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This module will cover the organisation of health and care systems, including the role of economics in providing evidence and informing policy.
Health systems vary considerably in the ways they are organised including the way they provide care and how they are financed and what they fund. This module will introduce you to the various organisational structures, processes, and funding alternatives of different health systems around the world, include the UK’s National Health Service, from an interdisciplinary perspective. You will gain a foundation in health economics and priority setting.
Health system quality and performance, including health outcomes and health inequalities, and mechanisms to improve it will be discussed to identify what a successful health system should look like. Health policy and the politics of health will be discussed, and the role of evidence in setting policies and informing practice. Students will also gain an understanding of the numerous challenges that health systems face, including non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and infectious diseases (like recent pandemics), staff shortages, conflict, financial and environmental sustainability, and climate change.
Aims of the module
The aim of this module is to provide students with an overview of how health and care systems are organised globally, including how care is provided and funded; how systems prioritise provision, including the role of health economics in setting priorities; and the policy challenges and solutions to overcome these.