Veidlapa Nr. M-3 (8)
Study Course Description
Organisation of Health Care
Course Code
MDAK_029
Branch of Science
Clinical medicine
ECTS
3.00
Target Audience
Nursing Science
LQF
Level 6
Study Type And Form
Full-Time
Study Course Implementer
Course Supervisor
Eva Cela
Structure Unit Manager
Kristaps Circenis
Structural Unit
Department of Nursing and Obstetric Care
Contacts
Riga, 26a Anninmuizas boulevard, mdak@rsu.lv, +371 67061568
About Study Course
Objective
To promote the development of students' knowledge and understanding of the organization, policy and financing of the health care system in Latvia and in an international context, as well as to develop an understanding of the principles of health care management and management, quality management and their practical application in nursing professional activities.
Preliminary Knowledge
Theoretical foundations of nursing and professional activities of a general care nurse; Legal aspects of health care.
Learning Outcomes
Knowledge
1.As a result of the study course, students will have acquired knowledge of: the nature, principles and main documents of Latvian health care policy; the health care financing system in Latvia and other European countries; the organizational structure of the Latvian health care system and levels of health care; general management principles, their application and peculiarities in the health care system; the basic principles of health care quality management;
Skills
1.As a result of the study course, students will be able to: analyze health care policy documents and their significance in the development of the health care system; analyze the organizational structure of health care and the functions of different levels of health care; apply general management principles in health care organization and nursing professional activities; identify and evaluate the implementation of health care quality management principles in practice; use electronic information systems in the health sector to ensure professional activities (E-health, Doctor's Office, etc.); evaluate information related to health care organization, management, financing and quality and use it in making professional decisions.
Competences
1.Will be able to justify the boundaries of their own professional activity and the professional activity of other healthcare professionals in the context of healthcare policy and legislation; apply various healthcare policy documents and legislation to the situation of a specific patient/client; to analyse, evaluate, synthesize and develop recommendations on certain aspects of the healthcare system; to analyse the basic principles of quality management system.
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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-
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Literature analysis. Discussions in small working groups, assessment of documents and situations and formulation of opinions, presentations on class topics.
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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|---|---|---|
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1.
Examination |
-
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10 points
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The final assessment of the study course is based on a cumulative assessment consisting of three parts: 1) Attendance and active participation in practical tasks – 40%. Attendance at 11 mandatory classes and active participation in classes make up 40% of the final assessment (11 × 3.64% for each class). The student’s participation in the performance of practical tasks, case analysis, discussions, group work and problem solving is evaluated. During the classes, students apply in practice the principles of health care organization, management, leadership, quality management, patient safety, change management and digital health. 2) Individual/group project – 30%. 30% of the final assessment is made up of a health care organization improvement project that is presented and defended during the class. As part of the project, the student/group of students chooses a current health care organization problem and develops a justified solution to it. Project evaluation criteria: a. Formulation of the problem and the project goal Is the chosen problem clearly identified? Is the project goal specific, measurable, achievable, significant and time-bound (SMART)? b. Analysis of the situation and the problem Is the problem analyzed using appropriate health care organization and management tools? The project must include a SWOT analysis and a force field analysis as a minimum. Depending on the topic of the project, it is also advisable to use other tools learned in the course, such as 5 Why, Ishikawa diagram, Pareto analysis, PDCA etc. c. Human resources and team management Does the project clearly and reasonably describe the organization of human resources, coordination of work, delegation, motivation, communication and control? Has the role of nurses and other health care professionals been taken into account? d. Patient-centeredness, quality and patient safety Does the proposed solution improve patient experience, quality of care and/or patient safety? Have the results to be achieved and quality indicators been defined? e. Implementation plan for the solution Is it clearly described who, what, when and how will implement it? Have possible risks, obstacles and their overcoming possibilities been foreseen? f. Evaluation of resources and costs Does the project take into account the most important necessary human, material, technological and financial resources? If necessary, a project budget is attached. g. Project design and defence The structure of the work, the logic of the information, the professional terminology, the quality of the language, the visual design, the presentation skills and the ability to justify the decisions made are evaluated. 3) Final test – 30%. 30% of the final assessment is made up of a 25 multiple-choice question test. The test checks both the student’s theoretical knowledge and the ability to apply theoretical insights to solving practical health care organization situations. Assessment componentAttendance at 11 mandatory classes and ac |
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Study Course Theme Plan
FULL-TIME
Part 1
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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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Off site
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E-Studies platform
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2
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Topics
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Health care system, policy and financing.
