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: NoCourse selection videos
Some departments have produced short videos to introduce their courses. Please refer to the course selection videos index page for further information.