Economic Modelling and Evaluation in Health Care

Daiga Behmane

The main aim of the project was to increase knowledge and competences of Baltic sea region health care management professionals in the field of economic modelling. This aim could be achieved.

Healthcare is one of the most important sectors. In addition to the medical treatment of patients, economic aspects also play an increasingly important role. Thus, the institutions and actors are exposed to a constant change in the legal, financial and socio-economic conditions. In particular, demographic change poses major challenges to those involved, especially in rural areas. The development of suitable, sustainable concepts to ensure high quality healthcare in the future also represents an outstanding and important task. With the help of the ISSR 2020 and the support of the Hochschulkontor, the aforementioned aims could be achieved and this is a major outcome of the ISSR 2020 project.

Developing suitable economic modelling concepts requires a fundamental understanding of the respective issues, which can be conveyed in an international setting studies with the involvement of high level tutors and experts of the field. Insight and practical application of modelling techniques can be used for simulations and generate a positive effect in the field of health care. Topics such as process management, process modelling and optimization cover a variety of possible fields of application for modelling in the health care sector.

These topics were discussed during the International Summer School „Economic Modelling and Evaluation in Health Care“ organized within the framework of the project, giving a comprehensive insight into the current German and international teaching and research practice and enabling further education and cooperation between project partners.

1. Preparatory Online-Workshop in August 2020 (Online Workshop using Microsoft Teams, Riga Stradins University, Apollon University of Applied Sciences Bremen, University of Greifswald, University of Wuppertal, University of Exeter Medical School, Vademecon, Greven)
2. Organizing of the International summer school on “Economic Modelling and Evaluation in Health Care” online, using Zoom and on-site at Riga Stradiņš University.
3.  Development of study material and lecture presentations available on the e-study system of Riga Stradiņš university.

Conference “Economic Modelling in Healthcare” from September 14th to 18th 2020 in Riga (Riga Stradins University)

• Lectures: Daiga Behmane, Prof. Dr. Martin Pitt (Online from UK), Prof. Dr. Olav Goetz, Prof. Dr. Sebastian Rachuber, Dr. Sven Lueke (Online from Germany), Prof.Dr. Steffen Flessa (Online from Germany)
• Workshops: Prof. Dr. Martin Pitt (Online from UK), Prof. Dr. Olav Goetz, Prof. Dr. Sebastian Rachuber, Dr. Sven Lueke (Online from Germany), Dr. Olga Rajevska)
• Panel Discussion (Prof. Dr. Martin Pitt, Prof. Dr. Olav Goetz, Prof. Dr. Sebastian Rachuber, Dr. Sven Lueke (Online from Germany)

Direct: Direct target group are university students from Latvia, Germany, UK

• students from the fields of health management, health economics, public health and medicine as well as economics;
• medical and nursing staff;
• researchers and academic staff of the project universities.

Indirect:

Society in general. Potential circle of the target group is very large: all health care receivers (1,9 mln in Latvia) by obtaining suitable competencies e.g., data analysis, modelling and simulation society generally benefits from more targeted and cost-effective use of scarce public resources.

• Public institutions. Ministry of Health, Ministry of Economics, Ministry of Finance, hospitals – indirect use of the summer school results by improved knowledge on evidence-based decision making of university graduates and their potential workforce.
• Academic and research staff of the RSU – the approach will benefit to the development of the blended learning and online lecturing methods provided during the summer school.