Health Economics

 

STUDENT PERFORMANCE EVALUATION

1. Essay – group work (20%)
2. Written final exam (80%) which includes:

• • Multiple choice test
  • Short answer Questions

 

LEARNING OUTCOMES

PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES

The aim of the course is to provide students the appropriate knowledge regarding the financial efficiency and effectiveness of the public and private health-care services, in order to optimize the cost-effectiveness ratio. Furthermore, the course aims at enhancing the critical thinking of nurse students, in order to understand the financial operation of the health care system, to conduct financial audits, to promote innovative financial and managerial methods for the development of health care organizations at the microeconomy level and to develop a critical reasoning regarding health economics.

Specifically, the objectives of this course focus on:

• • Understanding the specific economic characteristics of health and healthcare systems, and analyzing how these characteristics affect the efficiency of health care organizations
  • Recognizing the important decisions that need to be made in health care systems, the information needed to support these decisions, considering the existing limited resources
  • The application of methods to determine (measure) the value of health and to determine the individual, social and moral implications associated to decision making on the allocation of limited resources
  • Searching and analyzing the required information for supply and demand in health care services
  • Synthesizing specific financial tools and evaluation methods to improve decision-making in the field of health care services
  • Understanding how the healthcare sector interacts with other sectors within the frame of  the economy, and recognize the consequences of these interactions
  • The classification of various health care systems, and the (overt and covert) incentives in each organizational and financial structure
  • Utilizing financial tools and methods to assess the impact of the various financing and health care delivery systems.

Upon completion of the course students will be able to:

• • To understand the importance of health care units as economic units and their importance in the economic development of a country
  • To understand the factors that shape the demand and supply of health care services and to propose measures to balance the health care market at both primary and secondary level
  • To analyze the association between economic problems and financial transactions in the health system and to ensure financial balance within the existing framework
  • To understand, manage and design the budget of health care units and the process of operation of financial services.

 

GENERAL COMPETENCES

• Search, analysis and synthesis of data and information, using the necessary technologies
• Decision making
• Autonomous work
• Teamwork
• Work in an interdisciplinary environment
• Exercise criticism and self-criticism
• Promoting free, creative and inductive thinking