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Dr Elisabetta De Cao OLD 1.11

This course is available on the Executive MSc in Health Economics, Outcomes and Management in Cardiovascular Sciences. This course is not available as an outside option.

The objective of this course is to teach students how to design and critically appraise research studies evaluating policies, programmes, and interventions. 



This course will provide an overview of the principles and models of evaluation, and the role of theories, concepts, and hypotheses. In terms of research design, it will cover study design choices in light of bias, validity and other design trade-offs. The core of the course will focus on experimental and quasi-experimental designs for evaluating health interventions, programmes and policies aimed at achieving high quality care, reducing costs, and improving health outcomes. Data and measurement considerations for quantitative studies will be discussed alongside briefly touching upon qualitative methods, mixed-methods and triangulation for interpreting findings and taking a critical approach to the results of evaluation. The course will conclude with practical and ethical issues when undertaking evaluation studies.

10 hours of lectures and 10 hours of seminars in the ST.

Given the executive nature of this course, it will be offered as an intensive, accelerated, and compressed module with a 1-week duration. 

Students will be expected to produce 1 project in June.

Students will receive feedback on their project report outlines. 

Angrist, J. D. and Pischke, J-S. (2014) Mastering ’Metrics: The Path from Cause to Effect. Princeton University Press.

Gertler, Paul J., Sebastian Martinez, Patrick Premand, Laura B. Rawlings, and Christel M. J. Vermeersch. (2016) Impact Evaluation in Practice, second edition. Washington, DC: Inter-American Development Bank and World Bank. doi:10.1596/978-1- 4648-0779-4. License: Creative Commons Attribution CC BY 3.0 IGO.

Cartwright, N. & Hardie, J. (2012). Evidence-Based Policy: A practical guide to doing it better. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.

HM Treasury. 2011. The Magenta Book. Guidance for evaluation.

Research project (70%) and presentation (30%) post-summer term.

Project (70%, 2,000 words)

Group presentation (30%)

Assessment is through a project that students will undertake in small groups and write up individually (2,000 word paper), to be submitted 10 weeks after the completion of the course. Group presentation will account for the remaining 30% of the grade.