MSc in Health Policy Course Chair Professor Lord Ara Darzi Paul Hamlyn Chair of Surgery Department of Surgery & Cancer

Transcription

1 MSc in Health Policy Course Chair Professor Lord Ara Darzi Paul Hamlyn Chair of Surgery Department of Surgery & Cancer Course Director Dr Ivo Vlaev Senior Lecturer in Behavioural Sciences Centre for Health Policy

2 Introduction How can you compare the performance of different health systems? What techniques can influence people to lead healthier lives? When should a government intervene to protect their people's health? How is health policy put into action? If you find these questions interesting, the MSc in Health Policy at Imperial College London may be for you. Run by the Centre for Health Policy, this Master's course offers a chance for those working in the health sector to learn from international experts on important aspects of health policy. A Two Year Part-time Master's Degree The course is designed for people working in the health sector such as government officials, clinicians and employees of health insurance companies, consulting companies and healthcare industries. Rather than having to take time out of your career to study, it offers the chance, through intensive blocks of teaching coupled with personal study, to gain a Master's qualification from Imperial College London, one of the top universities in the world. During the two years, you will attend four two-week teaching sessions at Imperial College. You will also complete an individual dissertation under the joint supervision of Imperial staff and your chosen, approved, organisation. Page 1

3 How will the Course Benefit Me? If you participate on the MSc in Health Policy course you will acquire: A detailed theoretical and practical understanding of health policy from leading health policy academics and practitioners. Quantitative and qualitative research techniques to be able to carry out your own original study in health policy. The ability to critique existing and emerging health policy on the basis of evidence and knowledge. A comparative perspective on health policy which considers the challenges affecting different regions and countries as well as different potential responses to them. An international network of high-flying peers. Skills and knowledge that will fully equip you for leading roles in the healthcare sector. A CV-enhancing Master's qualification from a world leading university. Page 2

4 How is the Course Structured? The taught element of the course consists of an introductory day and then four teaching blocks, each of two weeks' duration, over the two-years of the course. Each teaching block has two modules - one a week. Six of the modules are core, and two are elective modules. The research dissertation element is one extended project that will be completed outside the teaching blocks. Taught Element Introductory Day October 2012 Teaching Block 1 November/December 2012 Modules 1 and 2 Teaching Block 2 May 2013 Modules 3 and 4 Teaching Block 3 September/October 2013 Modules 5 and 6 Research Dissertation Element First supervision (with identified tutor) in early 2013 For the rest of the course supervisions are as necessary with academic supervisor, some of which are joint with project supervisor Research skills class taught during Teaching Block 2 Assessed by: 15,000 word dissertation, submitted September 2014 Teaching Block 4 April/May 2014 Modules 7 and 8 Assessed by: Each module is assessed by either an exam or essay Percentage of course: 60% Percentage of course: 40% Page 3

5 Core Modules Module 1 Health Systems and Policy in developed and developing countries Introductory model considering what health policy and systems are, how to compare health systems and the international and national influences on health policy. Module 2 Health Economics for Health Policy Looks at how macro and micro economics affect healthcare. Explains concepts of behaviour economics and their utility in health policy. Module 3 Financing Healthcare Considers how healthcare is funded from the raising of revenue, to allocation of revenue to payers, to the paying of providers. Module 4 Health and Society Focuses on the impact of public health and its importance for health policymakers and also considers issues of inequalities. Modules 5 Leadership in Healthcare Covers the need for leadership and management in healthcare and allows participants to consider their own skills in this area. Module 7 Health Service Delivery Utilises Imperial College's position as an Academic Health Science Centre (AHSC) to look at how policy is delivered, with time spent in Imperial Healthcare NHS Trust. Optional Modules chosen following Teaching Block 1 Module 6 (Choose one from) Measuring and Improving Performance in Health Systems Looks at the different ways of measuring health performance and also how these data can be used to improve effectiveness. Health Informatics and Analytics Considers the importance of health informatics and helps develop techniques for evidence-based policymaking. Communicating Health Policy Effectively communicating health policy is as important as getting the initial policy right and this module looks at techniques and the impact of different media. Module 8 (Choose one from) Innovation in Healthcare What enables or prevents successful innovation, the role of different sectors and the impact of innovation on health policy will be considered in this module. The History of Health Policy An understanding of the history of health policy, including previous mistakes and successes can help inform healthy policy-making in the present. Ageing and Society What should be the policy response to an ageing society and how does healthcare interact with other service providers is the focus of this module. Page 4

