Veidlapa Nr. M-3 (8)
Study Course Description

Health Care Economics and Financing

Main Study Course Information

Course Code
SZF_113
Branch of Science
Economics and Business
ECTS
5.00
Target Audience
Business Management; Health Management; Management Science; Public Health
LQF
Level 7
Study Type And Form
Full-Time

Study Course Implementer

Course Supervisor
Structure Unit Manager
Structural Unit
Health Management Teaching Group
Contacts

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

Title
% from total grade
Grade
1.

Individual work

-
-
- 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.

Examination

Title
% from total grade
Grade
1.

Examination

-
-
• 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.

Study Course Theme Plan

FULL-TIME
Part 1
  1. Lecture

Modality
Location
Contact hours
On site
Auditorium
2

Topics

Basic principles of health economics
  1. Class/Seminar

Modality
Location
Contact hours
On site
Auditorium
2

Topics

Basic principles of health economics
  1. Lecture

Modality
Location
Contact hours
On site
Auditorium
2

Topics

The macroeconomic importance of health care
  1. Class/Seminar

Modality
Location
Contact hours
On site
Auditorium
2

Topics

The macroeconomic importance of health care
  1. Lecture

Modality
Location
Contact hours
On site
Auditorium
2

Topics

Formation of supply and demand in health care
  1. Class/Seminar

Modality
Location
Contact hours
On site
Auditorium
2

Topics

Formation of supply and demand in health care
  1. Lecture

Modality
Location
Contact hours
On site
Auditorium
2

Topics

Characteristics and specifics of the healthcare services market
  1. Class/Seminar

Modality
Location
Contact hours
On site
Auditorium
2

Topics

Characteristics and specifics of the healthcare services market
  1. Lecture

Modality
Location
Contact hours
On site
Auditorium
2

Topics

Costs, prices and tariffs
  1. Lecture

Modality
Location
Contact hours
On site
Auditorium
2

Topics

Costs, prices and tariffs
  1. Class/Seminar

Modality
Location
Contact hours
On site
Auditorium
2

Topics

Costs, prices and tariffs
  1. Class/Seminar

Modality
Location
Contact hours
On site
Auditorium
2

Topics

Costs, prices and tariffs
  1. Lecture

Modality
Location
Contact hours
On site
Auditorium
2

Topics

The concept of efficiency in health care
  1. Class/Seminar

Modality
Location
Contact hours
On site
Auditorium
2

Topics

The concept of efficiency in health care
  1. Lecture

Modality
Location
Contact hours
On site
Auditorium
2

Topics

Health care financing and insurance systems
  1. Lecture

Modality
Location
Contact hours
On site
Auditorium
2

Topics

Health care financing and insurance systems
  1. Class/Seminar

Modality
Location
Contact hours
On site
Auditorium
2

Topics

Health care financing and insurance systems
  1. Class/Seminar

Modality
Location
Contact hours
On site
Auditorium
2

Topics

Health care financing and insurance systems
  1. Lecture

Modality
Location
Contact hours
On site
Auditorium
2

Topics

Types and methods of purchasing healthcare services
  1. Class/Seminar

Modality
Location
Contact hours
On site
Auditorium
2

Topics

Types and methods of purchasing healthcare services
Total ECTS (Creditpoints):
5.00
Contact hours:
40 Academic Hours
Final Examination:
Exam (Written)

Bibliography

Required Reading

1.

Guinness L., Wiseman V. (2011). Introduction to Health Economics. 2nd edition. McGraw-Hill/Open University Press

2.

Drummond M.et al. (2015). Methods for the economic evaluation of health care programmes . 4th ed. Oxford; New York: Oxford University Press

3.

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

4.

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

1.

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)

2.

Behmane, Dūdele (2022). Vērtībās balstītas veselības aprūpes koncepcija

3.

Behmane, Dūdele, et al. (2019). Latvia: health system review 2019. Health Systems in Transition, Vol. 21 No. 4

4.

WHO: Health financing

Other Information Sources

1.

The European Journal of Health Economics

2.

OECD: Health expenditure