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About Study Course

Department: Department of Public Health and Epidemiology
Credit points / ECTS:4 / 6
Course supervisor:Dzintars Mozgis
Study type:Full time
Course level:Master's
Target audience:Public Health
Language:Latvian
Branch of science:Management; Public Management

Objective

The objective of the course is to provide knowledge of health care management and to develop students’ critical, systematic and analytical thinking.

Prerequisites

In order for the student to understand the principles of health care system management, it is desirable to have a general understanding of the health care system.
To read and analyse modern literature on health care management, English language proficiency is required.
To understand causality in health care system management issues, prior knowledge of the philosophical foundations of causality is required.

Learning outcomes

Knowledge

The student will be able to name the following:
• classical management theories, specific features thereof and explain the different aspects of health care systems and the management of medical treatment institutions in Latvia and abroad;
• the theoretical foundations of the organisation, will understand its internal and external environment, the relationship between health care organisations and their external environment in Latvia, and the interrelation between technology, structure, personnel, work culture and objectives;
• the principles of change management, will be able to explain the importance of changes, the necessity thereof, will have gained an understanding of the success or failure of changes and determinants thereof in health care in the context of globalisation and in Latvia;
• the nature and methods of decision-making, the nature of planning and setting organisational objectives, how to define vision and mission, the strategic, tactical and operational objectives of health care organisations, hierarchy thereof, types of plans, concepts, differences between procedures, rules, regulations, programmes and projects;
• the types of organisational structures and nature of organisation, bureaucratic and behavioural models, traditional, matrix and divisional models in the health care systems of different countries, advantages and disadvantages thereof;
• basic principles of staff management, motivation and stimulation methods in the health care system, advantages and disadvantages thereof – F. Taylor’s employee stimulation methods, human behaviour theories, A. Maslow’s theory of needs, C. Alderfer’s ERG theory, will understand the advantages of a positive organisational work culture as opposed to the obstacles of a dysfunctional culture, formation of conflict situations in the organisation, types thereof, conflict resolution techniques and will gain an understanding of mobbing;
• principles for financing health care and paying for services;
• the nature, necessity and principles of health technology assessment;
• the principles of quality management and quality management system in a medical treatment institution;
• the principles of quality management auditing;
• the basic principles of control and the control process in a medical treatment institution.

Skills

The student will be able:
• to define objectives, vision and mission;
• to use group decision-making methods – nominal group technique, Delphi and brainstorming methods;
• to carry out SWOT analysis, force field analysis, cause and effect analysis, Pareto principle (ABC analysis);
• to not be afraid of a job interview and conduct it;
• to plan the location of medical treatment institutions;
• to prepare an organisational development project.

Competence

• to evaluate and monitor the progress and results of a project or activity in accordance with pre-defined objectives;
• to distinguish between management and financial accounting;
• to independently develop one’s leadership skills and learn management theory to qualify for mid-level management positions in health care organisations.

Study course planning

Course planning not avalible right now.