6 What does a Module look like? An example: Health Systems and Policy in Developed and Developing Countries (Core Module): Day Morning Afternoon Monday Welcome & introduction to the MSc. Overview of the course. What is a health system and what are its goals? What is health policy? A typology of health systems and policy levers. Group work on health systems. Groups will be assigned a specific health system to assess and asked to report back. Tuesday Presentation of group work. Discussion and feedback. Governance. Perspectives on leadership and accountability. Policy levers. Institutional design; finance; payment mechanisms; information; regulation; workforce; Wednesday Discussion of policy case studies. Health in its broader context. The broader determinants of health. Public health and disease prevention policy. Low income perspectives. Distribution of policy case studies. Guest Speaker for the whole Master's Course. Thursday The Policy Process (including looking at US Reform and UK). Policy evaluation. Principles of evaluation; approaches to evaluation; resources for evaluation. Distribution of evaluation case studies. Friday Tackling health inequalities in low and middle income countries. Guest speaker. Discussion of Evaluation Case Studies. Course Review, Assessment and Feedback. Page 5

7 Frequently Asked Questions When does the first course teaching occur? There is an introductory day on Friday 19th October giving course participants the chance to meet each other, complete key administrative tasks, receive some initial teaching and get the resources they need to begin their personal study. The first module then begins on 26th November. Where will the teaching take place? The teaching will be split between Imperial's South Kensington campus and St Mary's Hospital, Paddington. What will I be doing during the evenings of the teaching blocks? There will also be some preparatory reading and work for the next day s teaching and there will be the opportunity to participate in some social events. What will I be doing between teaching blocks? Building on what you have learned, you will be able to do further reading on topics covered in the modules, prepare for exams and write assessed essays. You will also be working on your research dissertation project. Can I link my research dissertation to my current role? It is possible, and encouraged, to link your dissertation to your current role. This will help to make the dissertation more manageable and allow you to produce a high quality piece of work that will benefit you and your employer directly as part of the course. Confidentiality agreements can be signed if necessary. View of the Imperial College, The Royal Albert Hall and the Albert Memorial Who will be doing the teaching? Brief biographies of module leads are available from the course administrator. They will be supported by staff from the Centre for Health Policy. Modules will include external speakers from the healthcare industry, other universities, the voluntary sector and health policy-making organisations. How will my work be assessed? The taught modules will be assessed either by an extended essay or an exam. Exams will take place at the beginnings of teaching blocks 2, 3 and 4. Each essay or exam will be 7.5% of the final mark. The 15,000 word dissertation will be 40% of the final mark. How international is the course? The course uses a range of case studies and learning from around the globe, with a focus on developed countries. As a UK basedcourse, more examples will be drawn from the UK, but these will be counterbalanced by the experience of other countries. It is anticipated that students will come from different countries, bringing diverse backgrounds and perspectives. Page 6

8 I am not from the EU. Will I need a Visa? Students from outside the EU coming to the UK to study on the course will need to apply for student visitor visas. ent/visas/studentvisitorvisa Will you provide accommodation during the teaching sessions on London? Accommodation is not provided. However, Imperial College can help overseas students looking for accommodation by following this link: Are travel expenses included? No, travel expenses are not included. The course has been structured to minimise travel for overseas participants, who only have to attend the four teaching blocks and the introductory day. Supervisions can be done remotely using technology and there will also be extensive online resources. What are the course fees? Imperial course fees are charged per year. Therefore the fees for will be 5,250 for UK/EU participants and 10,500 for International participants. The fees for will then increase by an amount linked to inflation, which has not yet been determined. So the total cost of the course will be 10,500 (plus inflationary increase for year 2) for UK/EU participants and 21,000 (plus inflationary increase for year 2) for International participants. Can I work remotely whilst in London? Imperial College has wireless internet available throughout its buildings. You will also have access to desktop computer suites. I do not live in London, how will I stay in touch between sessions? Much of the course content will be available online and tutors will be available to answer questions for exam preparation or essay writing. Research project supervisions can be done remotely using video or teleconferencing facilities. I will not be able to attend part of a teaching session because of work commitments. Is that a problem? You are encouraged to miss as little of the course as possible, but we recognise this may occasionally be necessary. Module leads and tutors will work with you to fill in gaps you have missed. My question has not been answered here how can I find out more? Please contact the course administrator Dawn Campbell via (d.campbell@imperial.ac.uk) or phone (+44 (0) ) Organisations sponsoring several participants (e.g. 5 or more) through the course may negotiate a discount on these fees. Page 7

