___ ___ _______________ ________ / / / / / _____________/ / ___ | / / / / / / / / | | _ / / / / / / / / | | |_| / / / / / / / / | | _ / /__________/ / / /______ / /______| | | | / ___________ / / _______/ / ________ | | | / / / / / / / / | | | | / / / / / / / / | | | | / / / / / / / / | | | | / / / / / /_____________ / / | | |_| /__/ /__/ /________________/ /__/ |__| electronic HEALTH ECONOMICS ANALYSIS LETTERS |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ||||||||||| Volume 2, Number 8, August 1997 ||||||||||| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| A publication of the INTERNATIONAL HEALTH ECONOMICS ASSOCIATION (iHEA) **** Back issues of eHEAL are archived on the iHEA WWW homepage at: **** **** . **** EDITORIAL BOARD W. David Bradford, Ph.D. Department of Economics, University of New Hampshire Jim Burgess, Ph.D. Management Science Group, Department of Veterans Affairs NOTES TO CONTRIBUTORS The editors must hear from you so that eHEAL can effectively serve as a medium of communication for iHEA members. We are soliciting contributions from all members who have information relevant to the membership at large. There are a number of specific items we are seeking: * Announcement of job openings; * Announcement of conferences or seminars in health economics; * Calls for papers by journals and book editors; * Announcements of new appointments and promotions; * Articles describing activities or new initiatives at your institution, Center or firm (perhaps describing your departmental or university programs in health economics, discussing new pedagogical tools used in health economics education, describing new governmental policy initiatives or programs, and so forth). Please send any contributions via e-mail to the editors: W. David Bradford or James Burgess . ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ||||||||||||||| Contents for the Issue ||||||||||||||||| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| FEATURE ARTICLES: SPECIAL ISSUE OF ELECTRONIC HEALTH ECONOMICS LETTERS GENERAL ANNOUNCEMENTS EIGHTH PUBLIC HEALTH FORUM: REFORMING HEALTH SECTORS, METHODS FOR THE ECONOMIC EVALUATION OF HEALTH CARE PROGRAMMES: SECOND EDITION SUMMER SCHOOL ON REFORMS AND NEW PRIORITIES IN HEALTH CARE SYSTEM: HOW FAR IS EAST FROM WEST JOBS UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM LONDON HEALTH ECONOMICS CONSORTIUM MONASH UNIVERSITY PARTNERS HEALTH CARE SYSTEM, INC. CONFERENCES 3rd BIENNIAL CONFERENCE ON THE INDUSTRIAL ORGANIZATION OF HEALTH CARE FIFTH EUROPEAN WORKSHOP ON EFFICIENCY AND PRODUCTIVITY ANALYSIS FORTHCOMING ARTICLES ELECTRONIC HEALTH ECONOMICS LETTERS, 1(2), June 1997 ELECTRONIC HEALTH ECONOMICS LETTERS, 1(3), August 1997 JOURNAL OF HEALTH ECONOMICS, Vol. 16, No. 4, August 1997 SUBSCRIPTION AND MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION --------------------------------------------------------------------------- This newsletter is typeset in Courier 10 point font, and reads best that format. If the document is not well-aligned, reset your mail reader to display a non-proportional font (such as Courier). -------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------- FEATURE ARTICLES -------------------------------------------------------------------------- SPECIAL ISSUE OF electronic HEALTH ECONOMICS LETTERS John Wiley and Sons, LTD and the Editors of electronic HEALTH ECONOMICS LETTERS are pleased to announce a Special Issue on THE ECONOMICS OF SUBSTANCE ABUSE, forthcoming in August. This special issue was guest edited by Don Kenkel, of Cornell University, and delves into a variety of important aspects of substance abuse. To quote from the Introduction to the Special Issue, by Don Kenkel: "The letters in this Special Issue show some of the different perspectives that can be taken in an economic analysis of substance abuse. Two of the letters analyze consumer choices. Pacula extends the theory to consider multiple addictive commodities, so that current consumption of one substance can be a gateway to future use of other substances. One implication of her analysis is that higher taxes on alcohol and tobacco may prevent future use of illegal substances. Where Pacula emphasizes complementarities, Ohsfeldt, Boyle and Capilouto explore smokeless tobacco and cigarettes as substitutes that both provide nicotine. They find higher cigarette taxes lead to more use of smokeless tobacco. Looking at these two letters together suggests a complex model of consumer behavior, where addictive substances are sometimes substitutes and sometimes gateways. The other two letters address the consequences of substance use. Mullahy and Sindelar explore a puzzle in previous research: women alcoholics appear to have better labor market outcomes than