical certificate), andwhere the circumstances are unforeseenand out of the student’s control. Allevidence must be in English, oraccompanied by a certified translation.
Exceptional Circumstances
Exceptional circumstances are thosewhich you feel may have had a significantimpact on your academic performanceduring an exam or other summativeassessment. Such circumstances mightinclude, but are not limited to, illness,injury, or bereavement.
If you wish to make the Sub-Board ofExaminers aware of your circumstancesand how these have affected yourperformance, please complete theExceptional Circumstances form (availablefrom the Student Service Centre). Theform should be accompanied supportingevidence of your circumstances (such asdoctor’s letter, hospital note, deathcertificate or police report).
These, and supporting documentationmust be submitted to the StudentServices Centre on the ground floor ofthe Old Building within seven days of yourlast exam or your dissertation/courseworksubmission deadline.
Penalties for the Late Submission ofSummative Coursework
If you fail to submit a piece of summativeassessment by the set deadline (orextended deadline as appropriate), thefollowing penalty will apply:
five marks (out of 100) will be deductedfor coursework submitted within 24hours of the deadline; and
a further five marks will be deductedfor each subsequent 24-hour period(working days only) until thecoursework is submitted;
10
after five working days, coursework willonly be accepted with the permission ofthe Chair of the Sub-Board ofExaminers.
PURPOSE OF THEDISSERTATION
The dissertation is an integral part of thecourse requirements for your programme.The dissertation is your chance to write asubstantial piece of academic work on atopic of interest to you. As such, it is anopportunity to produce a work ofscholarship, using the academic skills thatyou have developed during your course.Regardless of topic, your Dissertation willdemonstrate the following skills:
defining and outlining a topic;
identifying the salient issues;
finding or generating the relevantinformation;
evaluating its reliability and validity;
weighing up the evidence on all sidesof a debate;
arriving at a well-argued conclusion;
organising and presenting the results ofyour work critically, cogently, andcoherently.
DISSERTATION PLANNING
You are encouraged to use initiative toapproach your Academic Adviser as s/hemay not necessarily chase you. AcademicAdvisers are not available to assist withdissertation preparation after the end ofthe Summer Term, and so it is importantthat you plan your time accordingly. Youcan find general guidance about writingyour dissertation on the Department’swebsite.
Preparing a clear dissertation proposal isan essential element of your studies. Youmust complete and submit theDissertation Proposal Form by a deadlineset by your Programme Director. Youshould discuss your proposal with yourAcademic Adviser and in turn, they willprovide feedback on your proposal. Oncethe proposal has been approved, youshould proceed with research and begindrafting your dissertation.
DEPARTMENTAL ASSESSMENT AND FEEDBACK STRATEGY
SECTION 1ASSESSMENT AIMS
Health policy refers to decision, plans, andactions that are undertaken to achievespecific health care goals within a society.An explicit health policy can achieveseveral things: it defines a vision for thefuture which in turn helps to establishtargets and points of reference for theshort and medium term. It outlinespriorities and the expected roles ofdifferent groups; and it builds consensusand informs people.
The Department of Health Policy isdevoted to excellence in multidisciplinaryteaching across the full range of healtheconomics and health policy areas. Ourresearch addresses the public health andhealth care challenges of the 21st century,to advance population health bothnationally and internationally.
Learning outcomes
Upon successful completion of theirstudies, students will be able to:
Analyse important health policy issuesthrough the application of health policyand health economics principles.
Broaden the understanding of policyissues by specialising in economicapproaches and exploringinterdisciplinary topics.
Integrate theory from differentdisciplinary backgrounds into theanalysis of health problems.
Construct persuasive oral and writtenarguments in relation to key issues inthe health policy and health economicsarena.
Conduct and design rigorous researchprojects using a range ofmethodologies and epistemiologies.
Each programme has a set of conceptualcore courses which, in combination withoption courses, ensure the full range oflearning outcomes.
SECTION 2ASSESSMENT PROCESS
The Department provides a combinationof different assessment methods withineach programme. This approach ensuresthat students develop the relevantknowledge and skills, and allows theDepartment to test their learningeffectively.
Formative assessment develops theknowledge and skills that students cometo LSE to acquire. Formative assessment isa compulsory part of every course andincludes: class/seminar discussions andpresentations; essays; problem sets;dissertation proposals and mockexaminations. Formative assessment doesnot count towards the calculation of astudent’s overall degree classification.
Summative assessment tests whetherstudents have acquired the learningoutcomes that are described above. Thisis achieved through a variety of methodsincluding closed-book and take-homeexaminations, presentations, courseworkand dissertations. Summative assessmentcounts towards the calculation of astudent’s overall degree classification.
Marking
A marking framework is used by markersfor all summative and formativeassessment. The relevant framework isincluded in this handbook and is alsoavailable to review on the Department’swebsite.
For the majority of courses, each piece ofsummative work is single marked withmoderation. Each script is marked by afirst marker, and a selection 18 of scriptsis then ‘moderated’ by a second markerto ensure marking standards areconsistent. If the moderator findsinconsistencies, scripts are re-marked.Scripts that are single-marked are alsoreviewed by the External Examiner asdescribed above. Course Convenors willinform students if single marking withmoderation applies to a particular course.
Extremely careful consideration is given toensuring that appropriate methods ofassessment are used on each individualcourse. Once reviewed and approved by
11
the teaching cluster, the proposal isreviewed by the Departmental TeachingCommittee. Once approved, finalconsideration is given by the School’sUndergraduate or Graduate Studies Sub-Committee.
Plagiarism
The Department ensures that the School’srules on plagiarism are clearlycommunicated to all students. Thishandbook clearly sets out the Department’spolicy on plagiarism, signposts students tothe School’s guidance, and providesexamples of what constitutes plagiarismand how to avoid it.
SECTION 3 FEEDBACK
What is feedback?
Feedback is information aboutstudents’ work that they can use tomake improvements.
Feedback is an integral part of theteaching and learning process.
Feedback is a two-way process which ismost effective when students engagewith it fully.
