21822 International Health Management

Subject level: Postgraduate

Handbook description

This subject examines two main aspects of health management – trends and lessons from overseas that have relevance for Australian health managers and the potential marketing and transfer of Australian health management expertise to overseas countries. Topics include: health funding policy (and epidemiological considerations), health care models and management systems; context of health management (prevailing conditions); management of health technology; ethical and legal dimensions of health management; and concepts of quality management.

Subject objectives/outcomes

On successful completion of this subject students should be able to:

1. Demonstrate an understanding of the international trends and issues in health management.
2. Identify the range of complex factors that are relevant to health management systems, internationally.
3. Assess the strengths and weaknesses of different models of health management in evidence internationally in developed and developing countries.

Contribution to graduate profile

Health management systems in developed or developing economies are derived from a range of complex factors such as history, culture, tradition, ideology, levels of economic, social and technological development, the impact of war, and the roles of donor supranational organisations, governments, private and not for profit sector actors. While health management systems can be broadly categorised on the basis of access, provision and funding there are both similarities and differences in terms of how health management systems operate in various countries. Determinants of health can also focus on ill health and encompass issues such as the level of preventive or primary health care and institutional settings, as well as wider factors such as levels of education, affluence, sanitation, accommodation and the like. This subject provides students with an understanding of the broad range of issues and how analytical frameworks can be developed for understanding how health management systems are devised and operate. This subject is intended to focus students' attention away from the Australian setting so that they can particularly consider a more international arena.

Teaching and learning strategies

Lectures, discussion groups, case studies and intelligence gathering assignments will be used to cover the major issues relating to this subject. Lecture and other teaching material and subject information will be available at UTS Online. In addition the lecturer will be available for individual consultation face-to-face or online throughout the semester.

Content

• Overview of health management systems internationally.
• Framework for analysing health management systems.
• Financing health management systems.
• The managed competition model, USA.
• Universal access model, UK and Canada.
• The determinants of health.
• More tools for analysing health management systems.
• Identifying comparative factors.
• Understanding the institutional, instrumental and dynamic environments of health management systems.
• Case studies in international health management.
• Case studies in international health management.
• Case studies in international health management.

Assessment

Assessment item 1: Health Management Assignment (Individual)

Assessment item 2: International Health Management Report (Group)

Assessment item 3: Class Report Presentation (Group)