Postgraduate Course: Health Systems Analysis (PGSP11363)
Course Outline
| School | School of Social and Political Science | 
College | College of Humanities and Social Science | 
 
| Course type | Standard | 
Availability | Available to all students | 
 
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) | 
Credits | 20 | 
 
| Home subject area | Postgrad (School of Social and Political Studies) | 
Other subject area | None | 
   
| Course website | 
None | 
Taught in Gaelic? | No | 
 
| Course description | This course aims to provide students with the ability to evaluate health systems in any country or region. A core goal is to provide students with an understanding of core economic principles and how these can be applied: (a) by health sector decision-makers in policy design, and (b) by analysts of health system performance. | 
 
 
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites | 
 | 
Co-requisites |  | 
 
| Prohibited Combinations |  | 
Other requirements |  None | 
 
| Additional Costs |  None | 
 
 
Information for Visiting Students 
| Pre-requisites | None | 
 
| Displayed in Visiting Students Prospectus? | No | 
 
 
Course Delivery Information
 |  
| Delivery period: 2013/14  Semester 1, Available to all students (SV1) 
  
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Learn enabled:  Yes | 
Quota:  59 | 
 
Web Timetable  | 
	
Web Timetable | 
 
| Course Start Date | 
16/09/2013 | 
 
| Breakdown of Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) | 
 
 Total Hours:
200
(
 Lecture Hours 10,
 Seminar/Tutorial Hours 10,
 Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
176 )
 | 
 
| Additional Notes | 
 | 
 
| Breakdown of Assessment Methods (Further Info) | 
 
  Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
 | 
 
| No Exam Information | 
 
Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes 
- A critical understanding of the role played by economic analysis in health policy. 
- A critical understanding of how different models of revenue collection and pooling can lead to different outcomes in terms of equity and efficiency. 
- An ability to evaluate the various models of health system governance, with a particular focus on the evaluation of market vs. planned approaches. 
- An ability to evaluate the organisation and delivery of health systems, with a focus on human/ pharmaceutical resources and use of information. 
- An ability to identify and evaluate methods by which resources are allocated or channelled to individual and institutional providers of health services. 
- An ability to use economic principles to look critically at factors- including micro- and macro-economic factors- that have an influence on policy. 
- An ability to analyse the concepts of economic and fiscal sustainability, in contexts of socio-economic/ demographic change and resource constraint. 
- Demonstrating the analytical skills required to present, communicate and debate issues in health systems policy from an economist's point of view. | 
 
 
Assessment Information 
Assessment will be based on two components:  
1) 	Input to online discussion fora. Students to submit a portfolio of contributions to course discussions, comprising three short written reflections on readings and three examples of engagement in online discussions (30%)  
2) 	Written essay of 3,000 words (70%). 
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Special Arrangements 
| None |   
 
Additional Information 
| Academic description | 
Not entered | 
 
| Syllabus | 
Week 1: Core economic concepts and their application to the health sector 
Week 2: Identifying the components of health systems: the systems approach 
Week 3: Consumers and producers: theories of market equilibrium 
Week 4: Revenue collection and pooling: market failure and the role of the state 
Week 5: Market versus planned approaches in the provision of health care services 
Week 6: Organisation and delivery of health systems: the nature of factor markets 
Week 7: Incentives and system design: provider payment methods and performance 
Week 8: Cost-effectiveness in resource allocation: theories and methodologies 
Week 9: The macro-economic context: challenges and opportunities 
Week 10: Enhancing the economic and fiscal sustainability of health care systems | 
 
| Transferable skills | 
Not entered | 
 
| Reading list | 
The course will utilise the following two textbooks: 
-	Carrun, C et al (2011), Health Systems Policy, Finance and Organization, Elsevier.  
-	Morris, S et al (2012), Economic Analysis in Health Care, Wiley (2nd ed). | 
 
| Study Abroad | 
Not entered | 
 
| Study Pattern | 
Not entered | 
 
| Keywords | Not entered | 
 
 
Contacts 
| Course organiser | Mr Mark Hellowell 
Tel: (0131 6)51 1330 
Email: Mark.Hellowell@ed.ac.uk | 
Course secretary | Miss Jodie Fleming 
Tel: (0131 6)51 5066 
Email: Jodie.Fleming@ed.ac.uk | 
   
 
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© Copyright 2013 The University of Edinburgh -  10 October 2013 5:09 am 
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