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Editorial: Insights in health economics: 2021

Mihajlo jakovljevic.

1 Institute of Advanced Manufacturing Technologies, Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, St. Petersburg, Russia

2 Institute of Comparative Economic Studies, Hosei University, Tokyo, Japan

3 Department of Global Health Economics and Policy, University of Kragujevac, Kragujevac, Serbia

Seiritsu Ogura

4 Faculty of Economics, Hosei University, Tokyo, Japan

In the third decade of the twenty first century, methodological applications are leading to the movement of the knowledge frontier in the field of Health Economics. This frontiers Research Topic aims to highlight the latest advancements in health economics at the forefront of science. This editorial initiative, of particular relevance, led by Specialty Chief Editors of the Health Economics section Prof. Mihajlo Jakovljevic and Prof. Seiritsu Ogura, was focused on new insights, novel developments, current challenges, latest discoveries, recent advances, and future perspectives in the field of Health Economics ( 1 ).

The Topic has succeeded to invite a total of 18 forward-looking contributions. Some of them were describing the state of the art, outlining recent developments and major accomplishments that have been achieved. Also, possible directions of further development were designated in some of these articles. An array of contributing institutions were encouraged to identify the greatest challenges in the inter-disciplinary developments at the cross-sections of health economics, policy, global, and public health, pandemic health emergencies, quality of life, and mainstream market economics.

There was a set of mutually interconnected European contributions. An Eastern European study focused on Health Technology Assessment framework in this vast region (Daubner-Bendes et al.) . Clench-Aas and Holte elaborated on the crisis of political trust in Europe and the relationship between income and life satisfaction. This problem was observed on a scale of different levels including the national, community, and individual citizen level. On the other hand, a Scottish national study worked on an Analysis of multiple risky health behaviors and associated disease outcomes using Scottish linked hospitalization data (Olajide et al.) .

A pandemic-focused trial has revealed bottle neck inefficiencies of overstretched health systems. A convenient example was the study pointing out the relationship to real gross domestic product per capita in 38 European countries during the first wave of the pandemic (Pardhan and Drydakis) . Another piece of complementary evidence coming from Japan has shown that the pandemic has severely impacted physician visits in Japan (Kumagai) . One more Japanese piece of work has dealt with financial literacy, financial education, and smoking behavior (Watanapongvanich et al.) . A single study of US origin focused on clustering and healthcare costs amongst the patients with multiple chronic conditions (Hajat et al.) .

Chinese Universities encircle the largest set of studies that were successfully published in this Topic. Tang et al. have presented evidence of apparently puzzling connections between overweight/obesity and income-related inequality using Chinese labor force data. In another case a group led by Hao et al. has provided statistical evidence of the positive effect of the attempts of increased decentralization on the health outcome of communities, using DID analysis. Similarly, Xu and Lin published an elaborate econometric analysis of the effect of fiscal decentralization on the public health expenditure and public health, using continuous measures of fiscal decentralization. The fourth study is an interesting event-analysis of the food-industry firms that faced “crisis” from safety incidents, which examines the influence of their political connections and charitable donations, as well as the spill-over effects on their competitor firms (Xiang et al.) . Particularly significant in an administrative system where health services almost never cross community boundaries is the study of spatial effect analysis of health spending patterns and trends in relationship to the health outputs in Chinese communities, establishing spill-over effects (Xu et al.) . Finally, signaling the start of the expected and inescapable explosion of the demand for long-term care in the rapidly aging China, Tang et al. have provided a glimpse of the impact of long-term care insurance on the medical expenses and health status in Chinese society.

Vietnamese researchers did work on an interesting piece attempting to quantify the effects of various levels of dietary salt reduction on the prevalence of hypertension and the avoidable burden of stroke in Vietnam. These dynamic and complex consequences of salt intake in nutrition were observed through micro-simulation providing reliable assessment of the health and economic impacts (Aminde et al.) . Another valuable Vietnamese contribution refers to a thorough exploration of complications of myocardial infarction after surgical treatment in Vietnam. This work contains an econometric part of the clinical equation, bringing valuable assessments of incremental cost, readmission risk, and duration of hospital admissions (Bui et al.) . An Iranian study was particularly methodologically stringent adopting the framework of the systematic review and a meta-analysis. They managed to test the hypothesis of effectiveness of their national hospitals against the ongoing health sector evolution plan (Amini et al.) .

