Health Care Organisation and Management in the Digital Age

Description of this course

About the course

If you want to gain an insight into how health and social care is organised and governed in the era of digitalisation, both globally and locally, this course is for you.

The course will introduce you to the World Health Organization (WHO) health systems framework, which helps you understand the building blocks of a health system and how they interact. By applying the framework, you learn how care is organised in different countries and the challenges they face.

You will also study examples from the Swedish healthcare system. The examples will provide insight into how healthcare professionals organise and manage their clinical work. In addition, you will have the opportunity to develop creative proposals for how digitalisation can be used to address some of the healthcare challenges you identify during the course.

About the teaching

The course is taught in English and consists of various learning activities, including:

• lectures
• seminars
• workshops
• group work
• individual studies.

All learning activities are highly interactive. You are expected to participate in all scheduled sessions.

Health Care Organisation and Management in the Digital Age

Vården och omsorgens organisation och styrning i digitaliseringens tid

Specific entry requirements

At least 120 credits within health care, medicine, biomedicine, medical technology, computer and systems sciences, informatics or health economics. Proficiency in English equivalent to the Swedish upper secondary school course English 6/English B.

Outcomes

Aim
The course aims to introduce students to the health care organization and management, and how this affects public health. There is a special focus on the opportunities offered by digitization and how these can be utilized in quality and improvement work.
On completion of the course, the student should be able to:

Knowledge and understanding

• explain the goals of a health system, its building blocks, and functions using relevant theories and frameworks (such as the WHO health system framework);
• reflect on the opportunities and challenges with digitization in supporting quality and improvement work in healthcare, in different contexts.

Skills and abilities

• identify health system challenges in different contexts, and analyze these in relation to quality aims (STEEEP criteria);
• lead and carry out project work individually and in groups, and clearly present and discuss the findings and conclusions;
• explain relevant theories for quality assessment and improvement work in healthcare management and organization.

Assessment ability and attitudes

• assess the benefits and possible risks of digitalization in health care organization and management;
• relate health care organizational analysis to relevant scientific, social and equity aspects, and demonstrate an awareness of ethical aspects of research and development.

Content

The course introduces students to the health care complexity. With the help of the WHO health systems framework students will analyze the key building blocks of a health system and its functions, and examine challenges at the global and local level. The students will also learn how digitization can be used in quality assurance and improvement work.

Teaching methods

The course will offer multiple blended learning activities such as: lectures, seminars, , study visits, as well as individual and group project work.

Examination

Individual assignment (A-F). Group assignment (Pass/Fail)
The course will be examined through individual assignments and a written group assignment and its oral presentation. In order to pass the course the students need to demonstrate fulfillment of all the course outcomes.

Compulsory participation:
The course includes mandatory sessions marked in the course schedule. The examiner assesses if and, in that case, how absence from compulsory parts can be compensated. Before the student has participated in all compulsory parts or compensated absence in accordance with the examiner's instructions, the student's results for the course/respective part will not be registered. Absence from a compulsory part may result in the student having to wait to compensate until the next time the course is given.

Limitation of number of occasions for the examination
Students who have not passed the regular examination are entitled to participate in five more examinations. If the student has not passed the exam after four participations he/she is encouraged to visit the study councellor. If the student has failed six examinations/tests, no additional examination or new admission is provided. The number of times that the student has participated in one and the same examination is regarded as an examination session. Submission of a blank examination is regarded as an examination session. Delayed submission affects the possibility to receive a higher grade than C. An examination for which the student registered but not participated in will not be counted as an examination.

If there are special grounds, or a need for adaptation for a student with a disability, the examiner may decide to deviate from the syllabus's regulations on the examination form, the number of examination opportunities, the possibility of supplementation or exemptions from the compulsory section/s of the course etc. Content and learning outcomes as well as the level of expected skills, knowledge and abilities may not be changed, removed or reduced.

Transitional provisions

Examination will be provided during a time of two years after a possible cancellation of the course. Examination can take place according to an earlier literature list during a time of one year after the date when a major renewal of the literature list has been made.

Other directives

Course evaluation will be carried out in accordance with the guidelines established by the Committee for Higher Education.

The course is given in English.

Literature and other teaching aids

• Bohmer, Richard M. J., Designing care: aligning the nature and management of health care, Boston, Mass. : Harvard Business Press, cop. 2009 - x, 261 s. ISBN: 978-1-4221-7560-6 (inb.), LIBRIS-ID: 11612887,
• Healthcare management, Walshe, Kieran; Smith, Judith A., 3. ed. : London : McGraw-Hill Education/Open University Press, 2016 - xii, 447 p. ISBN: 978-0-335-26352-3, LIBRIS-ID: 19699941, *