HMAN4101 ¨C Introduction to Health Care System and Health Management

Course content

This course provides a broad introduction to health care systems, policy, and leadership in a comparative perspective. It explores the organization, financing, and provision of health care services across different countries, with a special focus on OECD health systems. In addition, the course covers core concepts and theories in health care management and leadership, highlighting how the unique characteristics of health care affect leadership and organizational performance.

Students will examine the evolution of European health care systems, assess different models of funding and provision, and analyze key reform efforts. The course also delves into leadership challenges in health care organizations, including change management, quality improvement, and motivating health professionals.

The course combines theoretical approaches with practical insights, preparing students to understand and engage with both system-level policies and organizational leadership in health care.

Learning outcome

Knowledge

You will gain knowledge of:

• The development and structure of health care systems, especially in Europe and other OECD countries

• Main models of health care financing, including tax-based systems, social health insurance (SHI), and voluntary insurance

• Health care provision models and the distinction between individual/institutional and public/private providers

• Prospective vs. retrospective funding, and activity-based vs. fixed financing models

• Key trends and outcomes of health care reforms in the past two decades

• The political economy of health governance at national and international levels

• Core theories and concepts of leadership and management in health care

• The historical evolution of the medical profession and doctor-patient relationships

• Approaches to managing change and implementing quality improvement

• Motivational theory relevant to individuals and teams in health care organizations

Skills

You will learn to:

• Describe and compare health care systems using theoretical frameworks

• Analyze incentives, risk adjustment mechanisms, and equity/inequity in health systems

• Evaluate the performance of health care systems using appropriate indicators

• Apply management and leadership theories to understand challenges in health care organizations

• Reflect on leadership strategies for addressing real-world issues in health care delivery and policy

Competence

You will be able to:

• Identify strengths and weaknesses of different health care systems and reform strategies

• Understand and assess current trends in global health care governance

• Translate theoretical knowledge into practical insights for managing and leading in health care settings

• Reflect on your own potential and interests in taking on leadership roles in the health care sector

Admission to the course

This course is available to students enrolled in a master¡¯s programme at HELSAM.

Students who are admitted to study programmes at UiO must each semester register which courses and exams they wish to sign up for?in Studentweb.

If you are not already enrolled as a student at UiO, please see our information about?admission requirements and procedures.

Overlapping courses

• 5 credits overlap with HGOV4100 ¨C Fundamentals of Health Care Systems.
• 5 credits overlap with HMAN4100 ¨C Fundamentals of management.

Teaching

The course consists of lectures, class discussions, and independent reading.

A broad set of literature related to health systems and management will be presented and discussed.

Active participation in discussions is expected, based on prior reading of assigned materials.

Examination

Individual written examination.

Examination and grading at The Faculty of Medicine.

Examination support material

No examination support material is allowed.

Language of examination

The exam will be given in English. Answers may be written in Norwegian, Swedish, Danish, or English.

Grading scale

Grades are awarded on a scale from A to F, where A is the best grade and F?is a fail. Read more about?the grading system.

Resit an examination

For Eu-HEM students:

An EU-hem student cannot present her or himself for the examination in a course more than two times. There will be held re-sits for EU-hem students who have failed an exam or who have legitimate absence (usually illness) in January and August. If you are entitled to a re-sit you must contact the student advisor via email no longer than one week after the result of the exam has been published.

More about examinations at UiO

• Use of sources and citations
• How to use AI as a student
• Special exam arrangements due to individual needs
• Withdrawal from an exam
• Illness at exams / postponed exams
• Explanation of grades and appeals
• Resitting an exam
• Cheating/attempted cheating

You will find further guides and resources at the web page on examinations at UiO.