9 Applications What are the academic requirements for application? Applicants are normally required to have achieved a 2:1 (or national equivalent) or better in their first degree, which can be in any discipline. Because this is a course aimed at people working in the healthcare sector, applicants normally require experience of two years within this sector. For participants where English is not their first language, they must demonstrate an International English Language Testing System (IELTS) score of 7.0 or better. I do not meet these criteria - is there any leeway? The criteria are set to help maintain high standards. However, exceptions can be made for outstanding candidates. If you have either a degree awarded at 2:2 level or insufficient work experience then the Course Director can utilise his discretion (possibly following a phone interview) to award you a place on the course. If your degree award was below 2:2 standard, but you have three years of relevant work experience and strong references your application will be considered by Imperial's Postgraduate Qualification Committee. If you do not have a degree you can sit a Special Qualifying Exam (SQE) and a pass in this will allow you to be accepted onto the course. In any of these cases, please contact Dawn Campbell, the course administrator (d.campbell@imperial.ac.ukor +44 (0) ) to discuss the process. How do I apply? Applications should be made online at: Places are limited and the course will be closed for applications when all places are filled. You are encouraged to apply early, especially if you are an international student, as this will facilitate visa processing. What Information do I need to provide? The application requires: " Personal details " Details of two referees (one from an academic background) " A personal statement (maximum 500 words) covering your interest in the course and your experience of health policy. Proof of degree attainment (e.g. certificate or transcript) will also be required before enrolment onto the course. Page 8

10 Module Lead Profiles MSc in Health Policy Professor Darzi holds the Paul Hamlyn Chair of Surgery at Imperial College London where he co-directs the Centre for Health Policy. Research led by Professor Darzi is directed towards achieving best surgical practice through both innovation in surgery and enhancing the safety and quality of healthcare. He has published over 600 peerreviewed research papers to date. Professor Ara Darzi In 2007 Professor Darzi was introduced to the United Kingdom s House of Lords as Professor the Lord Darzi of Denham and appointed as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department of Health. In his time as a government minister Lord Darzi led a review into the NHS in England which culminated in the influential report High Quality Care for All. Peter C. Smith is Professor of Health Policy, and is co-director of the Centre for Health Policy. Previously he was Director of the Centre for Health Economics at the University of York. Peter has advised many overseas governments and international agencies, including the World Health Organization, the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, the European Commission and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Professor Peter Smith Current research interests include health system performance assessment, with a particular focus on international comparison, and economic aspects of the social determinants of health. He has published widely on these and related topics, including over 100 peer-reviewed journal papers and ten books. Peter is a Senior Policy Fellow at the Centre for Health Policy. He is currently leading a Lancet and Imperial College commission on technologies for global health. Peter Howitt Before coming to Imperial on secondment, Peter had seven years experience in the Department of Health. This included leading work on extending the scope of the Payment by Results system for funding hospitals. Previous roles include a stint as a ministerial speechwriter and a policy development role for the Our health, our care, our Say White Paper. In 2007 he went on secondment to NHS London where he worked on Healthcare for London A Framework for Action with Lord Darzi. Peter has interests in the communication of health policy and in the history of health policy-making. Page 9

11 Dr Ivo Vlaev is the Course Director and a senior lecturer in behavioural science at the Centre for Health Policy. He has a PhD in Experimental Psychology from the University of Oxford. Before coming to Imperial, Ivo worked as a researcher at University College London, Decision Technology Ltd and the University of Warwick. He has a track record of research in cognitive psychology, behavioural economics and behavioural finance, which is published in peer-reviewed academic journals, book chapters and government reports. Dr Ivo Vlaev Ivo s current research focuses on advancing understanding of human decision making. It is a convergence of psychology, neuroscience and economics, which achieves results that none of the disciplines can achieve by themselves. Michael is Senior Policy Fellow at the Centre for Health Policy. Michael leads the Centre s applied research programme, helping craft a body of work that responds to strategic challenges faced by health systems across the globe and which is communicated to policy-makers and clinical leaders in actionable and practical proposals. Michael Macdonnell He also takes a leading role in the Centre s work with international governments and the healthcare industry, drawing on his prior experience in business and as an advisor at the Prime Minister s Delivery Unit under Tony Blair, where he worked on behalf of the British Prime Minister to drive the government s policy objectives in health and other sectors. Michael is a regular contributor to the Guardian, The Sunday Times and other publications on the subjects of health and public sector reform. Lesong Conteh is a senior lecturer in health economics in the Centre for Health Policy. Her research focuses on low- and middle-income country (LMIC) health economics and health system research, primarily in sub- Saharan Africa. Prior to joining Imperial College she was a lecturer at The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Director of the Intermittent Preventative Treatment of malaria in infants (IPTi) Cost-Effectiveness Working Group at Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute. Dr Lesong Conteh Current research interest include coordinating multi-country economic evaluations to identify the costs, cost effectiveness and equity implications of introducing health interventions Page 10

