HSC8101 : Decision Modelling for Health Data Science with Advanced Topics
- Offered for Year: 2025/26
- Module Leader(s): Dr Gurdeep Sagoo
- Lecturer: Mr Giovany Orozco Leal, Mr Stephen Rice
- Owning School: Population Health Sciences
- Teaching Location: Newcastle City Campus
Semesters
Your programme is made up of credits, the total differs on programme to programme.
| Semester 2 Credit Value: | 10 |
| ECTS Credits: | 5.0 |
| European Credit Transfer System | |
Aims
The aim of this module is to provide an understanding of decision modelling methods used in the evaluation and analysis of technologies used in health care.
Decision analysis and modelling has been used widely across many disciplines but in health care it is an established analytic framework to inform decision making under uncertain circumstances. Health Economists play a vital role in helping to quantify the impact of uncertainty in order to inform clinical and health care decision making at population and individual levels. Over the last two decades in the UK, NICE (the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) have been major drivers of developments in the analytical methods used by health economists, with the aim of making the understanding of uncertainty more transparent in decision making when implementing technologies into wide-spread use with the UK NHS.
This course will cover well-established methods used in decision modelling with examples from real studies that the module teaching team are involved in.
Outline Of Syllabus
What is economic evaluation and why is it useful? The role of decision analysis in economic evaluation and health data science. Key aspects of decision modelling. Methods for more advanced decision modelling. Analysing and presenting outputs from decision modelling. Uncertainty in decision making and value of information analysis.
Additional advanced topics such as probabilistic sensitivity analysis, Markov models, value of information analysis and more advanced types of model will also be considered
Teaching Methods
Teaching Activities
| Category | Activity | Number | Length | Student Hours | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Lecture | 2 | 1:00 | 2:00 | Revision lectures |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Lecture | 20 | 1:00 | 20:00 | Formal lectures |
| Guided Independent Study | Assessment preparation and completion | 2 | 4:00 | 8:00 | Completion of in course assessments |
| Guided Independent Study | Assessment preparation and completion | 1 | 2:00 | 2:00 | Unseen exam |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Lecture | 2 | 1:00 | 2:00 | Problem classes |
| Guided Independent Study | Directed research and reading | 15 | 1:00 | 15:00 | Directed reading of advances topic(s) |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Practical | 3 | 1:00 | 3:00 | Computer practicals |
| Guided Independent Study | Independent study | 22 | 1:00 | 22:00 | Preparation time for lectures |
| Guided Independent Study | Independent study | 2 | 1:30 | 3:00 | Review of coursework |
| Guided Independent Study | Independent study | 10 | 1:00 | 10:00 | Background reading on lectured content |
| Guided Independent Study | Independent study | 13 | 1:00 | 13:00 | Revision for unseen exam |
| Total | 100:00 |
Teaching Rationale And Relationship
Lectures are used for the delivery of theory and explanation of methods, illustrated with examples, and for giving general feedback on marked work. Problem classes are used to help develop the students’ abilities at applying the theory to solving problems. Practical classes are used to help the students’ ability to apply the methods in practice. In addition, directed research and reading of an advanced topic is used to develop the students’ ability to learn independently.
The teaching methods are appropriate to allow students to develop a wide range of skills. From understanding basic concepts and facts to higher-order thinking.
Assessment Methods
The format of resits will be determined by the Board of Examiners
Exams
| Description | Length | Semester | When Set | Percentage | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Written Examination | 120 | 2 | A | 60 | Written exam, comprising a Section A and a Section B |
Other Assessment
| Description | Semester | When Set | Percentage | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prob solv exercises | 2 | M | 40 | Coursework 2. Up to 10 page typeset report based upon a set assignment comprising open-ended questions |
Formative Assessments
Formative Assessment is an assessment which develops your skills in being assessed, allows for you to receive feedback, and prepares you for being assessed. However, it does not count to your final mark.
| Description | Semester | When Set | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prob solv exercises | 2 | M | Coursework 1. 40 minute class test, conducted during one of the timetabled one hour lecture slots |
Assessment Rationale And Relationship
A substantial formal unseen practical examination is appropriate for the assessment of the material in this module. The format of the examination will enable students to reliably demonstrate their own knowledge, understanding and practical application (in Microsoft Excel) of learning outcomes.
The coursework assignments allow the students to develop their critical appraisal techniques, to highlight their understanding of the methods and rationale learnt in the module, to assess their progress and to receive feedback; the summative assessment has a secondary formative purpose as well as its primary summative purpose.
Reading Lists
Timetable
- Timetable Website: www.ncl.ac.uk/timetable/
- HSC8101's Timetable