non-alcoholic women. They find that race and human capital variables play important roles in determining these patterns, which answers some questions but raises new ones. The letter by French and McGeary concerns one endpoint of the consumption of alcohol and illicit drugs -- substance abuse treatment. The framework they describe for estimating the opportunity costs of treating patients in different settings is an important step forward in the economic evaluation of substance abuse interventions." This new peer-reviewed journal is published on the internet as typeset Adobe Acrobat (TM) PDF document, and is distributed to the subscriber list as an attachment to a normal e-mail message. In addition, articles which are published in the journal are also reprinted in HEALTH ECONOMICS (a joint Wiley and Sons journal). Subscriptions to electronic HEALTH ECONOMICS LETTERS are joint with subscriptions to HEALTH ECONOMICS. During the inaugural year of electronic HEALTH ECONOMICS LETTERS, iHEA members are also receiving complimentary copies of the journal, one month after their initial publication. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- ANNOUNCEMENTS -------------------------------------------------------------------------- EIGHTH PUBLIC HEALTH FORUM: REFORMING HEALTH SECTORS, 21-24 APRIL 1998 LONDON SCHOOL OF HYGIENE AND TROPICAL MEDICINE FORUM DIRECTOR: PROFESSOR ANNE MILLS Systematic changes affecting the financing, organisation and scope of health systems are occurring throughout the world, influenced both by local pressures and problems and by global changes in ideologies. These affect thinking about the role of the state in the health system and the ways in which health care should be funded and delivered. There is much that countries can learn from each other, but reform experience often remains undocumented. The aim of the conference is to bring together academics and practitioners from all parts of the world, both rich and poor, and from countries in transition, to share country experiences, review existing knowledge, and identity key unresolved issues, further research needs and how they can be addressed. Topics to be discussed will include: * should the state do less? * can we learn from the UK reforms? * can technical analysis improve reform design and implications? * the needs of the poorest: are they being ignored? * where can the money be found? * public or private: an irrelevant question? * does understanding politics help in implementations? * the future health system: what will it look like? The last half day of the conference will be assigned to a poster session and to brief presentations on topics submitted by participants. Optional sessions before and after the conference will provide the opportunity for participants to update themselves on knowledge in particular fields. Participants from developing countries may be able to obtain sponsorship from organisations supporting health care reforms. For further information please contact: Alice Dickens, Conference Organiser, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London WC1E 7HT, UK. Tel: +44(0)171 927 2314. Fax: +44(0) 171 580 7593. Email: a.dickens@lshtm.ac.uk ----------------------------------------------------- METHODS FOR THE ECONOMIC EVALUATION OF HEALTH CARE PROGRAMMES: SECOND EDITION M F Drummond, B J O'Brien, G L Stoddart, G W Torrance Since its publication in 1987, Methods for the economic evaluation of health care programmes' has become the standard textbook in this field worldwide. Over the past ten years, the field of economic evaluation in health care has expanded considerably, with a rapid rise in the number of published studies, and wider recognition of their use in health care decision-making. Developments in economic evaluation have also led to the publication of several guidelines for study methodology, most recently those proposed by the United States Public Health Services Panel. This new edition of Methods for the economic evaluation of health care programmes' follows the same basic structure as the first edition. The key methodological principles are outlined using a critical appraisal checklist that can be applied to any published study. The methodological features of the basic forms of analysis (cost analysis, cost-effectiveness analysis, cost-utility analysis, and cost-benefit analysis) are then explained in more detail. The book has been greatly revised and enlarged, especially with respect to cost-utility and cost-benefit analysis, where major methodological developments have taken place. New to this edition are chapters on collecting and analysing data, and presenting and using economic evaluation results. The book is published by Oxford University Press (Oxford and New