medfak/studietilbud -

Work Load 10 credits (ECTS)
Type of course Theoretical.
Level of course/Year of study First or second year at master''s level.
Language of instruction English.
Examination semester Autumn
Objectives In this course, students will gain an understanding of the various elements, functions and organization of the public health service. The course will cover the general aspects of the public health service at all levels in greater depth. The course will lead the students into this generic understanding of the public health service at a far more advanced level than medical students receive. The course has been adapted for international students and will explore the health service from an international perspective. It is important to have a thorough understanding of the system and organization in which telemedicine technology is to function and be implemented. It is especially important to keep in mind that students who apply to the master''s programme in telemedicine will have widely varying previous knowledge in the different elements of the programme. Teaching about the health service must therefore be designed to enable students, whether they are recruited from technical disciplines or health disciplines, to build a strong foundation and a deeper understanding of the systems and institutions in which telemedicine and e-health services are to play a part.
Contents This course should prompt ongoing discussion about whether the health service will be enriched or impoverished through the use of telemedicine and e-health services.Students should gain a fundamental understanding of the public health service''s role in society, with great emphasis on different international choices and solutions. To give students a good foundation for the master''s programme in telemedicine and e-health, emphasis must be placed both on concerns regarding privacy protection for the individual (patient) and on society''s growing need to improve the efficiency of the public health service with the help of this type of service. What will the public health service of the future look like, and what are the challenges in ensuring that application of telemedicine solutions will be to the benefit of all the parties involved?Trends in the historical development of various forms of public health service in different societies will be described, and an understanding of political, cultural and other important conditions will be provided. The organization of various levels in the service and the interaction between these will be described. An introduction to international/global health and the global strategies for solving worldwide health problems will be provided. The large global organizations which are the main players in this connection, such as WHO, the World Bank, UNDP and others will be described. WHO, in particular, will be highlighted in the curriculum for this part of the programme because it lays down some of the principles and conditions for technology use in the health service in developing countries. Basic ethical values in the health service and the significance of the duty of confidentiality and privacy protection will be examined. Health laws that set the framework for both the primary and the specialist health service will be studied. The various models for quality assurance and routines for unintended and unexpected events in the service will be reviewed. Various models for health insurance plans in the world and their consequences will be examined. The interaction between pharmaceutical business and the health service will be described. Principles of health economics will be described.The first line of the home and institutional health care service and the second line in Norwegian public health service, as well as forms of cooperation between them, are reviewed. Field visits will be arranged to both lines to establish a basis for discussions about the potential for improvement that can be envisaged as a result of telemedicine and e-health services.
Form of teaching Lectures 30 hours and seminars 30 hours
Exam and assessment Essay and take-home examination, portfolio assessment
Contact person/lecturer Siw Karin Aasland, email: siw.aasland@fagmed.uit.no / Thoralf Hasvold, email: toralf.hasvold@ism.uit.no
Recommended reading/syllabus Available on request.
Homepage http://uit.no/medfak-studietilbud/5452/2

Teaching autumn 2007
Tromsø Science Park. Lecture room II (Building:1 Room: B284)
First attendance: Monday 20th of Aug. 08:15-16:00

Responsible teacher:Prof. Toralf Hasvold

Pensum
Bodenheimer, Thomas S and Grumbach, Kevin: Understanding Health Policy: A Clinical Approach (2nd Edition). Appleton & Lange (Lange Medical) 1998.

van Bemmel, J.H., Musen, M.A.: Handbook of Medical Informatics, Erasmus University, Rotterdam Musen Ma, Stanford University, Stanford.

Taylor RJ, McAvoy BR, O’Dowd T: General Practice Medicine. Churchill Livingstone 2003. (ISBN 0443 06045 2) 116 pages.

John R Wilkinson and Scott A Murray: Health needs assessment: Assessment in primary care: practical issues and possible approaches, BMJ, May 1998; 316: 1524 - 1528.

Saltman RB, Figuras J. European Health Care reform. Analysis of current strategies. WHO regional Publications Series, No. 72 (1997) (ISBN 92 890 13362).

The future of health care systems. Editorials. BMJ 1997; 314: 1495 (10 May).

Health care systems for the 21st century. BMJ 1997; 314: 1407 (10 May).

Primary health care reforms. Fifth Forum on Primary Health Care development in Southern Europe and its Relevance to Countries of Central and eastern Europe – the Way Forward. WHO report. 1993. (ISBN 99920 1 143 2).

McWhinny IR,. A Textbook of Family Medicine. Oxford University Press 1989. (ISBN 0 19 505986 7).

• The health laws: www.odin.dep.no/
• International reports: www.WHO.int/
• Millennium Goals: www.un.org/millenniumgoals/
• www.theglobalfund.org