Impact of technology on healthcare expenditure subject of Central Bank webinar

The Central Bank of Malta (CBM) is organising a webinar on the impact of technological progress and changes in medical practices on healthcare expenditure, using real-world data to discuss the economic returns of public spending for new technologies and innovation.

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 CBM’s chief economist, Aaron G. Grech, will introduce the subject.

Ependiture on healthcare has been rising in most EU economies, and COVID-19 has accelerated this trend.

The webinar seeks to answer the question: From a longer-term perspective, how much of this expenditure can be attributed to technological progress or to changes in medical practices?

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, titled ‘Age, morbidity, or something else? A residual approach using microdata to measure the impact of technological progress on health care expenditure’, will be held on 15th September at 11am 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.