York) ISBN 0 19262774 0 (hardback) ISBN 0 19262773 2 (paperback) ----------------------------------------------------- SUMMER SCHOOL ON REFORMS AND NEW PRIORITIES IN HEALTH CARE SYSTEM: HOW FAR IS EAST FROM WEST, 7 - 13 September 1997 INTER-UNIVERSITY CENTRE DUBROVNIK Don Frana Bulica 4, HR-20000 DUBROVNIK, Croatia Tel. + 385 20 413 626/627, Fax. + 385 20 413 628 IUC PAGE ON INTERNET: http://www.tel.fer.hr/iuc DUBROVNIK PAGE ON INTERNET: http://www.tel.fer.hr/dubrovnik Course Director: soreskov@ andrija.snz.hr; Tel +385 1 276822; Fax +385 1 275 415 Course Directors: Luka Kovacic (Univ. of Zagreb), Elias Mossialos (London School of Economics), Hans-Ulrich Deppe (Johan Wolfgang Goethe - Univ.Frankfurt a.M.), Gerald F. Pyle (The Univ. of North Carolina at Charlotte), Karmela Krleza-Jeric, (KarDoc consulting G.R.I.S.,Univ of Montreal, ) Marc Renaud (Univ. of Montreal), Stjepan Oreskovic (Univ. of Zagreb) Resource Persons: J. LeGrand (London School of Economics), J. Figueras (WHO and London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine), F.Didrichsen (Karolinska Institute Stockholm), G. Walt (London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine), C. Sakellarides (WHO), G. Fattore (Univ. Commerciale Luigi Bocconi) Course Description The aim of the course is to bring together postgraduate students and policy makers from Central and Eastern European countries as well as academics from Europe and North America to discuss and analyse and compare health care reforms and priorities. The summer school will focus on Central and Eastern European developments. Emphasis will be given on the objectives of the reforms, priority setting process, evaluation of different policies and the analysis of outcomes. The summer school will be divided into two parts. The first part will consist of two modules. The first module will focus on theory and practice of health care reforms and systems analysis as well as methods of priority setting in health policy. The second module will focus on specific case studies in different countries with emphasis on the implementation process and the role of different international organisations in policy formation. The second part will be an open workshop where teachers and participants will have the opportunity to discuss and debate alternative methods of financing and providing health services in Eastern Europe and exchange views on what really works in health care reforms. Work Schedule - The course is conducted five days per week, with morning and afternoon sessions. Its pattern will however remain flexible and will be determined by a specific requirement of the course. - The course is offered on the postgraduate level but the participation of any advanced or motivated student is welcomed. - On request the IUC will issue the Certificate of Attendance. The IUC will also provide a special certificate for which, as a rule, the presentation of a paper will have been expected. - The working language of the course will be English. General Information Enquiries about the course and participation should be addressed to the IUC Secretariat or to one of the course directors. Those interested in taking the course are requested to register with the Secretariat or Coordinating Course Director STIPE ORESKOVIC, (name, address, academic standing and - if the applicant is an undergraduate - a recommendation from one of the professors.) The IUC would like to receive such a registration as soon as possible. Two weeks before the start of the course should be regarded as the latest date. Upon arrival in Dubrovnik participants will pay to the IUC a course fee in Croatian kunas equivalent to USD 100 per week. Information on accommodation, travel etc. can be obtained from the IUC Secretariat at the address below. INTER-UNIVERSITY CENTRE Don Frana Bulica 4, HR - 20000 Dubrovnik, Croatia SPECIAL PRICES FOR COURSE ATTENDANTS: HOTEL EXCELSIOR AND HOTEL ARGENTINA - A CATEGORY HOTELS (tel. 385 20 440 555 fax 385 20 432 524) SINGLE bed/breakfast half board $35 US $42 US DOUBLE $30 US $37 US -------------------------------------------------------------------------- JOBS -------------------------------------------------------------------------- UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM The Department of Health Care Organization & Policy in the School of Public Health at the University of Alabama at Birmingham seeks a tenure track Assistant/Associate Professor. The successful candidate should have a Ph.D. or equivalent in the areas of clinical decision making/cost-utility analysis, meta-analysis, biomedical engineering, statistics, or health economics. The candidate should have a strong background in statistics/econometrics and be interested in collaborative research with