What do Health Economists Expect from their Employer - Results from an Online Survey in Germany

Background: The business model of the pharmaceutical industry is changing and a higher emphasize is placed on health economic expertise in order to demonstrate not only clinical but also economic value of new products. While many studies evaluate work preferences of physicians, we have not come across a study on health economists, although their importance is increasing. To fill this gap, we surveyed health economics students and experienced health economists about their job expectations and job preferences. Methods: From the management literature we have identified four relevant factors that affect job satisfaction: Corporate culture, employer's reputation, financial remuneration, and scientific way of working. By means of an online survey we have asked 54 health economics students and experienced health economists about the importance of those factors. The respondents also had to assess the expression of the factors within industry, academia, insurances, hospitals, and associations. Results: Experienced health economists differ in their work preferences from health economic students. For students, the financial aspect of the job plays a bigger role compared to the experienced health economists. For both groups, corporate culture is the most important determinant of job satisfaction. The academic sector enjoyed the highest reputation, while the perception of the remuneration in this sector was low. An opposite pattern was observed for the pharmaceutical industry. Only 6% of the health economist students are interested in an industry career, the majority wants to work in hospitals and health insurance companies. Conclusion: From an industry perspective, it is recommended to raise awareness for career opportunities in the pharmaceutical industry. This particularly applies against the background of demographic change and increasing demand for health economists.