Syllabus
Purpose: Increase the analytical capacity and critical thinking of students in the field of health care, health policy and their context.
Objectives: 1.Apply a social ecological framework and social medicine approach analyzing health care systems and recognize the relationship between the other disciplines studied in the MPH and related fields. 2.Understand the dynamic of the actors involved in the health care systems (federal, state, and local governments, profit and non-profit organizations, entrepreneurs, patients/citizens, advocacy groups, charity groups). 3.Understand the most important health care system problems and proposals for solutions. 4.Reinforce social responsibility and understand core functions and essential public health services. 5.Improve the capacity to work sensitively and appropriately in culturally, racially, economically, socially, and linguistically diverse environments.
Methods: Each class meets for 80 minutes, once a week (Thursday 12:30-13:50). Students will be expected to read recommended readings before the class and come prepared to discuss. In each class, students, individually or in groups, will carry out the responsibility to introduce the readings assigned in the previous class.
The course starts with the knowledge and opinions of the students about health care systems and health care services through their personal, family, professional, and/or community experiences. Lectures, presentations, discussions, readings, and case discussions help to develop a more critical thinking of the health care system. The instructor provides the basic literature, but the students will have an active role in suggesting new reading materials. The students will receive assistance from instructor for bibliographical research. New reading materials could be added during the course.
Course Requirements and Grading: 1.Course participation (30% of grade). This includes attendance, active participation in class discussions. 2.3-5 page final paper based on topics selected by the student (35%). Due two days before oral exam.. 3.Oral exam (35%) in January of February. Exact days and times will be specified during the last two lectures.
The instructor will provide the guidelines during the class and office hours.
Office hours: Thoursday 14:30-16:00, room No 3007, Jinonice, Building B, third floor. Instructors mail address is: petr.hava@gmail.com
Web site. Materials for this course are also available in the course?s web site: htttp://samba.fsv.cuni.cz/~hava [Intenational comparison of health care systems and policies]. You can use this site without passwords. Please, open the syllabus and print it out for future reference.
Course outline and introductory readings: 1. Introduction and conceptual framework. Health care system model. Health and its determinants. Pressure for reform, reform themes. 2.Health care organization, delivery. Health promotion, Public health, Outpatient, inpatient, Primary care, hospitals, Long term care 3.Health care policy (concepts, models),stake-holders in health care systems, international actors: WHO, Eur. Observatory on Health Care Systems and Policies, OECD, World Trade Organization, World Bank 4.Financing and payment.Copayment, commercionalization of health care, markets and health care, ethical dimensions 5.Czech Republic
Transformation and reforms after 1990. Pluralistic model of public non-government health insurance funds. 6.Slovak Republic. Marketization of the system 7.Austria (federal system)
Social health insurance tradition, pluralistic model of health insurance funds 8.UK (National Health System) 9.USA (private-public mix of payers, federal system) 10.Canada (public single payer) 11.Russian Federation (federal system) 12.Public health in EU 13.The way forward, overview of current debates about alternatives of future development, ethical dilemmas
Investment in health, globalization,, welfare state
Annotation
The course provides a conceptual and analytical approach to the models of how health care is organized, financed, and delivered. Definitions of health policy, health care systems, and health care services will be analyzed.
Several aspects of health care systems and services are explored: the health care system as an expression of economic, political, and social structures; welfare policies and their impact on health care system. Role of World Health Organization (WHO), Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), European Observatory on Health Care Systems and Policies will be analyzed. Global free trade agreements and their impact on health care systems and public health will be discussed.
The current health care systems in the Czech and Slovak Republic, Austria, England, USA,. Canada, Russian Federation will be analyzed.
The debate over national health care system reforms will be presented.