The Department is committed toproviding timely, regular, and constructivefeedback to students and promotes‘feedback literacy’ among all its teachersand students.
We ensure students understand the fullrange of feedback methods andopportunities available to them. Thisencourages them to engage actively withfeedback by learning to recognise whenfeedback is being given, the differentforms it takes, and by understanding howbest to use it.
When and how is feedback given?
All coursework assignments are returnedto students with constructive commentaryand guidance for future progress.Feedback is provided in two main forms:
in writing (normally using a standard formand/or written comments, including aprovisional mark), and verbally (studentsare expected to take notes).
FORMATIVE: Feedback on formative workis normally provided within four term-time weeks of submission. Feedback isprimarily provided on formative work toprepare students for summative work.Assignments are returned to studentswith constructive commentary andguidance for future progress. Students arealso provided with additional feedbackopportunities at Academic Advisermeetings and advice and feedback hours.
SUMMATIVE: Feedback on summativework is normally provided to studentswithin four term-time weeks ofsubmission and, where possible, prior tofuture summative assessment. Along withwritten feedback, a provisional mark isprovided.
Once provisional overall marks for acourse have been confirmed by theExternal Examiner, these marks will bereleased on the School’s provisional resultspage on LSE for You. The period duringwhich this page is available is set by theSchool but it is usually between Augustand October each year.
SECTION 4 COMMUNICATION
Students are informed of the guidelineson assessment and feedback through thefollowing platforms:
This Departmental Assessment Strategydocument is included in eachprogramme handbook.
This document is also readily availablefor download on the Department’swebsite, and is also provided toExternal Examiners.
The main opportunities students have toreceive and discuss feedback are:
tutorial meetings
advice and feedback hours
via LSE email
via Moodle
Students are expected to:
Understand when feedback is beinggiven and what it means.
Ask the person giving feedback forclarification it if is not clear.
Discuss feedback with fellow students –peer review can also be usefulfeedback.
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This is a guide to the principal criteria used for the marking of both assessed and 'formative' written work. The descriptors given aremerely illustrative of the standards that markers apply. Feedback from markers will usually include specific comments under each ofthe four headings below. Overall marks/grades awarded will reflect an overall judgement, based on all four criteria, but willadditionally take account of the extent to which students have substantively answered the question(s) set.
CLASS MARK CRITERIA
STRUCTURE ANDCLARITY OF EXPRESSION
AWARENESS AND USEOF LITERATURE
KNOWLEDGE BASE ANDUNDERSTANDING
ARGUMENT/CRITICAL ANALYSISAND CONCLUSION
Distinction 75+ Exceptionally wellrounded argument;persuasively written
Excellent use ofextensive literaturewell beyond thereading list which isimpressivelyexploited
Excellent understandingand outstandingexposition of relevantissues; impressively wellinformed; insightfulawareness of nuances andcomplexities. No majorroom for improvement,given constraints of essayform
Argument marshalled in anoutstanding manner withexcellent integration oftheory/conceptual framework;searching questioning, unbiasedapproach; unambiguousevidence of original andindependent thought
70–74 Excellent, logicallydeveloped argument;very well written
Very good use ofwide range ofliterature to supportargument/points
Very good understandingand exposition of relevantissues; well informed;good awareness ofnuances and complexities
Well constructed argumentswith appropriate use oftheory/conceptual framework;questioning, unbiased approach;clear evidence of independentthought; good demonstration oforiginality of thought
Merit 65–69 Very well developedargument; wellexpressed
Good use of widerange of literature tosupport arguments
Clear awareness andexposition of relevantissues; some awareness ofnuances and complexitiesbut tendency to simplifymatters
High standard of critical analysiswith appropriate choice and useof theory/conceptual framework;some questioning of literature
60–64 Logically presentedargument; clearlyexpressed
Adequate use ofstandard literature tosupport arguments
Shows awareness of issuesbut lapses into descriptionin places
Appropriate choice and use oftheory/conceptual framework;attempts analysis
Pass 50–59 Poorly developedargument; meaningnot necessarily orentirely clear
Use of narrow rangeof standard literatureto supportarguments
Work showsunderstanding of issue butat superficial level; nomore than expected fromattendance at lectures;some irrelevant material
Weak understanding or use of chosen theory/conceptualframework; too descriptiveand/or analysis too superficial
Fail 40–49 Confusingly structuredand argued; meaningunclear
Relies on superficialrepeat oflecture/seminarnotes
Establishes a few relevantpoints but superficial andconfused; much irrelevantmaterial
No choice or use oftheory/conceptual framework;essay almost wholly descriptive;no grasp of analysis with manyerrors and/or omissions
Bad fail < 40 Lacking structure andmeaningful argument;difficult to understand
No significantreference toliterature
Very little or nounderstanding of theissues raised by the topicor topic misunderstood;content largely irrelevant
No choice or use oftheory/conceptual framework;essay almost wholly descriptive;no grasp of analysis with manyerrors and/or omissions
NOTE: marks < 30 signifies work that is significantly flawed or seriously inadequate; marks < 15 signifies work representing only aminimal or no serious attempt.
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH POLICY
MARKING FRAMEWORK: MSc PROGRAMMES
PLAGIARISMThe School and the Department takeplagiarism very seriously. Please read thisinformation carefully.
it is important that you have read andunderstood these regulations before yousubmit any written work.
It is your responsibility to understand theSchool’s definition of plagiarism, andthese regulations on assessmentmisconduct and plagiarism before yousubmit any written work.
The Regulations on Assessment Offences arereadily available for you to review andconsider. You can find further informationon study skills, citation and referencing on theDepartment’s website.
If you are uncertain about whatconstitutes plagiarism, or need help withcitation and referencing, it is essentialthat you talk to course conveners or yourAcademic Adviser as soon as possible
DEFINING PLAGIARISM
The School regulations state that:
‘All work for classes and seminars as wellas scripts (which include, for example,essays, dissertations and any other work,including computer programs) must bethe student’s own work. Quotations mustbe placed properly within quotationmarks or indented, and must be citedfully. All paraphrased material must beacknowledged. Infringing thisrequirement, whether deliberately or not,or passing off the work of others as thework of the student, whether deliberatelyor not, is plagiarism.’
