Introduction to health systems (P02293)

? Credit Points : 10 ? SCQF Level : 11 ? Acronym : HEA-P-IHS

This course will focus on comparing systems of health care across Europe, the United States and developing countries. Though the UK NHS continues to be the model maker for most universal health care systems across the world, since 1991 it has been undergoing a period of rapid change and transformation. This has resulted in the greater use of market mechanisms and privatisation of services which were formerly under public control and national ownership. The import of pro-market ideology is not confined to the UK. Rather the techniques and templates being used to remodel the NHS in England are being adopted across the world. The new models of funding and organising healthcare have their roots and origins in the US health care systems. The transformation of a non market to competing and fragmented market oriented systems requires sophisticated technical interventions which are usually presented as both politically neutral and allowing greater efficiency and transparency. The course explore how the principles of universality and equity are promoted through redistribution and risk pooling, and how these are designed into the systems for funding and organising health care. It will show how these mechanisms shield the system from market actors and market mechanisms. It will examine the implications of market and non-market mechanisms for redistribution and universality.

Entry Requirements

none

Subject Areas

Home subject area

International Public Health Policy, (School of Health in Social Science, Schedule D)

Delivery Information

? Normal year taken : Postgraduate

? Delivery Period : Block 2 only

? Contact Teaching Time : 3 hour(s) per week for 5 weeks

Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes

The course will enable students to:
- understand the role of the State in the funding and provision of heath care
- identify and assess the basic principles and goals of health care services.
- assess the different ways of funding and organising health care
- identify different types of health care systems,
- evaluate health care systems from the perspective of equity and universal coverage
- recognise the basis of market orientated reforms
examine the role of market mechanisms in health systems.