clinical researchers and health economists. Duties will include teaching two courses per year at the master or doctoral level to students who frequently already hold clinical degrees. Preferred teaching areas include medical decision making, cost- utility analysis and meta-analysis. All faculty are expected to seek funded research, especially in collaboration with clinicians on campus. The University of Alabama at Birmingham is an urban Carnegie Research I University. The School of Public Health is one of six schools in the academic health center. Established only 18 years ago, the school ranks second in the amount of extramural funding among schools in the health center. The School of Public Health educates individuals for careers with public health agencies, industry, policy analysis organizations and health providers. The Department offers the Master of Public Health degree, and joint degrees with the Schools of Business, Health Related Professions, Public Administration and the Cumberland School of Law. Applicants should send a curriculum vitae, examples of published works, and names of references to: Dr. Stephen Mennemeyer , School of Public Health B23 MJH, 1825 University Blvd., University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham AL 35294-2010, USA; E-mail: recruit@hcop.soph.uab.edu; telephone: (205) 975-8965; FAX (205) 934-3347. UAB is an equal employment opportunity employer. ----------------------------------------------------- LONDON HEALTH ECONOMICS CONSORTIUM London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Health Economist; Attractive salary depending upon experience (non academic salary scale). Based in Bloomsbury, Central London LHEC is a consultancy and contract research company owned by the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. We have a wide portfolio of work in the South of England and overseas. This includes: ™ The evaluation of new models of care ™ Developing ideas on the future of secondary and tertiary care ™ Major strategic change programmes for health care systems in the UK and overseas ™ Work on technical assistance projects for the World Bank, DFID and other agencies We have an opening for a health economist to work on a number of projects including the evaluation of a minor injuries unit and a project looking at alternatives to admission in London and Wales. There would also be opportunities to undertake some overseas work on short term projects. LHEC is committed to developing staff by giving them a wide range of responsibility for their own projects as soon as individuals feel able and this post provides a real opportunity for rapid learning and skills development. Some knowledge of the NHS would an advantage. If you would like to discuss this post Nigel Edwards, Director LHEC, can be contacted on 0171 580 9798. The appointment would be for 1 year in the first instance. Closing date 18 August 1997. Successful candidates would be expected to start in early September. ----------------------------------------------------- MONASH UNIVERSITY Opportunity in Health Economics Senior Research Fellow / Research Fellow The Pharmaceutical group in the Health Economics Unit at Monash University, Melbourne, is looking for an economics graduate with some experience of research within academia, industry, or Government. The health care sector represents an unmatched opportunity for applied economic research. Both government and industry in Australia have recognised the need for economic analysis in this area, and have funded research and training programmes. The appointee would work in a team involved in research and teaching the economics of pharmaceuticals. They would report to the Manager of the Pharmacoeconomics group and their main responsibility would be in the economics of drugs and the management and development of a number of contract and grant funded projects. They will also be involved in the development and teaching of a Graduate Certificate of Pharmacoeconomics by distance education. The appointment is full time for one year initially. The person should have an interest and ability to apply economic theory to the analysis of the health care sector in general and the pharmaceutical industry in particular. Experience within the health industry would be an advantage. The ideal applicant would have an economics degree and a postgraduate qualification in economics of health science, however, individuals with experience of economic analysis in other areas are encouraged to apply. Salary Range: $43,042 - $51,113 p.a. Research Fellow Level B $52,726 - $60,797 p.a. Senior Research Fellow Appointment will be made at a level appropriate to the successful applicant's qualifications and experience and in accordance with academic award