Upon completion of this module, students should be able to:
• Acquire insights into structure of health care systems in industrially advanced economies;
• Develop a systematic understanding of the major economic, political and sociological issues involved in the organisation, production and financing of health care services, both nationally and internationally;
• Foster a critical awareness of key debates in policy reforms, including the role of government and other actors through comparative study of different health care systems; and
• Analyse the roles of professionals, users and researchers in the making, implementation and evaluation of health policy through the use of case studies.

Themes covered in the course include the historical foundations of different health care systems; similarities and differences in the way health care is financed, provided and regulated; contemporary debates on health care reforms such as economic sustainability, erosion of universal access, quality improvement, patient safety, medical tourism and migration of health care professionals.

Through comparative study of different health care systems, this course seeks to develop a critical awareness of the key debates in policy reforms, e.g. the role of government and other actors such as the private sector, health care professionals and users. Highlighting factors which bring about convergence and divergence across countries, the comparability of different health care systems will also be examined.

Not applicable to this module.

• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment

Not yet recorded.