Health Policies and Systems

Recommended Prerequisites

NA

Teaching Methods

The methodology includes lectures, using audiovisual means. It seeks to promote an active and participatory learning, focusing on the interaction, in order to better understand what is meant by a health system. Knowledge evaluation is performed by conducting a written work (80%) and correspondent presentation and discussion in the class (20%). The classification is assigned from zero to twenty values, being guaranteed approval with the minimum rating of ten values. The final mark will be the result of weighted average of the written document and the presentation/discussion.

Learning Outcomes

Cost control in health has led to the emergence of concerns with the effectiveness and efficiency of health services which, in turn, has encouraged the creation and development of measures of health need and outcome measures in health care. At the end of this course, students will have a more in depth perspective of what is a health system and what are the main goals of a health system. Finally, it is intended that they acquire an updated knowledge on the Portuguese health system.

Work Placement(s)

No

Syllabus

Concept of health systems and main objectives.

Performance and efficiency of a health system.

Functions of a health system.

Financing of health systems and the main sources of financing: Bismark and Beveridge models.

Evolution of the Portuguese Health System.

Contracting process in health.

Head Lecturer(s)

Pedro Augusto Melo Lopes Ferreira

Assessment Methods

Assessement
Knowledge evaluation is performed by conducting a written work (80%) and correspondent presentation and discussion in the class (20%). The classification is assigned from zero to twenty values, being guaranteed approval with the minimum rating of ten values. The final mark will be the result of weighted average of the written document and the presentation/discussion: 100.0%

Bibliography

Observatório Português dos Sistemas de Saúde. Relatórios de Primavera.

OECD. Health care systems: efficiency and policy settings. Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, 2010.

WHO. Portugal health system performance assessment. Copenhaga: World Health Organization, 2010.

World Health Organization. Everybody’s business. Strengthening health systems to improve health outcomes. Geneva, Switzerland: WHO, 2007.

World Health Organization. The World Health Report 2000. Health systems: improving performance. Geneva 27, Switzerland: WHO, 2000.

Outros relatórios produzidos por organizações nacionais e internacionais.