Supply Chain Management for Healthcare MSc

• Term 1
• 15 credits
  • 80% exam
  • 20% coursework

The Healthcare Supply Chain Fundamentals module will offer an overview of stakeholders involved in the delivery of healthcare products and services. You will come to understand the different stakeholders contributing to the process of producing medical products and delivering health care services such as manufacturers, healthcare distributors, hospitals, providers, group purchasing organisations and regulatory agencies. The module will introduce you to methods of Process Theory and Value Stream Mapping, and also to some of the evidence around delivery of lean in public, non-profit and private health organisations while highlighting the potential of these tools in terms of outcomes such as improved health, efficiency and equity. Considering that healthcare supply chains are a complex system with multiple and diverse interactions, you will discuss the political, economic, regulatory and social context shaping their functioning. You will be able to appreciate the role of regulatory agencies and how it can differ depending on the health system delivery model. You will learn about the various relationships with suppliers and customers that allow the delivery of products and services. You will be exposed to theories, models and tools for inventory as a system to decouple supply and demand in an organisation. 

You will also come to understand the role of supply chain and operations managers. This module equips you with knowledge and theories to engage with the leadership and change management academic literature. The module will expose you to a range of academic research in leadership to enhance your appreciation of various perspectives of complex leadership concepts in the context of healthcare supply chain management.

• Term 1
• 15 credits
  • 50% coursework
  • 50% group presentation

Data-driven supply chains use data to enhance their performance and deliver value to final recipients. Students will learn key mathematical models for supply chain optimisation, including the Knapsack model and the Travel Salesperson model. They will also learn how to conduct simulations using software like Arena Simulation to evaluate different supply chain scenarios. Additionally, they will learn how to interpret simulation results using visual and statistical tools, and develop mathematical models to address new healthcare supply chain management issues.

• Term 1
• 15 credits
  • 50% exam
  • 50% group presentation

This compulsory module introduces students to the complexity of sustainability decisions in a context where value for patients is of core importance. Students will learn about core sustainability frameworks and goals. Students will develop sustainability knowledge and tools with the goal to create successful relationships with supply chain partners that are based on the common need to improve sustainability. The module will also introduce students to the foundations of sustainability and concepts and tools to integrate corporate social responsibility in organisations’ strategies and plans. Students will be equipped with key knowledge on the sustainability requirements of the healthcare supply chain. They will critically engage with Value-Based Healthcare and understand tools to integrate value in the healthcare operations with an understanding of how sustainability is part of the value delivered in a healthcare supply chain. 

The module will consist of case-based learning, problem-solving exercises, and reflective discussions, applying theoretical concepts to real-world supply chain challenges. By the end of the module, students will have developed a strong foundation in Value-Based Health Care and sustainability that will provide them with the ability to analyse issues with value delivered in healthcare supply chains and to propose an approach to overcome them.

• Term 1
• 15 credits
  • 50% coursework
  • 50% group presentation

In this module, you will learn about the various aspects of global health supply chain management resilience including the geopolitical and environmental context, identifying vulnerabilities and risks, preventing and mitigating disruptions and decision making trade-offs across humanitarian organisations, healthcare providers and life science industry. You will also learn about scenario planning and you will understand how to tailor your responses to specific contexts and situations. Students will develop an ability to learn from past disruptions and crises. You will come to appreciate the various stakeholders affecting the resilience of the global health supply chain such as API manufacturers, final medical product manufacturers, hospitals, providers, group purchasing organisations and regulatory agencies. You will understand how the relationships with suppliers and customers affect the resilience of the delivery of products and services. You will learn about the role of safety stocks, information and redundancies and how to relate these factors to other supply chain management decisions such as cost efficiency and responsiveness. The barriers that need to be overcome to enhance supply chain resilience will be discussed. You will also explore how innovative technologies such as blockchain and digital twins affect supply chain resilience.

