JourneyCareersHealth Economist
Global Career Guide (EN)From Economics β†’

Health Economist

AI

Health economists work out whether new medicines and treatments are worth the money they cost. They help hospitals, doctors, and the government make smart choices about how to spend health budgets so more people get the care they need.

The role

What a health economist actually does, day to day.

As a Health Economist, you study whether new treatments, medicines, and hospital services are good value for money. You collect numbers about how much things cost and how much they help patients. Then you work out whether the benefit is worth paying for, so hospitals and the NHS can make good decisions about where to spend their money.

Most days you will sit down with patient records and cost data, work out patterns using computer software, and write reports explaining what you found. You speak to doctors and hospital managers to understand what treatments they are testing, then calculate the cost per patient and how much better patients get. You present your findings to people who decide how money gets spent. You also stay up to date with new research and changes in how the NHS works.

A typical week

Day to day

1Conduct economic evaluations of healthcare interventions, including cost-effectiveness and cost-utility analyses.
2Collaborate with clinical teams to gather data and insights on treatment outcomes and resource utilization.
3Prepare detailed reports and presentations to communicate findings to stakeholders, including policymakers and healthcare providers.
4Utilize statistical software to analyze large datasets and model healthcare scenarios.
5Stay updated on health policy changes and emerging research in the field of health economics.
6Engage in multidisciplinary meetings to contribute economic perspectives to clinical and operational discussions.
7Support grant applications and funding proposals with economic evidence and rationale.