12 Marisa joined the Imperial College Business School and the Health Care Management Group as an Assistant Professor in Economics in In the past she has held academic appointments at the Centre for Health Economics and the Department of Economics and Related Studies both at the University of York. Dr Marisa Miraldo Marisa has developed expertise in public policy and pharmaceutical economics by having participated in research projects commissioned by the Department of Health focusing on topics such as competition and regulation in secondary and primary care, competition between public and private providers and the impact of public policy on Pharmaceutical firms' strategies. She is particularly interested in regulation and competition in the health care sector and, more generally, in the public sector. Sir Liam Donaldson is a global leader in public health and health care quality and safety. His current roles within the UK include: non-executive Chairman of the National Patient Safety Agency, Chancellor of Newcastle University, and Professor of Health Policy at Imperial College, London. From 1998 to June 2010, Sir Liam was Chief Medical Officer for England and the United Kingdom s Chief Medical Adviser. As the Government s Chief Medical Officer, he served six Health Secretaries. Professor Sir Liam Donaldson Internationally, Sir Liam served on World Health Organisation s Executive Board and conceived of, founded, and led the World Alliance for Patient Safety, an initiative that moved action on safety to a global scale. Sir Liam is the author of over 170 papers in peer-reviewed journals and a standard text-book of public health. Professor Athanasiou is a Consultant Cardiothoracic Surgeon at Hammersmith and St Mary's Hospitals and a Reader in Cardiac Surgery in the Division of Surgery and Cancer at Imperial College London. He has published more than 220 peer reviewed research journal articles. He is a senior author of a textbook in surgical research and methodology, titled 'Key Topics in Surgical Research and Methodology'. Professor Thanos Athanasiou His general research interests include: quality metrics in healthcare and evidence synthesis including meta-analysis, decision and economic analysis. His statistical interests include longitudinal outcomes from cardiac surgical interventions. He has recently developed and published a novel methodology for analysing longitudinal and psychometric data. Page 11

13 Professor Aidan was the first NHS Director of Clinical Governance and Deputy Chief Medical Office for England. He is currently Chief of Safety, Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust, and Director of Education, University College London Hospitals NHS Trust. His teaching interests relate to leadership in healthcare. Professor Aidan Halligan He became a professor in fetal and Maternal medicine in Leicester before taking on a national role as the first Director of Clinical Governance for the National Health Service. From January 2003 until October 2005, Aidan served in the UK Department of Health as Deputy Chief Medical Office for England, with responsibility for issues of clinical governance, patient safety and quality of care across the NHS in England. Professor Bell is Professor of Acute Medicine at Imperial College London. He directs the National Institute of Health Research s (NIHR) Collaboration for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care (CLAHRC) in North West London, a programme looking at how to translate research into better clinical practice. Other areas of research interest include the organisation and delivery of health care in relation to patient outcomes. Professor Derek Bell His clinical expertise is in acute and chest medicine and he has played a leading role in establishing acute medicine as a distinct speciality. Before joining Imperial he held a number of roles in Scotland including National Clinical Director Unscheduled Care Collaborative for the Scottish Government. Page 12

14 Background to Imperial College Imperial College is a science and medicine-based university with an excellent international reputation. Founded in 1907 from a union of the Royal School of Mines, the Royal College of Science and the City and Guilds College, Imperial College has in the last 100 years had 14 members of staff who have become Nobel Laureates. It is a global university with 13,000 students from 125 countries. Imperial College has a formal link with Imperial Healthcare Trust, as the university and hospital have come together to become the first Academic Health Science Centre in the UK. The hospitals of Imperial Healthcare Trust have a distinguished history and it was at St Mary s Hospital that Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin in Background to the Centre for Health Policy (CHP) Co-Directed by Professor the Rt Hon Lord Darzi of Denham and Professor Peter Smith, the Centre was established in 2010 to assist governments, clinical leaders and other decision-makers around the world to meet the strategic challenges of improving the health and wellbeing of their citizens. CHP does this by: Developing policy, technological and other innovations that can help governments and clinical leaders to meet the health needs of the future; Contributing high quality research on the most important strategic challenges facing health systems; Bridging the gap between researchers and policy-makers by undertaking both academic research and applied policy analysis, and by employing multidisciplinary project teams that mix academics, other thinkers, clinicians and policy-makers; Providing insightful comparative and international evidence for policy-makers grappling with these challenges; Develops the next generation of international health thinkers and policy-makers through Masters and postgraduate programmes, fellowships and short courses. Disclaimer For reasons beyond the control of Imperial and the organisers of the MSc in Health Policy it may be necessary to change the content of this course, the timing of each course, the teaching staff and the module options available. We will make every effort to keep to the information published here and participants will immediately be notified of any significant changes. Page 13

15 Imperial College London 2012