## Monday, 21 November 2016

### Summer School: Bayesian Methods in Health Economics

We're finally ready to advertise our new Summer School on Bayesian Methods in Health Economics, in Florence, 12-16 June 2017! This is basically combining the two short courses that we've run in the past few years $-$ the first one on Bayesian modelling for cost-effectiveness analysis using R, BUGS and BCEA, which I have done with Chris and Richard; the second one is the short course on Value of Information we did last summer with Mark, Nicky and Anna.

The five of us have decided we should take these to the next level and so have arranged to merge the two programmes and enjoy a well in late Spring next year in Florence. Now, you may think I'm massively biased (because Florence is my home town) $-$ and partly I am $-$ but the place we chose and managed to book is really awesome.

The programme of the lectures in the summer school is the following:
1. Introduction to health economic evaluations
2. Introduction to Bayesian inference
3. Introduction to Markov Chain Monte Carlo in BUGS
4. Cost and cost-utility data
5. Statistical cost-effectiveness analysis
6. Probabilistic sensitivity analysis (PSA)
8. Model error and structural uncertainty
9. Evidence synthesis (1) - hierarchical models
10. Evidence synthesis (2) - network meta-analysis
11. Markov models
12. Introduction to the theory of the value of information
13. Expected value of partial information (1) - theory & algebraic tricks
14. Expected value of partial information (2) - nested Monte Carlo
15. Expected value of partial information (3) - generalised additive models & GP regression
16. Expected value of partial information (4) - GP regression via integrated nested Laplace approximation
17. Expected value of sample information (1) - conjugated analysis
18. Expected value of sample information (2) - regression-based methods
All the lectures will be followed by computer practicals in which we'll show how use R and BUGS to perform cost-effectiveness analyses and post-process the model outcomes, mainly using BCEA.

We have planned for a maximum of 30 participants $-$ in previous editions, we've had most people coming from the UK. This time we're hoping for an "inverse-Brexit" to branch out more widely to other European countries. Participants will all be able to stay at the Centro Study (there are 10 single and 10 double rooms available, so book quickly if you definitely want a single!).

The registration fee also includes a copy of the three main books used as reference in the course: BMHEThe BUGS Book and Evidence Synthesis for Decision Making in Healthcare. We'll also prepare a full set of handouts and computer code (R and BUGS) that we use in the practicals.

Registration is already available (from now to the end of April) on the UCL Store. We offer a lower rate for students!