A series of short quotations from severaldifferent sources, if not clearly identifiedas such, constitutes plagiarism just asmuch as does a single unacknowledgedlong quotation from a single source.
WHAT DOES PLAGIARISMLOOK LIKE?
The most obvious form of plagiarism is touse someone else’s words verbatimwithout any acknowledgmentwhatsoever. However, inadequatereferencing is also considered to beplagiarism. For example, inserting asection of text (of any size) from someoneelse’s work in to your own withoutquotation marks and a page referencewould be plagiarism even if the sourcewere acknowledged. If you useverbatim material from other sourcesit must both be in quotation marksand precisely referenced with pagenumbers.
When the paraphrased or summarisedideas of another author are used, theyshould always be acknowledged,including the source and the author(s), forexample (Smith et al 2015).
SELF-PLAGIARISM
A piece of work may only be submittedfor assessment once. Submitting the samepiece of work twice (or a significant partthereof, as determined by examiners) willbe regarded as an offence of ‘self-plagiarism’ and will be considered underthe School’s Regulations on AssessmentOffences. This includes work by youpreviously submitted at a differentinstitution or a different course at LSE.However, earlier essay work may be usedas an element of a dissertation, providedthat the amount of earlier work used isspecified by the department and the workis properly referenced.
AVOIDING PLAGIARISM
The appropriate citation of sources is animportant tool for scholarly work and theresponsibility for learning the properforms of citation lies with the individualstudent. However, the Department ofSocial Policy and the School do provideresources to assist students.
If you are unclear about plagiarism and/orrequire assistance with the academicreferencing conventions used by theSchool you should seek guidance fromyour Academic Adviser or the Library.Further useful sources of information:plagiarism.org
DETECTION OF PLAGIARISM
Examiners are vigilant for cases ofplagiarism and the School uses plagiarismdetection software to identify plagiarisedtext. Work containing suspectedplagiarism may be referred to anAssessment Misconduct Panel, which mayresult in severe penalties. In a case ofsuspected plagiarism, the Department willact according to the School’s Regulationson Assessment Offences.
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THE PROGRAMMEEXECUTIVE MSc HEALTH ECONOMICS POLICY AND MANAGEMENT
2017/18
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WELCOME FROMTHE PROGRAMMEDIRECTORS
As Programme Directors for theExecutive MSc Health Economics,Policy and Management, we wouldlike to welcome you to the School andoffer our congratulations on yoursuccessful application to join theprogramme. Each year we receivemany applications from all over theworld and we are lucky to be able toselect from an extremely high calibrefield of applicants. You are to becongratulated, therefore, on yoursuccess in being accepted to join theSchool and Department and we verymuch look forward to working withyou over the coming two years.
We are here to provide you with advice and guidance and we will doall we can to make you feel welcomeand settled as soon as possible. Inreturn, we expect you to be fullycommitted and dedicated to yourstudies. LSE sets the highest academicstandards, but we know that you havethe intellectual capacity to meet these.We are aware that postgraduate studyin the UK system may be new to manyof you but we are confident that theprocesses will soon become clear toyou.
We are proud of the multi-disciplinarynature of our Health MSc Programmesand the diverse international mix ofour student intake.
Alistair McGuire, Irene Papanicolas
EXECUTIVE MSc HEALTH ECONOMICS, POLICY ANDMANAGEMENT
INTRODUCTION
The Executive MSc Health Economics,Policy and Management has beenorganised with a core set of compulsoryfirst year modules aimed to equip you inthe basic tenets of each of the threesubjects this MSc programme covers(economics, policy and management).You then will have a module for credit(but which does not include classroomtime) for your dissertation, which will besupervised by your Adviser.
Your choice of course options should bemade following discussions with yourAdviser. Those more inclined to studypolicy might find Measuring HealthSystem Performance of interest– whereasthose wishing to further theirunderstanding in health economics mightwish to take Behavioural Science forHealth and Advanced Health Economics.
Those people that are interested in thestatistics of health technology assessmentmay consider Statistical Methods inHealth Care Economic Evaluation.
Principles of Evidence-Based Medicine andClinical Trials offers a solid grounding forclinical research and clinical trials, whichoften goes hand in hand with economicevaluation.
Pharmaceutical Economics and Policyprovides a mix of the economics andpolicy behind how pharmaceuticalmarkets function. Complemented byHealth Care Negotiations, this wouldequips students with negotiation skills. Inaddition, we offer an option on HealthCare Quality Management.
All of these modules are constructed toexpand your analytical ability andmethodological toolkit for working in thehealth care, pharmaceutical and relatedsectors.
PROGRAMME AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
These programmes are based in theDepartment of Health Policy and offerstudents the opportunity to:
Study in a Department which has beenrecognised for its quality of researchand excellence in teaching.
Study with a highly international anddiverse group of students.
Analyse important health policy issuesthrough the application of policy andeconomic principles.
To broaden understanding of policyissues through courses such asFinancing Health Care and MeasuringHealth System Performance, to gainknowledge about health managementthrough Health Administration andManagement and Health Care QualityManagement, to hone economics skillsthrough courses in Health Economics,Behavioural Science for Health,Pharmaceutical Economics and Policy,Resource Allocation and Cost-effectiveness Analysis and AdvancedHealth Economics, to learn more aboutthe topic of clinical trials and medicalstatistics through Principles of Evidence-Based Medicine and Clinical Trials.
Prepare for a career shift or careeracceleration within and between healthadministration, health management,government departments or agencies,consultancies, internationalorganisations, the commercial healthsector (e.g. pharmaceutical companies,private health insurance industry); aswell as employment in research, orfurther study for a PhD.
