Pre-Conference Short Courses Thursday, November 11, 1999
ISPOR Short Course Educational Objectives: ISPOR Short Courses are provided to enhance the development of individuals involved in pharmacoeconomics and outcomes research or who use this research in health care decision making. Each participant receives a course syllabus/workbook and an ISPOR Certificate of Completion. The participant will learn new methodologies and outcomes research techniques, improve skills in the specific course subject selected, and be able to apply learned skills to his/her specific work environment.
8.00 - 12.00	Pharmacoeconomics Faculty: Peter Davey MD, FRCP, MEMO, University of Dundee, Dundee, Scotland Economic analyses (cost-effectiveness, cost-benefit, cost-utility, and cost-minimization) including the design of prospective and retrospective studies will be presented. Discounting, decision analytic modeling, utilities and large database analyses will be discussed. This course is designed for individuals with little experience with pharmacoeconomic evaluations.
8.00 - 12.00	Decision Analysis in Health Care Faculty: Mark Sculpher MSc, PhD, Senior Research Fellow, Centre for Health Economics, University of York, Heslington, York, UK The methods used in decision analysis, such as decision trees, Bayesian analysis, and spreadsheets will be discussed. Calculation of expected utilities, sensitivity analysis, assessment of patient values and inclusion of quality-of-life parameters will be discussed. This course is designed for individuals with little experience with decision analytic methods.
8.00 - 12.00	Systematic Literature Review and Meta-analysis Methods Faculty: Linda Davies PhD, Jaqueline Dinnes MSc, and Ann-Marie Bagnall PhD, Research Fellows, NHS Centre for Reviews and Dissemination, University of York, York, UK Systematic literature review and meta-analytic methods to assess the quality of evidence for health care interventions will be discussed. Statistical approaches to pooling results from several studies and application of meta-analysis in pharmacoeconomics studies and health care decision-making will be presented. This course is designed for individuals with little experience with meta-analysis.
8.00 - 12.00	Quality-of-Life Instruments Faculty: Paul Kind PhD, Senior Research Fellow, Centre for Health Economics, University of York, York, UK and Linda Abetz MA, Project Director, MAPI VALUES, Macclessfield, United Kingdom Health outcomes measurement instruments (conceptual and measurement models, reliability, validity, responsiveness, interpretability, respondent and administrative burden, alternate forms and cultural and language adaptation) will be discussed. This course is designed for individuals with little experience with quality-of-life instruments.
8.00 - 12.00	Decision Analysis - Software Application Faculty: Jeffrey Bellsey, TreeAge Software Inc., Williamstown, MA, USA Participants will be trained in the use of computer-assisted decision analytic modeling software, DATA™ to build decision trees including Bayesian analysis, set variables and perform cost-effectiveness analysis and perform sensitivity analysis. The participant must bring his/her own computer (Windows 95 or later). DATA™ software will be loaded onto each computer.