Christian Waibel: Catalogue data in Autumn Semester 2018

Name	PD Dr. Christian Waibel
Field	Economics
Address	Makroökonomie, Gersbach ETH Zürich, LEE F 104 Leonhardstrasse 21 8092 Zürich SWITZERLAND
E-mail	cwaibel@retired.ethz.ch
URL	https://sites.google.com/site/christianwaibel/
Department	Management, Technology, and Economics
Relationship	Privatdozent

Number	Title	ECTS	Hours	Lecturers
363-1027-00L	Introduction to Health Economics and Policy	3 credits	2V	C. Waibel
Abstract	Health expenditures constitute about 10% of GDP in OECD countries. Extensive government intervention is a typical feature in health markets. Risk factors to health have been changing with growing importance of lifestyle factors such as smoking, obesity and lack of physical activity. This course gives an introduction to the economic concepts and empirical findings in health economics.
Objective	Introduce students without prior economics background to the main concepts of health economics and policy to enhance students understanding of how health care institutions and markets function.
Content	The course gives an introduction to the economic concepts and empirical findings in health economics to enhance students understanding of how health care institutions and markets function. First, the three important decisions made by individuals will be analyzed: What determines the health behaviors, like the intensity of preventive measures like sport, that an individual undertakes? What types and amount of personal health care services does an individual demand? How much health insurance coverage will be purchased? In a second part, the major participants on the supply side of health care markets - physicians, hospitals, nurses and pharmaceutical manufacturers - will be discussed. E.g., how important are financial incentives in the choice of medicine as a career, specialty choice and practice location? What does it mean and imply that a physician is an agent for a patient? How do pharmaceutical firms decide on investments in new products and how can public policy encourage pharmaceutical innovation? The choices made by societies about how health care services are financed and about the types of organizations that supply health care will be addressed in a third part. One important choice is whether a country will rely on public financing of personal health care services or encourage private health insurance markets. How could and should a public health insurance system be designed? What health care services should be included or excluded from a public system? Another important choice is whether a society relies on government provision of health care services, private provision by not-for-profit or for-profit organizations or some combination. The advantages and disadvantages of the alternatives will be discussed to provide a framework for analyzing specific types of health care systems.
Literature	Jay Bhattacharya, Timothy Hyde, Peter Tu, "Health Economics", Palgrave Macmillan. Frank A. Sloan and Chee-Ruey Hsieh, "Health Economics", MIT Press.
364-1062-00L	Experimental Methods	1 credit	1V	C. Waibel
Abstract	This course introduces PhD students into the principles of experimental methods and outlines how to prepare, conduct and evaluate an experiment.
Objective	This course aims to prepare PhD students for conducting their own experiment.
Content	1. Introduction: What are economic experiments and why to use them? 2. Principles of economic experiments: Validity, control and limits. 3. Choice of experimental design: Subjects, repetition, matching, payment. 4. Conducting experiments: Instructions, testing, recruiting, sessions. 5. Measuring techniques: Eliciting beliefs, risk attitudes, social preferences. 6. Evaluating experimental data: A short overview.
Literature	Books: - Bardsley et. al (2009): Experimental Economics: Rethinking the Rules, New Jersey, Princeton University Press. - Friedman & Sunder (1994): Experimental Methods: A Primer for Economists, Melbourne, Cambridge University Press. - Kagel/Roth (1995): Handbook of Experimental Economics, New Jersey, Princeton University Press. Basic Articles: - Roth (1988): Laboratory Experimentation in Economics: A Methodological Overview, Economic Journal, pp. 974-1031. - Smith (1994): Economics in the Laboratory, Journal of Economic Perspectives, 8, pp. 113-131. A readling list with articles for each lecture has been published in Moodle.
Prerequisites / Notice	This course is complemented by a course on programming experiments with z-tree. It is not mandatory but recommended to take both courses.
851-0609-08L	Research Seminar in Experimental Social Sciences and Humanities If you are interested in presenting in the seminar, please contact Jan Schmitz (Schmitz@econ.gess.ethz.ch), and state your preferred date of presentation, the title of the presentation and whether the presentation is a design presentation or a full paper presentation	0 credits	1S	J. Schmitz, M. Grieder, C. Hölscher, M. Schonger, R. Schubert, C. Waibel, S. Wehrli
Abstract	The aim of the seminar is to establish a research and networking platform for researchers conducting social science experiments at the ETH and to offer an outlet to present designs for laboratory and field experiments before data collection. Presentations of first study results and working papers are also welcome.
Objective	The research seminar is open to all students, scientific staff, and faculty interested in experimental research in the areas of economics, sociology and psychology. The aim of the seminar is to establish a research and networking platform for researchers conducting experiments at the ETH and to offer an outlet to present designs for laboratory and field experiments before data collection. Presentations of first study results and working papers are also welcome. Objective: Establish a research and networking platform for researchers conducting experiments at the ETH and to offer an outlet to present designs for laboratory and field experiments before data collection. Presentations of first study results and working papers are also welcome.