PROGRAMME DATES
Teaching session 1: 4–15 December 2017
Teaching session 2: 4–15 June 2018
Teaching session 3: December 2018 (exact dates to be confirmed)
Teaching session 4: June 2019 (exact dates to be confirmed)
Dissertation due: 12pm (midday) 19 November 2019
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LSE HEALTHwww.lse.ac.uk/LSEHealthAndSocialCare/home.aspx
LSE Health is a research centre affiliatedwith LSE’s Department of Health Policy.The Centre’s unique research basecontributes to LSE’s global authority andreputation in health policy, healtheconomics, and demography. Its missionis to advance, transmit and sustainknowledge and understanding, throughthe conduct of research, teaching, andscholarship at the highest internationalstandards, for the benefit of theinternational and national health policycommunity.
Bringing together a core team ofresearchers and academics, LSE Healthpromotes and draws upon themultidisciplinary expertise of 60+ staffmembers, 50 associated academics, and anumber of postgraduate students. LSEHealth staff contribute to a number oftaught courses within LSE, including all ofthe Department of Health Policy’s MScprogrammes. Staff also run short courseson specific aspects of health economicsand health policy.
Funding for research programmes comesfrom a variety of sources, including publicbodies, charitable trusts, and privatecorporations. At present, research isfunded by (among others) the UKEconomic and Social Research Council(ESRC), the Department of Health forEngland, the World Bank, the WorldHealth Organisation, The EuropeanCommission, USAID, the EuropeanParliament, the Commonwealth Fund,and the Wellcome Trust.
LSE Health is a WHO Collaborating Centrefor Health Policy and PharmaceuticalEconomics. It is a founding member ofthe European Observatory on Health CareSystems and Policies, which supports andpromotes evidence-based healthpolicymaking through comprehensive andrigorous analysis of the dynamics ofhealth systems in Europe.
The Observatory is a partnership betweenthe WHO Regional Office for Europe, theGovernments of Belgium, Finland, Ireland,The Netherlands, Norway, Slovenia, Spainand Sweden, Switzerland, and the VenetoRegion of Italy, the EuropeanCommission, the European Investment
Bank, the World Bank, UNCAM (FrenchNational Union of Health InsuranceFunds), the London School of Economicsand Political Science, and the LondonSchool of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.The Observatory publishes Eurohealth, aquarterly periodical which has become aprimary platform for policymakers,academics, and politicians to express theirviews on European and comparativehealth policy developments.
Research
The major research areas within theCentre cover health policy and healtheconomics with substantial overlapbetween these areas – emphasising themultidisciplinary assets of the Centre. LSEHealth staff also collaborate with anumber of other research centres andindividuals, nationally and internationally.Currently there are major collaborations inthe UK with, among others, variouscolleges of the University of London, suchas the London School of Hygiene andTropical Medicine and King’s College, andImperial College. On international level,there are major collaborations withStanford University, and links withnumerous European partners.
HEALTH POLICYThis substantial research area is broadlydefined and has both UK andinternational perspectives. While there isconsiderable overlap between analysis atnational and international levels, theCentre has maintained its high reputationfor feeding research into the policy arena.Many LSE Health staff work oncomparative aspects of health policy,particularly across Europe, reflecting theperspective of the European Observatory'swork. In line with the Centre's aims, thework on health policy has alwaysmaintained high standards of academicrigour while addressing issues of majorpolicy concerns. Current specific areas ofinterest include:
Comparative health policy: This majorresearch area has produced a number ofoutputs comparing, on both descriptiveand analytical levels, various health caresectors. Work has been undertaken onhealth sector reforms across Europe, witha particular focus on the EuropeanUnion's influence on the organisation,financing and delivery of health care.
UK health care financing and equity:A long-term programme of research thatboth documents recent funding issues,and analyses the conceptual argumentsfor public or private financing of healthcare. Work has concentrated on issuesthat have dominated NHS fundingdebates over recent years. The impact ofequity as a policy objective is alsoconsidered. Another particular concernfocuses on the role of private health careinsurance in the UK and its interactionwith the NHS.
International mental health policyand practice: A third area of work aimsat providing a comprehensive synthesisand critical analysis of the current state ofEuropean policy and practice towards thepromotion of good mental health careprovision. Work is also planned on ananalysis of mental health policy indeveloping countries.
Health policy relating topharmaceutical industry: Given thespecific pharmaceutical regulatoryregimes in a number of countries, thisresearch area deals with both comparativeand EU-specific issues.
HEALTH ECONOMICS
Research in this area covers The aim is tomaintain methodological advances whileapplying high quality research to specificissues. Current research interests include:
Economic evaluation in health care: At a conceptual level, specific statisticalapproaches in economic evaluationsconducted alongside clinical trials haveconsidered the impact of censoring andmissing data. Econometric modelling oftrial data is a further interest. Individualprojects have considered themethodological base of economicevaluation. Work is also proceeding onthe relationship between expected utilitytheory and economic evaluation. On theapplied side, work has continued on theimpact of health technology assessmentbodies, such as the UK National Institutefor Health and Care Excellence (NICE), onthe application of economic evaluation,and various individual health caretechnologies have been evaluated.
Pharmaceutical economics: An ongoingresearch programme concerned with theregulation and performance of thepharmaceutical sector. In particular, theimpact of regulation on pricing policieshas been considered in a range ofmarkets. This has been complemented byanalysis of the interaction of branded andgeneric pharmaceutical products and theeffectiveness of regulation in containingpharmaceutical costs and efficientresource allocation.
Health Technology Assessment: This isalso an ongoing research programmefocusing, first, on the role of HTA andassessment of its performance from aninternational and comparativeperspective, and, second, onmethodological advances in the appraisalof new health care technologies,including work on patient relatedoutcomes and how they feed into the EQ-5D, value assessment, HTA of orphandrugs, HTA of medical devices.
The economics of the hospital sector:Work on econometric specification ofhospital cost functions and considerationof optimal reimbursement contracts isbeing undertaken.
Health care workforce concerns: Workcontinues on the supply of labour to thesocial care sector and on the nursinglabour market.
Currently, three educational programmesare developed under the Academy’sumbrella. All are designed as executivestyle courses, allowing to continue full-time work while studying through acombination of focussed in-personmodules and on line teaching andassessment.
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19
PROGRAMME REGULATIONS ANDCLASSIFICATION SCHEME
The MSc Health Economics, Policy andManagement is classified according tothe Scheme for the Award of a Taught MastersDegree for Students Entering In or AfterAcademic Year 2008/09 subject to theprovisions listed below on page 21.