classification standards for each level. Enquiries: Mr. A Harris Telephone +61 3 9496 4409. For a position description Tel +61 3 9496 4409, Fax +61 3 9496 4489/4424 or email to Pharm@vaxc.cc.monash.edu.au. Applications, curriculum vitae and the names of 3 referees to Mr. A Harris, CHPE, P O Box 477, Heidelberg West 3081, Australia. ----------------------------------------------------- PARTNERS HEALTH CARE SYSTEM, INC. Partners HealthCare System, Inc. is the corporation overseeing the affiliation of The Brigham and Women's Hospital and The Massachusetts General Hospital. Partners is developing an integrated healthcare delivery system throughout the region that offers patients a continuum of coordinated high-quality care. The system includes primary care physicians and specialists, community hospitals, the two founding academic medical centers, and other health-related entities. Officially incorporated in March 1994, Partners HealthCare System united two of Boston's largest and most prestigious academic medical centers - Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) and Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) which itself comprised the General Hospital, McLean Hospital, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, and the Institute of Health Professions. The system brought together more than 18,000 staff and employees, operating budgets in excess of $1.6 billion, 2,300 hospital beds, more than 80,000 annual inpatient admissions, and 1.2 million outpatient visits. In 1996, Partners extended its reach in an affiliation with The North Shore Medical Center which joined as a full partner and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute which joined the system in an adult cancer care joint venture. The North Shore Medical Center includes Salem Hospital, North Shore Children's Hospital, and Shaughnessy-Kaplan Rehabilitation Hospital with a total of 510 hospital beds, 3,600 staff and employees, 20,000 admissions, and 400,000 outpatient visits. Partners Community HealthCare, Inc. (PCHI) was formed in 1994 as Partners' integrated network arm, and is responsible for negotiating affiliations with community care providers; providing comprehensive medical services for 250,000 "covered lives" ; and functioning as the primary interface with the region's managed care plans. As of March 1997, 765 primary care physicians had joined the network. Mission Partners is committed to serve the community. We are dedicated to enhancing patient care, teaching and research, and to taking a leadership role as an integrated health care system. We recognize that increasing value and continuously improving quality are essential to maintaining excellence. True to our heritage, we seek to attract the best people and to be an international leader in fulfilling our missions. Corporate Finance is now seeking additional health care finance talent to meet the growing needs for sophisticated analytic and strategic support for Partners as a whole, and to provide consistently excellent financial services to Partners operating entities. The Management and Budget function of Partners HealthCare System serves a key strategic, business and policy role. By managing the budgetary processes and providing business expertise and analytical capabilities, Management and Budget contributes to work at all levels of the organization - corporate as well as operating-entity specific. Project Manager, Division of Management & Budget (3) Provides a wide range of sophisticated project management skills and expert financial analytic support to operating and support units within the Partners HealthCare System. Works with teams and managers across Partners entities to provide business and strategic analysis. Examples of project areas might include: Operations Analysis, Corporate Compliance, Policies and Procedures, Mental Health and Cost Reduction and Value Enhancement. Position reports to the Director of Management & Budget. Senior Business Analyst, Division of Management & Budget (4) Provides high-level and in-depth business, strategic, policy and budgetary analysis. Works closely with management and others in the Management and Budget area and independently with operating and senior managers within Partners. Develops expertise in a particular line of business or lines of business or coordinates the budget processes across lines of business. Functions as an integral member of all teams or efforts focussed on this area of expertise. The position requires independent decision making and ongoing consultation with senior managers across the Partners System. May supervise other analysts or function as a team leader, as required. Senior Strategic Analyst, Division of Financial Planning & Analysis (4) Serves as