The RaCEEs (Rapid Conversion of Economic Evaluations) training course, co-led by Dr Valerio Benedetto of the ARC North West Coast’s Methodological Innovation, Development, Adaptation & Support (MIDAS) theme, is helping public contributors and professionals from across ARC NWC member organisations develop practical skills in health economic evaluations.

Designed to improve understanding of cost-effectiveness in real-world health and social care settings and upskill colleagues across different disciplines, the course supports more informed decision-making in research, service development and policy.

“Economic evaluations are often seen as too specialist or inaccessible,” said Dr Valerio Benedetto, Research Fellow in Health Economics at the University of Central Lancashire and Health Economics lead for the ARC NWC MIDAS theme. “Many people in health and social care are making decisions that involve weighing up outcomes and costs, even if they don’t realise it. This course is about giving attendees the tools to engage with that evidence more confidently.”

NHS staff, public advisors and charity sector professionals have all taken part in recent RaCEEs cohorts. Many have described the course as supportive, clearly structured, and highly relevant to their work. The training is particularly valuable for those without a background in economics who are nonetheless involved in shaping, assessing or delivering services in health and social care.
Marija Taneska, a Service Developer at Alzheimer’s Society UK, joined the course to strengthen how she uses evidence when developing services.

“Working for a charity, understanding the economic implications of interventions is essential. I didn’t need to run full evaluations—I needed to understand and apply them. That’s exactly what the course offered.”

Sandra Smith, a public advisor, co-authored a commentary on the cost-effectiveness of nalmefene for alcohol dependency as part of the course and said it changed how she approaches research more broadly.

“I now look at published studies with a more critical eye. If there’s bias in a study, especially in who funds it, the economic case can fall apart.”

“What we’re seeing,” Dr Benedetto added, “is that even participants who were initially unsure about the topic come away feeling much more equipped to engage in discussions about funding and policy. It’s not about turning people into economists—it’s about empowering them to ask better questions and use economic reasoning in ways that are relevant to their roles.”

Many participants have already begun applying their learning. Sandra has since joined a health economics working group within for the RENAL-HF project, and Marija is using her skills to assess evidence for service development and decision-making in her organisation. Even those who haven’t yet applied the learning directly report a stronger foundation for asking critical questions about cost, value and resource allocation.

“We’ve had participants from a wide range of backgrounds including public advisors, clinical staff and researchers who all bring unique perspectives,” said Dr Benedetto. “That diversity makes the group discussions more engaging and allows for learning that is rooted in lived experience as well as theory.”

To learn more about the RaCEEs course and how to book your place, please click here: https://arc-nwc.nihr.ac.uk/midas/capacity-building/health-economics-training/

To watch what the past cohort had to say about the course visit our YouTube channel here.