Webinar on the impact of technology and changes in medical practices on health care expenditure

Expenditure on healthcare has been rising in most EU economies and COVID-19 has accelerated this trend. From a longer-term perspective, how much of this expenditure can be attributed to technological progress or to changes in medical practices? This timely topic will be discussed during a webinar organised by the Central Bank of Malta.

The speaker, Professor Mauro Laudicella, will investigate this subject using data from the Danish National Health System that offers universal coverage and is free of charge at the point of access. The Bank’s chief economist, Dr Aaron G. Grech, will introduce the subject.

Prof. Laudicella is a professor in Health Economics at DaCHE – the Danish Centre for Health Economics, at the University of Southern Denmark. He is also an Honorary Research Fellow at the Business School of Imperial College London. He has previously been employed at City University of London, Imperial College London and University of York.  He holds a PhD in Economics from the University of York and a MSc in Economics from the University College London. Professor Laudicella’s recent research focuses on the impact of technological progress and change in medical practice on the demand of health care and the economic returns of public spending for new technologies and innovation.

The online webinar will be held on 15 September at 11 a.m. on Microsoft TEAMS. Participation is free and open to the public, with time for questions at the end. Online registration is required on the Bank’s website or by sending an email to publicrelations@centralbankmalta.org.