Principles in Health Economics and Policy

A concise introduction to health economics and its application to health policy for students and health professional with no background in economics. Introduces the subject of economics, explains the fundamental failures in the market for health care, and discusses the concepts of equity and fairness when applied to health and health care.

Jan Abel Olsen, Professor of Health Economics and Chair, Health Services Research Unit, Institute of Community Medicine, University of Tromso, Norway; and Adjunct Professor, Centre for Health Economics, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia

Jan Abel Olsen is a professor of health economics and health services research at the Department of Community Medicine, University of Tromso, Norway. He is an adjunct professor at the Centre for Health Economics, Monash University, Australia, and a part-time researcher at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health. His eclectic research interests include measurement and valuation of health outcomes, efficiency vs equality in health and health care, primary care financing, and social epidemiology. He has published extensively in leading journals in these fields, and has served as an advisor to various governmental bodies and commissions.