• Term 2
• 15 credits
  • 100% Dissertations, extended projects, and reports

This module prepares you to approach health systems challenges with a perspective on whether and how artificial intelligence (AI) could offer unique and meaningful solutions. It will begin with a focus on data for health systems to critically evaluate the kind, quality, representativeness, accessibility, and other considerations that would be the basis for AI-driven decision-making. Recognising why these data are so important for a meaningful result of any analysis and the risks when the data are not appropriate or have other limitations will be foundational to the content for the remainder of the module. You will also explore an overview of the wide range of techniques available including statistical models through to deep learning and including machine learning, natural language processing, and many others. We will dissect these tools and look at their potential uses and why some are appropriate for different kinds of health systems challenges and key considerations for anyone managing change or seeking an innovative solution in order to choose the most efficient and effective tool considering trade-offs including related to cost, sustainability, acceptability in a given context, etc. Finally, we will delve into a set of critical policy and regulation considerations for AI and health systems and associated needs and opportunities for innovation. Some have well-established approaches and ever widening use in diverse settings while many are emerging and rapidly evolving with a host of ethical and practical considerations that do not yet have clear or widely adopted solutions. In looking at these considerations, we will explore additional examples of the potential and complexity of the influence of AI on and applications to health systems.

• Term 2
• 15 credits
  • 50% coursework
  • 50% group presentation

This module is based on a wide-range of academic research and professional experience and has the goal to teach you about procurement and contracting in the healthcare supply chain. You will be introduced to key theories and tools to procurement while also discussing their application in the healthcare context, as part of the module you will be exposed to different steps of the procurement process to appreciate it in its entirety. You will develop an in-depth understanding of different negotiation techniques as you explore a variety of different situations and problems. You will learn about ethics and its role in the procurement sector to ensure that appropriate decisions are taken in public and private organisations. This module enhances critical awareness on the impact of technology and e-procurement on the work of procurement managers. A number of case studies will be presented to give you context on the needs of supplier management and you will develop an understanding of the tension between ‘make’ or ‘buy’ decisions. The module presents the role of contracting within organisations particularly in the context of contracting strategy. Lastly, you will learn about conflict resolution and its importance to ensure the smooth functioning of operations in the healthcare context.

• Term 2
• 15 credits
  • 60% group presentation
  • 40% exam

In this core module students will learn about core topics in the fields of logistics and AI. This module enables students to develop project skills to lead digital transformation, and to understand the potential of AI and digital technologies for the logistics of health care supply chains.

• Term 2
• 15 credits
  • 60% exam
  • 40% group presentation

This module has the goal to teach you how to interpret and analyse performance measures, Key Performance Indicators and financial statements such as statement of financial position, balance sheet and profit and loss statement. The module covers cashflows and investment evaluation so that you can learn and discuss investment alternatives. You will learn also about costing methodologies to determine the full cost of product and services and about sustainability metrics. The module covers the Balanced Scorecard for decision making and how to review performance in a comprehensive manner. In addition to the focus on interpreting and analysing these various financial and performance metrics for decision making, you will also learn key principles of financial reporting ethics. The material will be covered across the teaching in a way that will develop your skills and knowledge of performance measurement and management.

• Term 3
• 30 credits
  • 100% group activity (2 assessments)

In this module you will learn the importance of team dynamics and collaboration for design and innovation as you bring your learning across the programme into one of two final projects.  You will bring together key aspects of business and management that you have acquired across the programme such as strategy, project management, financing, marketing and leadership through a group project that involves conceptualising, undertaking a proof-of-concept, developing an initial business proposal, preparing an outline business case and then a detailed business case on an approved project. You will also learn how to pitch/present your ideas as part of the learning on this capstone module.

• Term 3
• 30 credits
  • 100% dissertations, extended projects and reports

In this module you will have the opportunity to connect with research in an area that has piqued your curiosity in the programme. You will bring together what you have learned across the programme and through desk-based research an original piece of research. This piece of work is an opportunity for you to work independently to shape and engage on a topic that excites you. This project can be part of an enhanced synthesis of the literature, practice or an area of clinical practice. The ambition is to allow you the opportunity to identify personal areas of specialisation or interest to inform your academic skills for professional development. You will begin to work on the project in term 2 through a number of research in practice sessions to assist you with the project.