Principles and models of health care system organization. Latvian health care system, institutions and levels of health care. International and Latvian health care policy documents. Principles and models of health care financing in Latvia and Europe. Access to health care and organization of patient flow.
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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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Off site
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E-Studies platform
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2
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Topics
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Health Care Management, Leadership and Human Resources
Management functions and principles in health care. Organization structure and work organization. Leadership styles and decision making. The role of the nurse leader. Human resources planning, recruitment, adaptation, mentoring, motivation, professional development and performance evaluation.
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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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Off site
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E-Studies platform
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2
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Topics
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Patient-centred care, quality and patient safety
Principles of patient-centred and value-based healthcare. Patient and staff experience. Dimensions of healthcare quality and quality management. Quality indicators. Patient safety, adverse events, risk management and safety culture.
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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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Off site
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E-Studies platform
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2
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Topics
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Change Management and Healthcare Development
The need for change in healthcare. Principles and models of change management. Identifying and solving problems. Organizational resilience and professional well-being of employees. Introducing innovations and the role of nurses in healthcare development.
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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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Off site
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E-Studies platform
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2
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Topics
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Digital health, technology and artificial intelligence.
Digital health and health information systems. Electronic health records and data security. Telemedicine. Modern medical technologies. Artificial intelligence in healthcare. Opportunities and risks of digital solutions in nursing practice. European Health Data Space.
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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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Organisation of the Latvian health care system.
Analysis of the structure and functions of institutions of the Latvian health care system. Identification of levels 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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On site
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Auditorium
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2
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Topics
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Patient journey
Mapping the patient journey. Identifying access and coordination problems.
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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 policy and financing.
Analysis of the health care policy document of Latvia. Comparison of the health care financing systems of Latvia and another European country.
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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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Leadership and decision-making in nursing practice.
Practical situations: setting priorities, delegation, resource allocation and decision-making.
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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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Leadership and teamwork.
Analysis of management styles and leadership situations. The role of the nurse in a multidisciplinary team. Conflict resolution and effective communication.
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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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Human Resources Management.
Nursing staff planning, workload, motivation and professional development. Development of an induction and mentoring plan for new staff.
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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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Patient-centred care and human experience.
Mapping the patient experience. Developing practical solutions to improve patient-centred 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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Quality Improvement in Healthcare
IHI Quality Improvement Approaches and Tools. The Potato Head activity as a learning by doing method to understand processes, standardization and teamwork.
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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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Change management in healthcare.
Analysis of a real or simulated change situation. Development of a plan to implement the change and promote organizational resilience.
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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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Digital Health, Technology and AI in Nursing Practice.
Evaluating examples of use of health care apps, digital solutions and AI.
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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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Analysis of the benefits and risks of the use of electronic information exchange, data security and technology.
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Total ECTS (Creditpoints):
3.00
Contact hours:
32 Academic Hours
Final Examination:
Exam
Bibliography
Required Reading
1.
Dažāda līmeņa vadītāju vadības kompetence ārstniecības iestādes darbības nodrošināšanā. I. Vaine, I. Āboliņa, U. Bušmeistere. 2020.
2.
Mozgis Dz. Ceļvedis veselības aprūpes vadībā. Nacionālais apgāds. 2008 (akceptējams izdevums)
3.