The scheme should be read in conjunctionwith the Regulations for Taught MastersDegrees, the relevant Taught MasterDegree programme regulations, therelevant on-line Taught Masters courseguides and the Code of Good Practice forTaught Masters Programmes: Teaching, Learningand Assessment.
Following are extracts of the classificationscheme. For a full version of the schemeplease ensure that you refer towww.lse.ac.uk/intranet/LSEServices/TQARO/Calendar/SchemeTaughtMasters.pdf.
3 MARK AND GRADE FOR A COURSE
3.1 The examiners for each course will decide a numerical mark for each candidateusing the following scale:
3.2 The grade of Bad Fail will be used internally to indicate when a fail cannot becompensated and, therefore, must be re-attempted. It will not appear on officialtranscripts.
3.3 Unless they receive written instructions from the Examinations Office to do so,e.g. in the case of dyslexic candidates, examiners shall assess work withoutreferring to medical and/or exceptional circumstances. Such circumstances will beconsidered by the Sub-Board of Examiners at the meeting where the award ofdegrees is considered.
4 ELIGIBILITY FOR AWARD OF DEGREE
4.1 In order to be considered for a degree, a candidate must have completed allelements of assessment required for the course as listed in the correspondingprogramme regulations.
4.2 A candidate who is absent for any element of assessment for a course will beconsidered not to have completed the course. Moreover, the absence will countas one of the attempts allowed for the course unless it is authorised by the Chairof the Sub-Board of Examiners responsible for the programme.
4.3 A candidate will not be recommended for the award of a degree if s/he has failedcourses to the value of one or more units, subject to the penalty rules for failedcourses in section 5.2 or, if in the judgement of the examiners, the fail is a directresult of medical and/or exceptional circumstances..
3 CALCULATION OF THE AWARD OF DEGREE
5.1 The Sub-Board of examiners can designate a full-unit course (or equivalent) asbeing critical to assessment for a programme and establish a ‘local rule’ wherebyit will be given special consideration in the awarding of the degree: for example,a degree cannot be awarded unless the designated course has beenpassed or the award classification cannot be higher than the result awarded inthe designated course.
5.2 Where a candidate receives a Fail mark in any course, the following penalty rulesshall apply:
5.2.1 A Bad Fail mark in any course of any unit value will result in an overall Fail for thedegree.
Mark GradeEach Department, Institute andGroup shall specify the value of x as19, 29 or 39 for all its courses, andthis shall be clearly published in theSchool Calendar and indepartmental student handbooks.
[The Bad Fail mark in theDepartment of Health Policy is 39.]
0 – x% Bad Fail
(x+1) – 49% Fail
50 – 59% Pass
60 – 69% Merit
70% and over Distinction
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5.2.2 A Fail (but not a Bad Fail) in a course of 0.5 unit value does not requirecompensation.
5.2.3 A Fail (but not a Bad Fail) in a course(s) to the value of 1.0 unit will result in anoverall Fail unless compensated either: (i) by a mark of at least 60% in: (a) onefull unit course; or (b) each of two half unit courses; or by a compensationaggregate mark of 165 in the non-failed courses. If compensated, a Fail shallresult in a drop in the overall award classification where a Distinction or Meritwould otherwise have been awarded. It shall have no further impact where aPass is to be awarded.
5.2.4 A Department or Institute can apply to the Graduate School Board of Examinersto establish a compensation mark of 55% in respect of 5.2.3 (i) and/or anaggregate mark of 160 in respect of 5.2.3 (ii). Where approved, this shall bepublished in the School Calendar and in programme handbooks.
5.3 The overall classification of an award shall, subject to the penalty rules for failedcourses in section 5.2 above, be calculated as follows:
5.3.1 For a Distinction:
(a) marks of a Distinction grade in courses to the value of 3.0 units or more;
(b) marks of a Distinction grade in courses to the value of 2.5 units and marks of aMerit grade in courses to the value of 1.0 unit
5.3.2 Either a Distinction (if no failed course) or a Merit according to the ‘local rules’ ofthe Sub-Board
(c) marks of a Distinction grade in courses to the value of 2.5 units and a mark of aMerit grade in a course of 0.5 unit value;
(d) marks of a Distinction grade in courses to the value of 2.0 units and marks of aMerit grade in courses to the value of at least 1.0 unit and an overall Distinctionaggregate mark of at least 2602
5.3.3 For a Merit:
(e) marks of a Distinction grade in courses to the value of at least 2.0 units;
(f) marks of a Merit grade (or higher) in courses to the value of 3.0 units or more;
(g) a mark of a Distinction grade in a course of 0.5 unit value and marks of a Meritgrade (or higher) in courses to the value of 2.0 units.
5.3.4 Either a Merit (if no failed course) or a Pass according to the ‘local rules’ of theSub-Board
(h) marks of a Distinction or Merit grade in courses to the value of 2.5 units;
(i) marks of a Distinction grade in courses to the value of 1.0 unit and marks of aMerit grade in courses to the value of 1.0 units
5.3.5 For a Pass
(j) marks of at least a Pass grade in courses to the value of 3.5 units;
(k) marks of at least a Pass grade in courses to the value of 3.0 units withcompensation for the failed course(s) as described under paragraph 5.2.
6 FAILURE TO ACHIEVE AN AWARD OF DEGREE
6.1 If a candidate has not been awarded a degree, s/he shall normally be entitled tore-sit the failed courses only (on one occasion) and at the next normalopportunity. Results obtained at re-sit always supersede any previous attempt.
6.2 If a candidate has met the requirements for the award of a degree having re-satfailed courses, s/he can only be recommended for the award of a Pass degreeunless, in the judgement of the examiners, the initial failure(s) was at least in parta direct result of medical and/or exceptional circumstances
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PROVISIONS FOR EXECUTIVE MSc HEALTH ECONOMICS, POLICY AND MANAGEMENT
This section should be read in conjunctionwith the Scheme for the Award of a TaughtMasters Degree for Students Entering In or AfterAcademic Year 2008/09 listed above on page19 and at www.lse.ac.uk/intranet/LSEServices/TQARO/Calendar/SchemeTaughtMasters.pdf.