Extensive Korean effort describes the market landscape and dynamics in relation to market exclusivity of the originator medicines in South Korea. This was conducted via adopting a retrospective cohort study design (Son) . Last but not least, there was an ambitious piece of work originating from Sub-Saharan Africa. It was a comparative assessment of three national health systems namely the ones of Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia. This piece of research explores the causal relationship between donor commitments and disbursements for sexual and reproductive health aid (Kibira et al.) .

The BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) Emerging markets continue to represent the engine of real economic growth worldwide. These nations shape the global demand for generic pharmaceuticals, medical goods, and services. Lock-downs caused by the pandemic have severely affected major supply chains and world trade routes. These changes alongside other upcoming challenges have decreased prospects for market recovery. The Global South nations, many of whom were represented in this topic, present a huge diversity in the historical legacy of their medical care financing and provision patterns. The burdens of premature mortality and absenteeism are multiplied by the prevalence and incidence of NCDs ( 2 ). Such health systems of LMICs countries will face difficult sustainability challenges due to long-term trends ( 3 ). An array of bottleneck vulnerabilities might be revealed once the entire health sectors are pushed to the limits of their resilience ( 4 , 5 ). Current findings witness that the majority of global supply and demand is increasingly coming from the Asia—Pacific region. China, India, and South-East Asian ASEAN countries are most prominent representatives of this vast region ( 6 ).

Editors believe these valuable and diverse Topic contributions might open a new horizon of knowledge. Last but not least this is a unique opportunity to open the floor for a public debate on the Global South challenges from the perspective of academic health economics. The core aim of this special edition was to shed light on the progress made in the past decade in the Health Economics field ( 7 ). A diverse group of authors coming from academia, industry, governing authorities, and professional associations attempted to provide a thorough overview of the state of the art of the Health Economics field ( 8 , 9 ). We hope that such an article Research Topic might inspire, inform, and provide direction and guidance to researchers in years to come.

Author contributions

MJ has prepared the manuscript draft, while SO has revised it for important intellectual content. Both authors contributed to the article and approved the submitted version.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Publisher's note

All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article, or claim that may be made by its manufacturer, is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.

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Health technology assessment and Benefit Package Design - One of the key objectives for policymakers is to use existing and additional resources efficiently. This calls for prioritizing between and amongst interventions. There are several initiatives related to health technology assessment (HTA) and health benefit package design. These are: 

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AccessMod – This is a toolbox that has been developed by WHO in order to assist countries to examine the geographic aspects of their health system. It specifically addresses the first three layers of a well-known framework developed by Tanahashi (1978) to evaluate health service coverage (the specific three layers being: the target population, availability coverage and accessibility coverage).

EPIC – It is a model to estimate the burden of ill-health (or, conversely the contribution of improving health) on economic performance, through the direct and indirect impacts that health has on two key production factors: the labour force and physical capital. EPIC estimates how changes in health status affect the size of the effective labour force and the accumulation of physical capital and ultimately national income. EPIC may be used to conduct investment case in health.

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UHC Compendium - The UHC Compendium is a database of health services and intersectoral interventions designed to assist countries in making progress towards Universal Health Coverage (UHC). It provides a strategic way to organize and present information and creates a framework to think about health services and health interventions. The database for the Compendium spans the full spectrum of promotive, preventive, resuscitative, curative, rehabilitative, and palliative services, as well as a full complement of intersectoral interventions. The Compendium will provide rapid one-stop access to supporting evidence, associated human and material resource inputs, and feedback on cost impact as interventions are selected. 

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About the Concentration in Health Economics and Policy

The concentration in Health Economics and Policy prepares doctoral students to address the most pressing challenges in health and health care through innovative, rigorous and interdisciplinary research in the field of health economics. This program integrates traditional training in economics with practical training in health policy and health services research to train the next generation of health economists.

The curriculum offers a broad exposure to the health economics literature and public health disciplines, and stresses the policy implications of these fields of research. The curriculum stresses a foundation in applied modern microeconomic theory, economic evaluation, quantitative methods and econometrics, including PhD-level courses from the Department of Economics in the Krieger School of Arts and Sciences.

Doctoral students are paired with a faculty adviser from the Health Economics concentration with similar research interests. Faculty in the Health Economics concentration are working in a variety of research areas including understanding health insurance design, the economic implications of health and health care disparities, market forces and health care prices, pharmaceutical economics, and payment design and access. Doctoral students will also have the opportunity to work with other faculty within the Department, as well as faculty from other Departments including International Health, Population, Family, and Reproductive Health, Biostatistics, the School of Medicine, School of Nursing, the Carey Business School, and the Department of Economics. Students also often work with various centers and initiatives across the University, including the Hopkins Business of Health Initiative.

What Can You Do With a Graduate Degree In Health Economics And Policy?

