HP4B3E      Half Unit
Measuring Health System Performance

This information is for the 2025/26 session.

Course Convenor

Prof Andrew Street

Availability

This course is available on the Executive MSc in Health Economics, Policy and Management. This course is not available as an outside option to students on other programmes.

Course content

This course aims to present a framework to discuss the opportunities and challenges with performance measurement in health care, examine the various dimensions and levels of health system performance, identify the measurement instruments and analytic tools needed, and examine the implications of these issues for policy makers,regulators, healthcare professionals and users of the healthcare system. After taking this course students are expected to:

• understand the reasons for and principles of performance measurement and potential unintended consequences

• appreciate the challenges, approaches, and opportunities for  performance measurement at macro, meso and micro levels of the health system

• understand the methodological issues facing performance measurement relating to analysis of productivity and efficiency, risk adjustment,  and measuring attribution and causality

• identify key issues relevant to policy makers relating to  developing incentives to improve performance and evaluating performance improvement policies

Teaching

This course will be delivered as a combination of lectures and seminars, totalling a minimum of 20 hours

Formative assessment

In-class exercise during seminar time. Students will receive feedback on it from their seminar leader after completion.

 

Indicative reading

Smith PC, I Papanicolas,  Health system performance comparison: an agenda for policy, information and research. World Health Organisation, 2012 . https://iris.who.int/bitstream/handle/10665/332013/Policy-summary-4-2077-1576-eng.pdf

PC Smith, E Mossialos, I Papanicolas, Performance measurement for health system improvement: experiences, challenges and prospects. World Health Organisation, 2008  https://iris.who.int/bitstream/handle/10665/350328/WHO-EURO-2008-4077-43836-61716-eng.pdf

Hollingsworth B, Street A. The market for efficiency analysis of health care organisations. Health Economics, 2006: 15(10): 1055-1059.

Street, A, Smith, P. How can we make valid and useful comparisons of different health care systems? Health Serv Res. 2021; 56( Suppl. 3): 1299- 1301

Assessment

Problem sets (25%)

Essay (75%, 3000 words)


Key facts

Department: Intercollegiate

Course Study Period: Spring Term

Unit value: Half unit

FHEQ Level: Level 7

CEFR Level: Null

Total students 2024/25: Unavailable

Average class size 2024/25: Unavailable

Controlled access 2024/25: No
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