| CODE | PHL5127 | ||||||||||||
| TITLE | Health Care Systems and Management | ||||||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 05 - Postgraduate Modular Diploma or Degree Course | ||||||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 7 | ||||||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 10 | ||||||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Public Health | ||||||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | This study-unit concerns health care systems and health care programmes from a Public Health perspective focusing on their organization structures and the skills and competencies for their effective and efficient management. Public health professionals should understand the health needs of the population and options available to improve the health outcomes of communities. This includes whole population and whole-of-government approaches, not just services for the most vociferous members of society, with particular insights in serving the needs of the most vulnerable. Professionals involved in developing programmes and services need to have this public health perspective. The unit is geared to helping the student gain the public health management knowledge, aptitude, skills and competencies needed to improve existing health programmes and services or develop new ones. Study-unit Aims: - To develop the necessary public health management knowledge, aptitude, skills and competencies; - To appraise different theories of strategic management for control of diseases and other priority health services in order to select the most appropriate practices based on explicit criteria; - To design coherent programmes and prepare action plans for implementation of programmes including health technology assessment, management of resources, and basic financial management and budgeting; - To evaluate health, health care and organisational systems, their funding methodologies and their performance assessment; - To examine current issues in health policy and those related to improving quality, access and acceptability of health services; - To critically assess the impact of EU Health policy on health systems. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: a. assess individuals, teams/groups and their development – personal management skills, creativity and innovation, multidisciplinary approaches, leadership and negotiation, behavior change; b. evaluate the complexity of organizations, their function and structure – resources and capabilities, stakeholder management, partnership and intersectoral work, social networks, the impact of external influences; c. explain the challenges of management and identify the opportunities and threats inherent to the process of achieving change – management models, critical evaluation, performance management, cost terminology and behavior; d. describe the theory and process of strategy development, strategy communication and strategy implementation in relation to health care – policy analysis and strategy, problems of policy implementation, major relevant national and global policies, the impact of EU policies, funding systems for health; e. discuss patient safety issues and quality in health and social care – clinical guidelines, clinical effectiveness, quality standards, patient involvement, accountability, clinical governance, risk management; f. discuss basic finance and accounting principles - the theoretical approaches to financial management and accounting and their relationship to health and health care delivery; preparation, presentation and utilization of budgets; public procurement; financial audit and protection against fraud; the relevant legislative framework; g. demonstrate effective written and oral communication in general, and in the management context; h. argue and assess the performance of health systems using a comprehensive and comparative approach. 2. Skills By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: a. develop effective personal management skills; b. identify and manage internal and external stakeholder interests in the management of resources within organizations; c. apply basic management models and theories associated with motivation and leadership to practical situations and problems; d. evaluate a range of principles and frameworks for managing change; e. review literature on health systems and synthesize evidence in a coherent manner; f. demonstrate the practical application of the principles of quality management in the context of health care and social care; g. link demographic information and health service information and interpret these linkages in the context of public health interventions and related financial costs; h. practice effective communication through the presentation of the organization and management issues linked to current health policies or strategies; i. challenge and constructively criticize policies and decisions pertaining to the organization of health care systems and the delivery of health care services. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: - Registries, Surveys and Reports carried out by the Department of Health Information and Research. - Documents at Web site of the Ministry responsible for Health at https://health.gov.mt - Annual Mortality Reports . Malta 1990-2014 (Ministry of Health). - Epidemiology in Medical Practice Barker, Rose and Cooper. 1998. 5th edition – Churchill Livingstone. - Public consultation documents in www.konsultazzjoni.gov.mt - Various internet, Medline and local reports published recently. - Lecture notes from the various lecturers. - National Health Systems Strategy and the Health Systems Performance Assessment for Malta. - https://health.gov.mt/en/CMO/Documents/alert_nhss_eng.pdf - https://health.gov.mt/en/dhir/Documents/HSPA%20-%20Malta%20Report%20-%20Final%20050416.pdf - http://www.euro.who.int/en/about-us/partners/observatory - Financial legislation: http://justiceservices.gov.mt/LOM.aspx?pageid=27&mode=chrono&gotoID=174 - Internal audit and financial investigation legislation: http://justiceservices.gov.mt/LOM.aspx?pageid=27&mode=chrono&gotoID=461 - Auditor General & Audit Office Legislation: http://justiceservices.gov.mt/LOM.aspx?pageid=27&mode=chrono&gotoID=396 - Budget documents: https://mfin.gov.mt/en/The-Budget/Pages/The-Budget-2017.aspx |
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| ADDITIONAL NOTES | Pre-requisite qualifications: A registered MSc Public Health student |
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| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture | ||||||||||||
| METHOD OF ASSESSMENT |
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| LECTURER/S | Alexia Bezzina John M. Cachia (Co-ord.) Miriam Camilleri Miriam Dalmas Kenneth E. Grech |
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2023/4. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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