The program prepares students for successful research careers as health economists. Former students have gone onto careers in academia, government, research-oriented non-profits, and the private sector. Visit the  Graduate Employment Outcomes Dashboard to learn about Bloomberg School graduates' employment status, sector, and salaries.

View a list of selected recent graduates and dissertation titles for the PhD Concentration in Health Economics and Policy.

Curriculum for the Concentration in Health Economics and Policy

Browse an overview of the requirements for this PhD program in the JHU  Academic Catalogue  and explore all course offerings in the Bloomberg School  Course Directory .

Admissions Requirements

For general admissions requirements, please visit the How to Apply page.

Standardized Test Scores

Standardized test scores are  not required and not reviewed  for this program. If you have taken a standardized test such as the GRE, GMAT, or MCAT and want to submit your scores, please note that they will not be used as a metric during the application review.  Applications will be reviewed holistically based on all required application components.

Matthew Eisenberg, PhD, MPhil,

uses applied health economics methods to study how consumers make decisions about their healthcare.

Per the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) with the JHU PhD Union, the minimum guaranteed 2025-2026 academic year stipend is $50,000 for all PhD students with a 4% increase the following year. Tuition, fees, and medical benefits are provided, including health insurance premiums for PhD student’s children and spouses of international students, depending on visa type. The minimum stipend and tuition coverage is guaranteed for at least the first four years of a BSPH PhD program; specific amounts and the number of years supported, as well as work expectations related to that stipend will vary across departments and funding source. Please refer to the CBA to review specific benefits, compensation, and other terms.

Need-Based Relocation Grants Students who  are admitted to PhD programs at JHU starting in Fall 2023 or beyond can apply to receive a need-based grant to offset the costs of relocating to be able to attend JHU.   These grants provide funding to a portion of incoming students who, without this money, may otherwise not be able to afford to relocate to JHU for their PhD program. This is not a merit-based grant. Applications will be evaluated solely based on financial need.  View more information about the need-based relocation grants for PhD students .

Questions about the program? We're happy to help. [email protected]

• Frontiers in Public Health
• Public Mental Health
• Research Topics

Advancing Public Health through Generative Artificial Intelligence: A Focus on Digital Well-Being and the Economy of Attention

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About this Research Topic

The adoption of generative artificial intelligence (AI) by users to perform everyday, work, and academic activities has fostered a global debate about the benefits and threats of AI to human health. There is a growing need to consider and address the potential consequences of widely accessible, improved, and user-friendly AI on mental health globally. Generative artificial intelligence has emerged as a powerful tool with significant potential to transform various aspects of contemporary society. In the field of global public health, its impact is particularly relevant due to the opportunities it offers to improve the efficiency, accuracy, and accessibility of mental health services. Research into the effects of generative AI on mental health from an economic and behavioral perspective is critical to fully exploit its benefits, address its challenges, and ensure that its implementation is equitable and sustainable globally. The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) presents unprecedented opportunities to address public health challenges, particularly in mental health. This intersection of AI, public health, and economics demands rigorous research to harness its full potential. AI's capacity to process vast amounts of data can revolutionize mental health diagnostics, treatment, and resource allocation. However, its implementation raises critical questions about efficacy, cost-effectiveness, and ethical considerations. The economy of attention, which treats human attention as a scarce resource, is especially relevant in today's digital age where mental health is increasingly affected by information overload and digital distractions. Understanding how AI can be leveraged to optimize attention allocation in health interventions is crucial. Moreover, economic principles can guide the development of sustainable AI-driven health solutions, ensuring equitable access and efficient resource utilization. Research in this field is vital to inform evidence-based policies, improve health outcomes, and navigate the complex landscape of AI in public health. This research topic aims to examine how AI technologies, combined with economic principles, can revolutionize our approach to public health challenges, particularly in the mental health domain. We seek papers that contribute to the following broad themes (but not limited to the themes mentioned below): • AI applications in mental health screening, diagnosis, and intervention; • The role of the economy of attention in designing effective public health interventions; • Economic models for optimizing resource allocation in mental health services; • AI-powered predictive analytics for public health policymaking; • Ethical considerations in AI-driven mental health research; • The impact of digital attention-grabbing technologies on mental well-being; • Cost-effectiveness analysis of AI-based mental health interventions; • AI's potential in addressing health disparities and improving access to care We encourage interdisciplinary approaches that combine insights from public health, computer science, economics, psychology, and related fields. Submissions should highlight the potential of AI and economic concepts to drive innovation in public health research and practice.

Keywords : mental health, AI, digital wellbeing, economy of attention, public health

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