Presentation Description
Jonathan Foo1
Jennifer Cleland2, David A Cook3, You You4 and Stephen Maloney1
1 Monash University
2 Nanyang Technological University
3 Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science
4 Peking University
Jennifer Cleland2, David A Cook3, You You4 and Stephen Maloney1
1 Monash University
2 Nanyang Technological University
3 Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science
4 Peking University
1. Background
In this workshop, we will introduce health professions education researchers and leaders to basic economic concepts and research methodologies.
There are limited resources (e.g. time, staffing, money) for health professional training and assessment. As such, choices must be made between alternative options. An evidence-based approach for allocating resources requires the understanding and application of economic as well as educational concepts. Economic analyses inform implementation, and common uses include: measuring how much an assessment costs and where it might be made more efficient, identifying which assessment alternatives are more cost-effective, and quantifying the economic benefits of educational practices.
2. Why is the topic important for research and practice?
All educators grapple with the problem of implementing programs with finite resources. Economic research provides data to enable best use of available resources, inform balancing the cost of assessment against the value it generates, and support justification of the business case for programs when engaging with educational funders. Content for this workshop will draw on published guidance produced by the facilitator team [1], in particular AMEE Guide 123 [2] and AMEE Guide 139 [3].
3. Workshop format, including participant engagement methods
In this workshop, participants will be supported by facilitators to develop a written outline for their own real or hypothetical economic research study. The format will involve:
- Introduction to economic cost, including common economic questions (didactic).
- Discuss an economic problem (their own, or one of ours) and develop a focused economic research question (think-pair-share).
- Introduction to economic study designs (didactic).
- Identify an economic study design to answer their question (think-pair-share).
- Introduction to methods for measuring costs and outcomes (didactic).
- Develop a plan for measuring costs and outcomes related to their question (active, individual work).
- Discussion of key literature and further readings (handout).
4. Who should participate?
Anyone with an interest in designing “cost conscious” education (i.e. activities that make best use of available resources) should participate. We will assume a basic knowledge of general research methods for education or clinical areas. No prior experience or knowledge of economic research is expected.
Anyone with an interest in designing “cost conscious” education (i.e. activities that make best use of available resources) should participate. We will assume a basic knowledge of general research methods for education or clinical areas. No prior experience or knowledge of economic research is expected.
5. Level of workshop
Beginner to intermediate
6. Workshop outcomes
Upon completion of the workshop, participants will have developed an economic research study outline. Together with supporting resources provided, it is expected that participants will be able to plan and conduct a simple economic analysis, hold informed discussions with economic specialists, and undertake further learning on more advanced economic topics.
References (maximum three)
- 1. Cook, D. A., Stephenson, C. R., Wilkinson, J. M., Maloney, S., Baasch Thomas, B. L., Prokop, L. J., & Foo, J. (2022). Costs and Economic Impacts of Physician Continuous Professional Development: A Systematic Scoping Review. Academic Medicine, 97(1), 152– 161.
- 2. Maloney, S., Cook, D. A., Golub, R., Foo, J., Cleland, J., Rivers, G., Tolsgaard, M. G., Evans, D., Abdalla, M. E., & Walsh, K. (2019). AMEE guide no. 123 – How to read studies of educational costs. Medical Teacher, 41(5), 497-504.
- 3. Foo, J., Cook, D. A., Tolsgaard, M., Rivers, G., Cleland, J., Walsh, K., Abdalla, M. E., You, Y., Ilic, D., Golub, R., Levin, H., & Maloney, S. (2020). How to conduct cost and value analyses in health professions education: AMEE Guide No. 139. Medical Teacher, 43(9), 984- 998.