a "thought leader" for Partners in the area of business strategy and long-term planning. Performs the functions that would be provided from an in-house "think tank," typically bringing masters or doctoral level analytical skills to bear. Utilizes a solid understanding of healthcare economic incentives and forms of reimbursement, strategic planning and data analysis. Analyzes and makes recommendations regarding significant long-term investments. Writes and evaluates business plans. Senior Manager, Division of Managed Care Finance (2) Provides strategic and general direction to managers, analytic staff and consultants in connection with managed care financial planning and contracting support for a wide variety of services provided by the Partners system. Reports directly to the Director of Managed Care Finance and serves as a principal advisor to her; oversees managers and staff in the areas of Revenue Strategy, Revenue Operations, and Acute Care Services. Called upon to brief and advise Partners senior management on strategy, financial, and policy issues in managed care finance. Coordinates planning and resource deployment for large, complex managed care finance projects. Senior liaison with relevant external parties, ensuring excellent market awareness, coordinated strategy and good will. Manager, Division of Managed Care Finance (1) Coordinates and directs financial and risk analysis, and contract support related to managed care, from a strategic perspective, for non-acute mental health and rehabilitation entities within the Partners System. Responsible to the Director of Managed Care Finance and, as required, to senior Partners management, for overall approach and policy related to financial strategy and pricing for existing and new mental health and rehabilitation services. Assists in building a competitive database for use in net revenue comparisons and as a basis for pricing recommendations. Key team member on most projects associated with specialty contracting, working with other finance and operations staff. Assists in negotiations with payors, and serves as a liaison with other health care systems and public officials, ensuring access to timely market intelligence. Manages senior analysts, analysts and consultants. Corporate Managed Care Finance Analyst, Division of Managed Care Finance (4) Several opportunities exist at both senior and junior levels to analyze financial, risk and policy aspects of contracts with all managed care payors (including public payors) to support contract negotiations and reporting of performance. Managed Care Finance Analysts will develop and work with computer models analyzing large medical claims and billing data sets, using Access, SAS and other database software programs. They will also lend expertise by participating on large projects with staff. To apply for any of the above listed positions, please fax or mail resume along with cover letter and salary history to: F. Jay Hall Isaacson, Miller/Partners 334 Boylston St., Suite 500 Boston MA 02116-3805 Phone: (617) 262-6500 or Fax: (617) 262-6509 -------------------------------------------------------------------------- CONFERENCES -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3rd BIENNIAL CONFERENCE ON THE INDUSTRIAL ORGANIZATION OF HEALTH CARE sponsored by The Management Science Group, Department of Veterans Affairs and The Industry Studies Program, Department of Economics, Boston University The goal of the conference is to strengthen the link between the methods of industrial organization and the issues and data from the health industry. Accordingly, conference papers on theoretical and empirical aspects of the health industry from researchers in health economics and industrial organization are included. Attendance at the conference is by invitation only. PLACE AND DATE: Hawthorne Hotel, Salem, Massachusetts, September 18-20, 1997. PRELIMINARY CONFERENCE PROGRAM (Presenters only, not co-authors) Full program will be provided in a future eHEAL issue Laurence Baker, The Effect of Managed Care on Health Care Providers: Evidence From Mammography Martin Chalkley, Contracts in the National Health Service: An Empirical Study Martin Gaynor, Is Competition (2nd) Best in Health Care? Ching-to Albert Ma, Optimal Health Insurance David Sappington, Cream-Skimming, Cost Sharing, and Subjective Risk Adjusting in the Health Care Industry Carol Simon, Determinants of Managed Care Penetration Scott Stern, The Empirical Implications of Physician Authority in Pharmaceutical Decisions Robert Town, Hospital Competition in HMO Networks: An Empirical Analysis of Hospital Pricing Behavior William B. Vogt, Detecting Strategic Behavior in Technology Adoption: The Example of Magnetic Resonance Imaging Papers