The MSc is a two-year part-timeprogramme. It features two intensiveteaching sessions each year. Exams foreach of the modules taught in the firstthree sessions will take place at thebeginning of the next teaching session.Assessment for all courses consists of acombination of unseen examinations,take home examinations and coursework.Students must take total courses to thevalue of 4.5 full units, namely, fourcompulsory half units in Year One, fouroption half units in Year Two, and a halfunit dissertation in Year Two.
CLASSIFICATION
Eight marks count towards classification:the four compulsory courses in Year One,the dissertation, and the best three marksfrom the option courses in Year Two. Thelowest mark of the option courses willautomatically be excluded from the marksthat will count towards the degreeclassification. Any Failed or Bad Failedcourses that count towards classificationwill be treated in accordance withparagraph 5.2 of the ClassificationScheme above. A degree cannot beawarded where a candidate receives aBad Fail mark in any course.
PROGRESSION
Students wishing to defer sitting one ormore examinations must seek permissionaccording to the Regulations for TaughtMasters Degrees no later than eight weeksprior to the exam date except in the caseof unforeseen and exceptionalcircumstances. Students failing one butnot more than one of the fourcompulsory half units in Year One will beable to proceed and take the four optionhalf units and half unit dissertation inYear Two although this fail will counttoward degree classification according tothe Scheme for the Award of a Taught MastersDegree for Students Entering In or After
Academic Year 2008/09 . Students arepermitted to re-sit failed exams in linewith the School’s Regulations for TaughtMasters Degrees.
Students take four compulsory half unitcourses in Year One, options to the valueof two units in Year Two, and adissertation.
CHOOSING YOUR OPTIONCOURSES
You can find detailed information abouteach of the second year option coursesbelow and the School’s calendar,lse.ac.uk/calendar. These options will also bepresented to you by either the coursecoordinators or the Programme Directorsbefore you are asked to make a selection.You will be asked to choose your options
for the June 2018 session in the Spring of2018, for the December 2018 session byFall of 2018, and for the June 2019session by the Spring of 2019. We wouldrecommend that you discuss courseoptions with your Academic Adviser.
The lowest mark from the option courseswill not be included in the degreeclassification mark, unless it is a Bad Fail(see regulations above). It will, however,appear on your transcript. Please alsonote that all course choices are subject toapproval, and that selection of any courseis also dependent on availability andtimetabling constraints.
Paper Course No. Course Title
Year 1
1 HP4A1E Financing Health Care
2 HP4A4E Health Economics
3 HP4A2E Health Administration and Management
4 HP4A3E Resource Allocation and Cost-effectiveness Analysis
Year 2
5 HP4B9E Dissertation in Health Economics, Policy and Management
Option courses to the value of two full units from the following:
December
6HP4B1E Pharmaceutical Economics and Policy or
HP4B2E Health Care Quality Management
7HP4B4E Principles of Evidence-Based Medicine and Clinical Trials or
HP4B3E Measuring Health System Performance (H)
June
8 HP4B5E Statistical Methods in Health Care Economic Evaluation or
PS473E Behavioural Science for Health
9HP4B7E Advanced Health Economics or
HP4D2E Principles of Health Technology Assessment
OPTION COURSES
HP4B1EPHARMACEUTICALECONOMICS AND POLICY
The aim of this course it to introducestudents to the economics ofpharmaceutical markets and relatedpolicies that affect national andinternational markets broadly.
To provide students with anunderstanding of basic features ofpharmaceutical markets and howpharmaceutical markets work and howcompetition manifests itself in differentparts of pharmaceutical markets.
To illustrate to students how thepharmaceutical market is linked to thehealth care market, why it is often thefocus of much regulation, and to helpstudents understand themultidimensional goals ofpharmaceutical policies.
To introduce students to the economicand policy problems encountered inmanaging pharmaceutical markets andhow to evaluate the impact ofalternative policy approaches. Thecourse will also give students someexperience in critically evaluating theimpact of policy on market outcomes.
To facilitate consideration of variouscountry-specific political, cultural andeconomic factors that may drivegovernments’ approaches topharmaceutical regulation. In thiscontext, this course will help studentsconsider the extent to which policiesmay be transferable.
To enable students to analysepharmaceutical markets from theperspectives of several main actors:governments, third party payers, thepharmaceutical industry, doctors,patients, pharmacists and wholesalers.Literature from Health Economics,Industrial Organisation and HealthPolicy will be incorporated into lectures,discussions and seminars.
To introduce students to the economicsof pricing and reimbursingpharmaceutical products, to explore
different models of pricing andreimbursing medicines in OECDcountries, including rate of returnregulation, value-based pricing, cost-plus pricing, external price referencingand internal reference pricing, amongothers.
HP4B2EHEALTH CARE QUALITYMANAGEMENT
An introduction and overview of qualityimprovement methodology as used inhealthcare settings internationally. Thecourse will cover the following areas:
History of quality management. Thecourse will start with an overview of keytheories in quality management such asthose described Taylor, Shewhart, Demingand Juran. An overview and criticalappraisal of quality assurance systemsused in healthcare, such as ISO 9000,Magnet, Baldridge award and differenttypes of healthcare regulation and theirrole in quality improvement. It will alsoinclude a discussion of patient-focusedmeasures of quality such as patient-recorded outcome measures (PROMS).
A critical assessment of the mainstreamschools of thought of quality as part ofthe production process. This will include astudy of the relationship between supplychain procurement management andquality as well as the requirements forgood production models and the critiqueof evidence-based decision-making in theclinical setting
Quantitative methods in qualitymanagement. This course will examine anumber of tools for quality managementpurposes – both how to do them as wellas how they fit into the various schools ofthought on quality management. It willcover statistical process control which is amethod of statistical analysis of timeseries data that is used in qualitymanagement. This method showswhether there is variability in processesand gives the user an ability to bothmeasure improvements and declines inperformance of both processes and
outcomes and to understand whetherprocesses are performing withinacceptable limits. An overview of thequality improvement methodology knownas Design of Experiments will also begiven. The role of case mix adjustment inquality assessment will also be discussed.
