The University Establishes a Professorship in Health Economics
The professorship covers the entire health care system from the perspective of economics. The professorship is funded by Medical Counsellor Sakari Alhopuro.
Rector Kalervo Väänänen (pictured left) and Medical Counsellor Sakari Alhopuro have agreed on establishing an endowed professorship of Health Economics in the University of Turku. The agreement is for three years and it holds an option for two more years. The costs of the professorship are 100 000 euro a year.
The professorship will be placed at Turku School of Economics. The research and teaching tasks of the professorship will be divided between the School of Economics and the Faculty of Medicine.
Health economics observes the entire health care system from the perspective of economics. The research topics of the field include organising and financing the operations in health care, allocating resources, and coordinating service production.
‒ It is clear that there is a demand for this kind of research in our society. Even now, policy-makers have to seriously consider reducing the cost structure of health care. It is extremely important to gain objective research-based knowledge and to disseminate it to those using common financial resources, says Rector Väänänen.
Influential Role in the Society
The aim of the professorship is to educate future health care managers who understand the principles of economy. Alhopuro believes the professor in Health Economics will have an influential role in the society as an advocate of a healthy cost structure in health care.
‒ We don’t often come to think of the fact that doctors actually are significant users of financial power. They play a big role in the formation of the cost structure in public health care. In educating doctors, more attention should be paid to managing finances and general management training. I believe that the professorship promotes this, Alhopuro says.
Alhopuro would be happy to see professorships in Health Economics to be established in all Finnish Universities educating doctors. At the moment, the only professorship in the field is at the University of Eastern Finland.
‒ I will gladly take part in supporting the research in health economics also in the future, e.g. regarding dissertations, Alhopuro says.
The international procedures of filling the position will begin during the autumn.
Text and photograph: Tuomas Koivula
Translation: Taru Suhonen