Fundación BBVA Workshop: Count models for the analysis of health care use data

Presentation

The Fundación BBVA sponsors once again the workshop preceding the Annual Conference in Health Economics organized by the Asociación de Economía de la Salud (AES), organise the Workshop Modelos de conteo para el análisis de datos de utilización sanitaria (Count models for the analysis of health care use data), to be held in the run-up to the 34th Health Economics Conference. The purpose of the Workshop is to teach participants about count models that can be applied to Health Economics. Both the basic and general features of these models will be covered, as will some of the ways these models may be applied to the specific field of health care use (number of doctor's appointments, hospital stays or pharmacy prescriptions). With this aim, and under the guidance of the Workshop's two speakers, the morning session will consist of an introduction to the most important aspects that characterise this type of model and which cover everything from the existence of asymmetric information in the insurance markets to gender inequalities in the use of health care services, risk adjustments, the impact of incentives on doctors and patients, socio-economic inequalities in health care, etc. The second part of the Workshop will address the different empirical applications of this type of model to the field of Health Economics.

The two speakers, Doctor Teresa Bago d’Uva from the Erasmus University of Rotterdam and Doctor Oscar Lourenço of the University of Coimbra, are internationally renowned researchers with extensive experience in this subject. The Workshop will thus provide an excellent introduction to the theoretical basis of count models and the methodological possibilities as regards their practical application in helping health economists to analyse issues such as health care and medical insurance demand and use.

Decision-making based on evaluation: myth or desideratum? will be the main theme of the 34th Health Economics Conference, to be held in Pamplona from 27 to 30 May 2014. As in previous years, the Conference will be aimed at health economists and a wide range of decision-makers and health professionals with management responsibilities interested in matters relating to quality and information systems, and at all researchers and professionals who aim to apply solid, rigorous methodologies based on efficiency and equity in order to guide decision-making processes.