Process Mapping. Understanding thevalue and power of mapping processesboth at a systems level and at theindividual process level. They will also begiven an example of a process map froma healthcare environment to work onoptimising.
Theories of capacity and flowmanagement and examples of this in bothin-patient and outpatient settings will bediscussed. This will also include howDRG/HRG payment has a role withinorganisations of capacity management.
A critical overview of Lean, Six Sigma andModel for Improvement. While thesemodels can be useful in healthcaremanagement, these are not deepphilosophies of organisation and many ofthe things which make healthcare unique(e.g. asymmetry of information, difficultyof measuring quality, patient behaviourand societal preferences for fairness) aresometimes not accounted for in thesemodels.
HP4B4EPRINCIPLES OF EVIDENCE-BASED MEDICINE ANDCLINICAL TRIALS
A large amount of medical research isconducted, with variable quality. Also,health claims are frequently reported inthe media, and it can be difficult todetermine which is based on reliableevidence and which is not. It is thereforeessential to be able to interpret studyresults and conclusions appropriately, inorder to change clinical practice ordevelop public health policy. This isachieved by Evidence-Based Medicine.The module will enable students toevaluate risk factors for disease or earlydeath, and methods of disease preventionor treatment.
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The module will provide students withpractical skills in the following key areas:
Understanding the different types ofresearch that can be conducted inhumans and their strengths andlimitations, i.e. observational studiesand a focus on clinical trials.
Familiarity with systematic reviews (i.e.how several studies are combined, andthe importance of looking at theevidence as a whole).
Interpreting research results andconclusions using aspects ofepidemiology and medical statistics,and how to communicate studyfindings.
Reading and understanding publishedjournal articles or pharmaceuticalcompany reports.
Examining the efficacy and safety ofhealth care interventions (an importantpart of a complete health economicevaluation of a clinical trial).
HP4B3EMEASURING HEALTHSYSTEM PERFORMANCE
This course aims to present a frameworkto discuss the opportunities andchallenges with performancemeasurement in health care, examine thevarious dimensions and levels of healthsystem performance, identify themeasurement instruments and analytictools needed, and examine theimplications of these issues for policymakers and regulators. Lectures generallyfocus on measuring health systemperformance in high-income countries butdraw on the experience of other countrieswhere relevant.
After taking this course students areexpected to:
understand the principles of healthsystem performance measurement
appreciate the challenges, approaches,and opportunities in performancemeasurement in four dimensions:population health, patient outcomes,equity, quality and appropriateness ofcare, and productivity
understand the methodological issuesfacing performance measurementrelating to risk adjustment, developingcomposite measures, and measuringattribution and causality
identify key issues relevant to policymakers relating to: developing targetsand reporting on progress to the public,and developing incentives to improveperformance
HP4D2EPRINCIPLES OF HEALTHTECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT
Health Technology Assessment amultidisciplinary process that summarisesinformation about the medical, social,economic, and ethical issues related tothe use of a health technology in asystematic, transparent, unbiased, androbust manner. Health TechnologyAssessment differs in its governance, dataand evidence requirements, assessmentmethods, and operational arrangementsacross different settings and contexts. Thiscourse is aimed at introducing the keyprinciples of Health TechnologyAssessment, its operational modalities,the different models of value assessmentand how they link to decision-making.
HP4B7EADVANCED HEALTHECONOMICS
This course builds on HP420 HealthEconomics and develops the concepts andanalysis of health economics. The courseintroduces the technical literature ofhealth economics by using a topic basedapproach to illustrate how healtheconomists approach significant policyissues.
The course will cover: internationalcomparisons of health care expenditure,health care insurance, contract theoryapplied to the health care sector(including principal-agent theory andincentive payment mechanisms), equity inhealth care, health behaviour and anintroduction to econometric analysisapplied to health care data.
HP4B5ESTATISTICAL METHODS INHEALTH CARE ECONOMICEVALUATION
This course develops the statistical andmodelling techniques necessary to applyeconomic evaluation to the health caresector. It is a complement to SA4E2Resource Allocation and Cost-effectiveness, based on individual patientdata analysis rather than decision analysis.It also complements SA4F2 Principles ofEvidence-Based Medicine and ClinicalTrials as some of the analysis may beapplied directly to clinical trial data.
Introduction to statistical methods, linearregression analysis, logistic regressionanalysis, survival analysis for healthoutcomes, survival analysis for treatmentcosts, economic evaluation and clinicaltrials. Estimation of confidence intervalsfor cost-effectiveness ratios.Transformation of ratios – net benefitapproach. Missing data, parametric andnon-parametric approaches. Presentationof analysis, acceptability curves.
PS437EBEHAVIOURAL SCIENCE FORHEALTH
The course aims to introduce to studentsthe main tools and principles ofbehavioural sciences and the key state-of-the-art applications to health economics,policy, and management. The course isdesigned to enhance students’ abilities toapply rigorously and critically behaviouralscience tools to concrete challenges in thehealth area.
It covers principles of behavioural science;behavioural health economics and policy,and behavioural experiments in health;risk preferences and health; timepreferences and health; social preferencesand health; behavioural principles forinformation policies in health; financialand non-financial incentives in health;nudging behavioural change in health;behavioural spillovers in health;behavioural principles for regulation ofhealth and healthcare.
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PROGRAMME ORGANISATION
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STAFF CONTACT DETAILSThe contact details of the staff most closely involved with the programme are listed below. Staff can, if necessary, be telephoneddirectly by dialling 020 7955 plus their extension number.
