Health policy, management and economics, 4.5 credits

A Bachelor's degree or a professional degree equivalent to a Swedish Bachelor's degree of at least 180 credits. And proficiency in English equivalent to English B/English 6.

After completion of the course, the student should be able to:

• Describe the health policy making process and the factors influencing it.
• Know the different theories explaining how decisions are made in the policy making process. ​                                 
• Understand the organization of health systems across the globe.
• Apply system thinking to understand the interactions between the different health systems blocks across the globe.
• Identify the current challenges that the different health system blocks face and propose solutions to tackle these challenges.
• Apply some basic concepts and tools in health economics.
• Describe basic health care financing models and use them analytically.
• Describe global institutions and other transnational actors in health.

• Power and the policy making process.
• Global institutions and transnational actors in health.
• The state, the private sector and health policy.
• Introduction to stakeholder analysis.
• Health systems and system thinking.
• Health system resilience and shocks to the system.
• Health systems and governance.
• Current challenges faced by the health systems blocks. 
• Essential models for health care financing.
• Basic concepts in health economics (DALY, QALYs, cost-benefit, cost-effectiveness analysis). 
• Presentation of basic issues and methods for monitoring and evaluation.

Teaching will consist of interactive lectures, group and individual assignments and project work. Attendance in compulsory parts of the course (i,e. individual/group assignments, oral presentation of individual/group assignments and selected lectures) is mandatory. Compulsory activities will be described in the course schedule. 

Compulsory participation
The examiner assesses if, and how, absence from compulsory educational elements can be compensated for. Before the student has participated in the compulsory educational elements or compensated the absence in accordance with the examiner's instructions, the final course results will not be reported. Absence from a compulsory educational component may imply that the student cannot compensate for missed compulsory educational elements until the next time the course is given. 

• An individually written course project.
• Oral presentations and written reports of individual work.
• Oral presentations and written reports of group work.

Requirements for "Pass" are" Pass" on the course project and" Pass" on both the oral and written group work.
Requirements for "Pass with distinction" are" Pass with distinction" on the course project and "Pass" on both the oral and written group work. All compulsory parts of the course must be completed in order to pass. Late submission of the course project will be graded as a fail.

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 advisor. 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. 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.

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.

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

The course language is English.