Health Policy and Management for Universal Coverage

COURSE OVERVIEW

The aim of this course is to analyze the key factors that affect the organization of a health care delivery system oriented to provide universal coverage to the population in a public welfare system. The challenge of social oriented healthcare systems is to comply with the need of the access to technological innovation, pursuing environmental, social and economic sustainability.

The course will address these topics through an innovative approach, aimed at integrating different disciplinary perspectives such as, among others, economics, psychology, public health, clinical medicine, bioethics, clinical engineering, sociology and international law.

Different teaching approaches will be used: lectures, team works, role playing, guided visits will provide the students with an embedding experience in the reality of a universal health care system.

TOPICS

• Patient’s rights in an international perspective 
• Megatrends in healthcare and determinants of health 
• The features of health care systems
• Economics of healthcare systems
• Quality of healthcare: structure, processes, indicators
• The case of the Italian National Healthcare Service
• The role of patients and care givers in co-producing healthcare
• The contribution of technology in healthcare
• The paths of innovation in healthcare systems
• Assessing the impact of healthcare technologies in a public healthcare system
• Equity and patient access to care between innovation and sustainability
• Ethical challenges in complex healthcare systems
• The role of prevention in a public healthcare system
• Organizational models for primary healthcare
• Organizational models for secondary and tertiary care
• Integrating the patient journey and the role of ICT

TEACHING METHODS

• Lectures, team working and in class discussion, site visits, role playing and case studies.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

• Understanding the pillars of healthcare systems
• Analyzing the structure and functioning of a universal healthcare system 
• Understanding of trajectories for healthcare systems’ development
• Acquisition of an international perspective in healthcare delivery models

EVALUATIONS

• Assessment of in class participation (30%)
• Group assignments (case studies presentation) (30%)
• Final exam, Individual assignments (multiple choice test) (40%