Health Systems and Policies

Code:

2GESS08

Acronym:

SPS

Keywords
Classification	Keyword
OFICIAL	Economics

Instance: 2025/2026 - 2S

Active?	Yes
Responsible unit:	Agrupamento Científico de Economia
Course/CS Responsible:	Master in Health Care Economics and Management

Cycles of Study/Courses

Acronym	No. of Students	Study Plan	Curricular Years	Credits UCN	Credits ECTS	Contact hours	Total Time
GESS	29	Bologna Syllabus since 2012	1	-	7,5	56	202,5
MFPE	0	Study plan	1	-	7,5	56	202,5

Teaching language

Portuguese

Objectives

The course provides students with an overview of the systems in which health services operate. Special attention is devoted to the Portuguese health system, but it is intended that students are confronted with alternative health systems, with the methodologies for assessment of health systems, and with the policies that could be implemented to increase the performance of the health system.

Learning outcomes and competences

Students must have a workable knowledge of the health system, and how its organization limits health services activities.
Students must be able to identify the need for intervention and to propose adequate health policies, and must be able to evaluate health policies.

Working method

Presencial

Program

1. Health systems.
2. Supervision of health systems.
3. Health systems financing.
4. Provision of healthcare services.
5. Evaluation of health systems.

Mandatory literature

World Health Organization; The Word Health Report 2000: Health Systems: Improving Performance, WHO, 2000. ISBN: 1020-3311
Jorge de Almeida Simões, Gonçalo Figueiredo Augusto, Inês Fronteira, Cristina Hernández-Quevedo; Portugal: Health system review, European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies, 2017. ISBN: 1817-6127 Vol. 19 No. 2
OCDE; Portugal: Country Health Profile 2023, State of Health in the EU, OECD Publishing, Paris, 2023. ISBN: 9789264984684
OCDE; Health at a Glance 2023: OECD Indicators, OECD Publishing, Paris, 2023. ISBN: 978-92-64-94896-9

Complementary Bibliography

Pedro Luís Pita Barros; Economia da saúde. ISBN: 978-972-40-7571-6
Jay Bhattacharya; Health economics. ISBN: 978-1-137-02996-6
Barbara McPake; Health economics. ISBN: 978-0-415-68088-2
Sherman Folland; The^economics of health and health care. ISBN: 978-1-138-20805-6

Teaching methods and learning activities

Lectures with practical applications, in which the concepts and models of economic analysis are presented and examples and cases are discussed. Classes are conducted in order to maximize the exchange of ideas.

Evaluation Type

Distributed evaluation with final exam

Assessment Components

Designation	Weight (%)
Participação presencial	10,00
Teste	60,00
Trabalho escrito	30,00
Total:	100,00

Amount of time allocated to each course unit

Designation	Time (hours)
Apresentação/discussão de um trabalho científico	34,50
Estudo autónomo	112,00
Frequência das aulas	42,00
Trabalho de investigação	14,00
Total:	202,50

Eligibility for exams

All students may take the final exam, even if they have participated in some of the distributed evaluation moments.

Calculation formula of final grade

Distributed evaluation: The final classification of the distributed evaluation corresponds to the weighted average of the marks obtained in three evaluation moments:
- one test, to be held on the day of the final exam (weight: 60%);
- one group report (weight: 30%);
- participation in classes (weight: 10%).
OR
Classification of the final exam.

Observations

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):
2 - Zero Hunger
3 - Good Health and Well-being
4 - Quality Education
5 - Gender Equality
6 - Clean Water and Sanitation
8 - Decent Work and Economic Growth
9 - Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
10 - Reduced Inequalities
11 - Sustainable Cities and Communities
12 - Responsible Consumption and Production
13 - Climate Action
15 - Life on Land
16 - Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
17 - Partnerships for the Goals