will be available FOLLOWING the conference from the Management Science Group. For requests for individual papers or the whole package, please contact Jim Burgess by E-Mail at burgess@world.std.com or Susan Petrowski at (617) 687-2589 (FAX: (617) 687-2376) and by mail: Management Science Group (518/MSG), 200 Springs Road, Bedford, MA 01730, USA. Researchers in this area also should be aware of the Special Issue with selected papers from the 2nd Biennial Conference on the Industrial Organization of Health Care in the Spring 1997 (Vol. 6, No. 1) issue of the "Journal of Economics and Management Strategy" including papers by Gal-Or; Gowrisankaran & Town; Frank & Salkever; McClellan; Encinosa & Sappington; Scott Morton; and Che & Gale. Full paper abstracts and titles can be found on the MIT Press Website at: http://www-mitpress.mit.edu/journal-issue-abstracts.tcl /?issn=10586407&volume=6&issue=1 all on one line. ----------------------------------------------------- FIFTH EUROPEAN WORKSHOP ON EFFICIENCY AND PRODUCTIVITY ANALYSIS Copenhagen, October 9-11, 1997 The first four European Workshops on Efficiency and Productivity Analysis were all organized by Professor Henry Tulkens and held at CORE, Universite Catholique de Louvain, Belgium. This, the fifth workshop, is organized by Professor Peter Bogetoft and takes place in Copenhagen, Denmark. The workshop is intended to alternate, annually, with the North American Georgia Productivity Workshop organized by Professor C.A.Knox Lovell. The workshop will share many of the features that have proved effective in all the previous workshops, including invited as well as contributed papers, sessions with and without discussants, sessions emphasizing new theoretical themes, and sessions reporting on novel practical applications. Theoretical and empirical contributions to the analysis of production, productive efficiency and productivity growth are solicited, and contributions from economics, management science/OR and related fields are welcomed. The Health Economics Session for the Workshop includes: Chairman and Discussant: Niels Christian Petersen 1.MEASUREMENT OF OUTPUT AND PRODUCTIVITY IN CATARACT SURGERY P. Roos 2.HAS THE DRG SYSTEM REALLY INFLUENCED ON HOSPITAL PRODUCTIVITY GROWTH IN PORTUGAL? AN EMPIRICAL ANALYSIS USING PARAMETRIC AND NON-PARAMETRIC METHODS. C. E. Dismuke V. Sena 3.COMPARING TEACHING AND NON-TEACHING HOSPITALS: A FRONTIER APPROACH S. Grosskopf D. Margaritis V. Valdmanis 4.MEASURING PRODUCTIVE PERFORMANCE OF HEALTH CARE SERVICES: A REVIEW OF METHODOLOGIES AND STUDIES B. Hollingsworth N. Maniadakis 5.THE PERFORMANCE OF SURGERY UNITS IN FRENCH HOSPITALS: EFFICIENCY AND CAPACITY UTILISATION EXPLAINED. B. Dervaux G. Escano K. Kerstens H. Leleu B. Vincke A small registration fee will be required to cover (part of) the cost of meals and receptions and the preparation of workshop material. The registration fee, however, is waived for program participants although they will be responsible for their own transportation and lodging arrangements. Furthermore, an effort will be made to provide some (limited) financial support to Ph.D. students and other young academics. Please contact the organizers for further information. Lodging will be organized at hotels in central Copenhagen and close to the campus of The Royal Agricultural University. Additional information can be obtained from the workshop coordinator, Peter Bogetoft, from the assistant coordinator, Mette Asmild, at Phone (+45) 35282316, Fax (+45) 35282295, E-mail: mea@kvl.dk, or from the workshop homepage at http://www.flec.kvl.dk/productivity. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- FORTHCOMING ARTICLES -------------------------------------------------------------------------- ELECTRONIC HEALTH ECONOMICS LETTERS, 1(2), June 1997 Values and Preferences are not Necessarily the Same Alan Shiell, Penelope Hawe, Janelle Seymour Cluster Effects and Simultaneity in Multilevel Models Richard Blundell, Frank Windmeijer Adjusting for Bias in C/E Ratio Estimates Aaron Stinnett Prescribing Cost Savings by GP Fundholders: Long-Term or Short-Term? David K. Whynes, Tara Heron, Anthony J. Avery ----------------------------------------------------- ELECTRONIC HEALTH ECONOMICS LETTERS, 1(3), August 1997 SPECIAL ISSUE ON THE ECONOMICS OF SUBSTANCE ABUSE Don Kenkel, Guest Editor Introduction to the Special Issue on the Economics of Substance Abuse Don Kenkel The Economic Modeling of the Gateway Effect Rosalie Liccardo Pacula The Effects of Tobacco Excise Taxes on the Use of Smokeless Tobacco Products in the US Robert Ohsfeldt, Raymond G. Boyles, Eli Capilouto Women and Work: Tipplers and Teetotalers John Mullahy, Jody L. Sindelar Estimating the Economic Cost of Substance Abuse Treatment