Name Role Room Tel Email
Professor Alistair McGuire Programme Director COWJ 4.05 020 7955 6375 [email protected]
Dr Irene Papanicolas Programme Director COW.G.04 020 7955 6472 [email protected]
David Hayward Programme Manager COW.G.06 020 7852 3621 [email protected]
Amy Matrai Programme Administrator COW.G.06 020 7107 5191 [email protected]
ONGOING PROGRAMMECOMMUNICATION
The most efficient method of contactingyou is via email. Readings and lecturenotes, will be posted regularly on theweb-based learning environment Moodle.Once you arrive at LSE, we will contactyou using only your LSE email so it is vitalthat you check this regularly. We will notsend information to you on the emailsyou gave when you applied for theprogramme. You may however wish toset up an auto-forward rule from your LSEaccount to your preferred email account.
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DISSERTATIONStudents should also refer to TheDissertation information in the‘Department’ section of this handbook.
The 5,000 word compulsory dissertationis an integral component of the MScHealth, Economics, Policy andManagement. It is an importantopportunity to study a research questionor policy problem in depth by reviewingthe literature and providing a coherentanalysis. It further gives an understandingof working on a project with specificobjectives and deadlines and also a tasteof academic research should you beinterested in pursuing doctoral studies.
Students normally write up theirdissertation after the final June teachingsession, but please note that you areexpected to start thinking about andresearching your dissertation topic well inadvance of this. The final output will be apiece of work that is written in an articleformat that is suitable for submission to apeer reviewed journal.
TITLE AND CONTENT
You should discuss the topic with yoursupervisor (or another member of theteaching faculty), at the latest by theDecember 2018 teaching session. Beforecommitting yourself to a particularresearch strategy or dissertation format, itis a good idea to consult some of the pastdissertations that are relevant. These willbe made available on the SA4E3 Moodlepage. If you draw on material theycontain, this must be adequatelyreferenced in your script. All studentsshould have agreed a provisional title andsubmitted a dissertation proposal by theend of the December 2018 teachingsession.
SUPERVISION AND THEROLE OF THE SUPERVISOR
The role of the supervisor is to provideguidance and feedback based on studentinput and discussion. The supervisor is notthere to do the research for you. Wesuggest that you begin thinking aboutyour dissertation topic by the June 2018teaching session. Supervision will bebased on three half-hour individualmeetings between student and supervisor.Unless there is an emergency, studentsshould rely on these three meetings andshould therefore make the most of them.
These three meetings should take placeduring the following times – one duringthe June 2018 teaching session, oneduring the December 2018 teachingsession and one during the June 2019teaching session. It is also possible for youto avail of one additional meetingremotely before 7 July 2019. Studentsshould initiate these meetings. Shouldyou for any reason defer your thesis youwill not receive on going supervisionunless there is exceptional circumstances.
Your supervisor can advise you on yourapproach, coverage, questions to beasked, and the outline structure andresearch design of the dissertation. It isthe student’s responsibility to submit tothe supervisor, with reasonable notice,material that can form the basis ofdiscussion in the meetings with thesupervisor. In order to maximise themeetings’ productivity it is also advisablethat you give to your supervisor a list oftopics for discussion (e.g. problems and
questions that you have) one week aheadof the meeting date. In the June 2019meeting, the supervisor will be able tocomment on a 1,000 wordsummary/outline of the dissertation. It isalso important that, following theidentification of a suitable dissertationtopic, all students submit the DissertationProposal Form (see below).
If you do not approach your supervisorhe/she will not chase you – the initiative ison your side. After the end of theSummer Term you are ‘on your own’;academics are expected to spend thesummer vacation on research and writing,as well as attending meetings andconferences and taking holidays, so donot rely on contact with your supervisorafter that date. Even before that datehowever you should not expect yoursupervisor to give meticulous detailedcomments on drafts: the purpose of theDissertation is to give you a chance toshow your capacities to contribute toacademic discussion and debate and itshould be your own effort.
THE DISSERTATIONPROPOSAL
Preparing a clear dissertation proposal isan essential element of undertaking thedissertation. All students must completeand submit the proposal form by the endof the December 2018 teaching session.Your supervisor will only read theproposal once and give comments thatyou should address prior to submission.The form should be submittedelectronically. Once the proposal has beenapproved, the student should be able toproceed on the identified programme ofresearch and writing up.
DEADLINE FORDISSERTATION SUBMISSION
Students must submit TWO final typedand bound copies of the dissertation tothe Programme Administrator on orbefore 19 November 2019 at 12:00pm(midday). You will also be required tosubmit an electronic copy via Moodle.
Please refer to the Examinations andAssessment information in the‘Department’ section of this handbook forthe required submission procedures.
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Academic Year
Name
MSc Programme
Provisional dissertation title
Research objective(s) Please state the central objective(s) of your research and what you intend to achieve.
Researchquestions/hypotheses
Please elaborate on your research objectives by identifying relevant research questions andhypotheses.
Theoretical/conceptualframework and rationaleof your research
Please identify the theoretical/conceptual framework that you will be applying in your research andhow your proposed research contributes to this debate or how it seeks to advance currentunderstanding.
Data and methods Please describe how you intend to research your proposed topic, identifying relevant methods thatwill enable you to achieve your research objective(s). Also describe any sources of data to be used inyour research.
Anticipated problems Please identify any potential problems which you might encounter in undertaking your research,and describe how you plan to overcome these..
Sections/chapter headings Please outline the intended structure of the dissertation, including brief details of the contents ofthe respective sections/chapters.
References Please provide details of literature relevant to your proposed research
See Moodle for a downloadable copy of this form.
DISSERTATION PROPOSAL FORM
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USEFUL INTERNET SITES
British Medical Journal www.bmj.com
Department of Health (England) www.dh.gov.uk
European Centre on Health of Societies in Transition (ECOHOST) www.lshtm.ac.uk/ecohost
European Health Management Association (EHMA) www.ehma.org
European Observatory of Health Care Systems www.euro.who.int/observatory
European Union (EU) www.europa.eu
The Lancet www.lancet.com
MISSOC Information on Social Protection and Health Care Systems inEurope www.ec.europa.eu/missoc
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) www.oecd.org
PUBMED (including Medline) www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi
Standing Committee of the Hospitals of the European Union (HOPE) www.hope.be
World Bank Group www.worldbank.org/
World Health Organisation (WHO) www.who.int/en/
World Health Organisation Regional Office for Europe www.who.dk
