Health Care Economics and Financing
Study Course Implementer
Dzirciema street 16, Rīga, szf@rsu.lv
About Study Course
Objective
Learn the principles of health economics and methods for their application in health policy formation and health care organization, as well as gain knowledge about the sources, types and structure of health care financing systems.
Preliminary Knowledge
Basic knowledge of economics, analytical and graph interpretation skills, knowledge of English.
Learning Outcomes
Knowledge
1.• To understand the importance and application of health economics in health policy formation and organization • Understand the macroeconomic importance of health care • To learn the application of health economics methods in the analysis and planning of health care processes • To understand the limiting action of market factors in the field of health care and the formation of the market for health care services • Understand the formation of demand, supply and prices in the healthcare sector • Understand the formation of costs, prices and tariffs for health care services • Learn the principles and types of health care financing and insurance • To understand the economic aspects of creating payment systems for health care services.
Skills
1.• Describe the economic aspects of health systems: resource limitations, efficiency, productivity, etc. • Apply margin analysis in the planning of health care services. • Describe the formation of the health care services market, limited competition and those influencing it factors • Analyze the supply demand-forming factors in health care. • Analyze and calculate the costs of healthcare services • Describe the principles of health care financing and insurance • Describe the principles and methods of procuring healthcare services.
Competences
1.• Create a health policy based on the basic principles of health economics • Introduce the principles of health care in the organization of health care • Evaluate the economic parameters and efficiency of health systems • Plan and propose solutions for health care financing • Choose and apply methods of purchasing healthcare services.
Assessment
Individual work
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Title
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% from total grade
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Grade
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1.
Individual work |
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- Literature search, analysis and study
- Data search, collection and analysis
- Case analysis
- Solving tasks and presenting results and results of independent work.
In order to evaluate the quality of the study course as a whole, the student must fill out the study course evaluation questionnaire on the Student Portal.
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Examination
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Title
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% from total grade
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Grade
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1.
Examination |
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• Activity during interactive lectures and classes
• Individual and group work case study analysis and presentation
• Written exam
Cumulative assessment: 50% – evaluation of the written exam and 50% – work in lectures and classes and other tasks.
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Study Course Theme Plan
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Lecture
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Modality
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Location
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Contact hours
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On site
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Auditorium
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2
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Topics
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Basic principles of health economics
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Class/Seminar
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Modality
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Location
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Contact hours
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|---|---|---|
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On site
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Auditorium
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2
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Topics
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Basic principles of health economics
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Lecture
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Modality
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Location
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Contact hours
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|---|---|---|
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On site
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Auditorium
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2
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Topics
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The macroeconomic importance of health care
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Class/Seminar
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Modality
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Location
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Contact hours
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|---|---|---|
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On site
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Auditorium
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2
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Topics
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The macroeconomic importance of health care
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Lecture
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Modality
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Location
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Contact hours
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|---|---|---|
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On site
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Auditorium
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2
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Topics
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Formation of supply and demand in health care
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Class/Seminar
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Modality
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Location
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Contact hours
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|---|---|---|
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On site
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Auditorium
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2
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Topics
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Formation of supply and demand in health care
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Lecture
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Modality
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Location
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Contact hours
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On site
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Auditorium
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2
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Topics
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Characteristics and specifics of the healthcare services market
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Class/Seminar
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Modality
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Location
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Contact hours
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On site
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Auditorium
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2
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Topics
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Characteristics and specifics of the healthcare services market
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Lecture
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Modality
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Location
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Contact hours
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On site
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Auditorium
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2
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Topics
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Costs, prices and tariffs
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Lecture
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Modality
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Location
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Contact hours
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|---|---|---|
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On site
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Auditorium
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2
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Topics
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Costs, prices and tariffs
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Class/Seminar
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Modality
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Location
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Contact hours
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|---|---|---|
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On site
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Auditorium
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2
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Topics
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Costs, prices and tariffs
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Class/Seminar
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Modality
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Location
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Contact hours
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|---|---|---|
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On site
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Auditorium
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2
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Topics
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Costs, prices and tariffs
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Lecture
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Modality
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Location
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Contact hours
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|---|---|---|
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On site
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Auditorium
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2
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Topics
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The concept of efficiency in health care
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Class/Seminar
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Modality
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Location
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Contact hours
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On site
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Auditorium
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2
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Topics
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The concept of efficiency in health care
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Lecture
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Modality
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Location
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Contact hours
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On site
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Auditorium
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2
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Topics
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Health care financing and insurance systems
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Lecture
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Modality
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Location
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Contact hours
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|---|---|---|
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On site
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Auditorium
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2
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Topics
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Health care financing and insurance systems
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Class/Seminar
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Modality
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Location
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Contact hours
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|---|---|---|
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On site
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Auditorium
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2
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Topics
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Health care financing and insurance systems
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-
Class/Seminar
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Modality
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Location
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Contact hours
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|---|---|---|
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On site
|
Auditorium
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2
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Topics
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Health care financing and insurance systems
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-
Lecture
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Modality
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Location
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Contact hours
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|---|---|---|
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On site
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Auditorium
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2
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Topics
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Types and methods of purchasing healthcare services
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Class/Seminar
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Modality
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Location
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Contact hours
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|---|---|---|
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On site
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Auditorium
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2
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Topics
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Types and methods of purchasing healthcare services
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Bibliography
Required Reading
Guinness L., Wiseman V. (2011). Introduction to Health Economics. 2nd edition. McGraw-Hill/Open University Press
Drummond M.et al. (2015). Methods for the economic evaluation of health care programmes . 4th ed. Oxford; New York: Oxford University Press
Papanicolas I., Rajan D., Karanikolos M., et al. (2022). Health system performance assessment: A framework for policy analysis, European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies
Cashin C., et al. (2014). Paying for performance in health care. Implications for health system performance and accountability, Open University Press, European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies Series
Additional Reading
Williams, et al. (2019). Sustainable health financing with an ageing population: will population ageing lead to uncontrolled health expenditure growth? World Health Organization (the European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies)
Behmane, Dūdele, et al. (2019). Latvia: health system review 2019. Health Systems in Transition, Vol. 21 No. 4