Michael T. French, Kerry Anne McGeary ----------------------------------------------------- JOURNAL OF HEALTH ECONOMICS, Vol. 16, No. 4, August 1997 The effect of a private sector on the waiting time in a national health service Tor Iversen Altruism or moral hazard: The impact of hospital uncompensated care pools Darrell J. Gaskin Hospital-insurer bargaining: An empirical investigation of appendectomy pricing John M. Brooks, Avi Dor, Herbert S. Wong Genetic information and investment in human capital Hakan J. Holm The effect of HMOs on fee-for-service health care expenditures: Evidence from Medicare Laurence C. Baker Too many for too few? Efficiency among dentists working in private practice in Norway Jostein Grytten, Dag Morten Dalen -------------------------------------------------------------------------- SUBSCRIPTION AND MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION -------------------------------------------------------------------------- A subscription to eHEAL is included as a benefit of membership in iHEA. Non-member subscriptions are not availible at this time. iHEA has been formed to increase communication among health economists, foster a higher standard of debate in the application of economics to health and health care systems, and assist young researchers at the start of their careers. Activities of the association include: Present the annual "Kenneth J. Arrow Award for Best Paper in Health Economics." Hold international conferences every three years. The inaugural conference was held on May 19-23, 1996 in Vancouver, B.C. The next conference will be held June 7-11, 1999 in Rotterdam. Assist in the distribution of Journal of Health Economics and Health Economics, and provide both publications at discounts to members (currently $50). Publish a monthly electronic newsletter, eHEAL (electronic Health Economics Analysis Letters) listing upcoming meetings, recent paper presentations, jobs, and professional commentary. Publish a biannual newsletter, HEAL (Health Economics Analysis Letters), listing upcoming meetings, recent paper presentations, jobs, and professional commentary. Publish a series of books in health economics and a World Directory of Health Economists listing individuals and organizations. Provide an electronic journal with internet dissemination and peer- review of economic studies of institutions, effectiveness, technology and pharmaceuticals around the world. The association will be involved in organizing other conferences and sessions at affiliated meetings, obtaining peer- reviewers for journals and grands, and similar professional activities. The founding officers are: Director, Thomas Getzen, Temple University; President, Joseph Newhouse, Harvard University; Vice-President: Alan Maynard, University of York; Vice-President, Mark Pauly, University of Pennsylvania; Secretary, Charles Hall, Temple University; Program Chair, Morris Barer, University of British Columbia; Treasurer, Michael Morrisey, University of Alabama- Birmingham; Associate Director, Karen Shirley. Other sponsoring universities and organizations include Abt Associates, the American Medical Association, Canegie Mellon University, the Danish Hospital Institute, John Hopkins University, University of Michigan, RAND Corporation, Rutgers University, VA Management Science Group, Mustard Seed Inc., and U.S. Healthcare Corporation. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- cut cut cut cut cut cut cut cut cut cut cut cut cut cut cut cut cut cut cut --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Application for Membership and listing in World Directory of Health Economists (to be published 1996) Fill in the requested fields and return via e-mail to Thomas Getzen at 'getzen@astro.ocis.temple.edu'. Name: Position and Organization: Other Affiliation(s): Complete Address (as it should appear in the iHEA directory): Telephone: 2nd Telephone (optional): Fax: (Country code, area code then local number) Internet e-Mail address: List up to 8 keywords indicating your primary interests (e.g., Primary Care-Contracting, CEA of Heart Surgery, etc). Keywords: Comment on information provided if necessary: __________________________________________________________________________ NOTE: iHEA does not encourage members to send their credit card numbers via e-mail. Internet communications are not secure at this point in time. Please indicate the amount and type of charges below and mail or fax your payment separately. Amount charged: : ($35) 1997 Membership in iHEA including subscription to HEAL print newsletter, eHEAL electronic newsletter and listing in directory. (You must join as a member to receive discounted subscription rates. 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