Wallace J. Hopp , William S. Lovejoy. Hospital Operations: Principles of High Efficiency Health Care (FT Press Operations Management) 1st Edition. 2018.Suitable for English stream
4.
Ārmstrongs M. Kā kļūt par izcilu menedžeri. Pārbaudīti paņēmieni un svarīgas prasmes no A līdz Z. Rīga: Zvaigzne ABC, 2008. 344 lpp. (akceptējams izdevums)
5.
World Health Organization. (2021). Global Patient Safety Action Plan 2021–2030: Towards eliminating avoidable harm in health care. Geneva: WHO.Suitable for English stream
6.
WHO/ICN. Global Strategic Directions for Nursing and Midwifery 2021–2025.Suitable for English stream
7.
Dukāte I. Vadībzinības rokasgrāmata. R., Zvaigzne ABC, 2004. (akceptējams izdevums)
Additional Reading
1.
Clawson J., G. Level Three Leadership: Getting Below the Surface. Upper Saddle River: Pearson/Prentice Hall, 2016. p. 473Suitable for English stream
2.
Edeirs Dž. Līderība un motivācija. 50:50 likums un astoņi galvenie principi, kā motivēt citus. Rīga: Lietišķās informācijas dienests, 2007. 136 lpp.
3.
Tafinders P. Intensīvais līdervadības kurss: pilnveido sevi sešos soļos! Rīga: Pētergailis, 2004. 156 lpp.
4.
Robbins Stephen P. Coulter Mary. Management. 16th edition. Upper Saddle River: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2025.Suitable for English stream
5.
Prasmīga pārmaiņu vadība. Ievads organizāciju terapijā. Izdevējs: Zvaigzne ABC, 2018
6.
Kehre M. Personālmenedžments uzņēmumā. Biznesa augstskola “Turība”, Rīga , 2004.Suitable for English stream
7.
Kalve I. Apseglot pārmaiņu vējus. Rīga: Biznesa augstskola Turība, 2005. 296 lpp.
8.
Edeirs Dž. Kā izaudzēt līderus. Septiņi galvenie efektīvas līderības attīstības principi. Rīga: Lietišķās informācijas dienests, 2008. 186 lpp.
9.
Edeirs Dž. Nevis priekšnieki, bet līderi. Ceļš uz panākumiem līderībā. Rīga: Lietišķās informācijas dienests, 2008. 214 lpp.
10.
Reņģe V. Līderības fenomens Latvijā. Rīga: O.D.A., 2008. 285 lpp.
11.
WHO Regional Office for Europe. Moder Health Care Delivery Systems, Care Coordination and the Role of Hospitals. Copenhagen: WHO ROE, 2012.Suitable for English stream
12.
Robbins, S.P. Fundamentals of Management. Essential Concepts and Applications / Stephen P. Robbins, David A. Decenzo. Pearson Education, Inc., Prentice Hall. 2020Suitable for English stream
13.
Yukl G. Leadership in Organizations. 6th edition. Upper Saddle River: Pearson Education/Prentice Hall, XVI, 2019. 542 p.Suitable for English stream
14.
Jay Arthur. Lean Six Sigma for Hospitals: Simple Steps to Fast, Affordable, and Flawless Healthcar. 2016.Suitable for English stream
15.
Quality Caring in Nursing and Health Systems, 4th Edition. Duffy, Joanne R., PhD, RN, FAANSuitable for English stream
Other Information Sources
1.
International Organization for Standartization.Suitable for English stream
2.
European Foundation for Quality Management.Suitable for English stream
3.
American Quality Management.Suitable for English stream
4.
European Organization for Quality.Suitable for English stream
5.
Institute of Quality Assurance.Suitable for English stream
6.
Latvijas Kvalitātes asociācija.Suitable for English stream
7.
OECD/European Commission (2024). Health at a Glance: Europe 2024: State of Health in the EU Cycle. OECD Publishing.Suitable for English stream