What to Finance in Health and at What Price? from Coursera

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Syllabus

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In this section, we will identify the objectives, structure, evaluations, and orientation material of the course. The first welcome video will give you a general overview of the course and the topics we will cover; we will review the objectives that you will achieve after successfully completing the course; we will share the link to the participant’s guide, a document that we suggest you consult frequently, as it will be your navigation guide for the course; you will identify the way you will be evaluated and you will get to know the instructors of the course and the design team. To finish, we invite you to answer an initial survey.

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Addresses the challenge of achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) in the face of limited resources, which is a pressing issue for public officials and policymakers

Explores explicit priority setting and Health Benefits Packages (HBPs), which are essential tools for governments seeking to optimize healthcare spending and improve population health outcomes

Examines analytical methods like Health Technology Assessment (HTA) and cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA), which are crucial for evidence-based decision-making in healthcare resource allocation

Discusses the importance of ethical principles and good governance in explicit priority setting, which are vital for ensuring fairness and transparency in healthcare decision-making processes

Analyzes strategies for obtaining more affordable medicine prices, which is a critical concern for countries striving to expand access to essential medicines within constrained budgets

Requires learners to understand basic concepts in economics and medicine types, which may pose a barrier to entry for learners without prior experience in these fields

Reviews summary

Insights into health financing and priority setting

According to learners, this course provides an invaluable and comprehensive overview of critical topics in health financing. Students highlight the clear explanations of complex concepts like UHC, priority setting, HBPs, and analytical methods (HTA, CEA). Many find the content highly relevant for their professional work, particularly those in public health, policy, or finance roles, with practical tools and examples from various countries being a significant strength. While the course covers a wide range of material and some find the pace fast or certain topics dense, especially without prior economics background, the overall feedback emphasizes the solid foundation it provides for understanding and addressing healthcare resource allocation challenges.

Methods like HTA/CEA highlighted.

"This course... covering complex topics like HTA and CEA in a clear way."

"Module 4 on analytical methods was particularly useful."

"The discussion on HTA and CEA provided valuable insights."

"I appreciated learning about the different analytical methods for decision-making."

Broad scope from UHC to pricing.

"Comprehensive course on a crucial subject. Covered a wide range of topics from UHC to medicine pricing."

"The course provides a solid framework for understanding health financing challenges and practical approaches..."

"It covers a wide range of important topics relevant to health policy and financing."

Complex topics explained accessibly.

"This course was incredibly insightful, covering complex topics like HTA and CEA in a clear way."

"Good overview of health financing and priority setting... analytical methods was particularly useful."

"The instructors were knowledgeable and explained concepts well."

"I found the explanations of complex concepts like HTA and CEA to be very clear."

Directly applicable to professional roles.

"This course was incredibly insightful... Very relevant for my work in health policy in Latin America."

"Excellent course! The modules are well-structured, and the focus on practical tools like HBPs and pricing mechanisms is spot on. This is directly applicable."

"Outstanding content... Highly relevant for anyone working in global health or public finance."

"I learned how to use practical tools and strategies that I could apply immediately to my work."

Some sections challenging without background.

"Some parts were a bit dense, but overall a valuable learning experience."

"I found some of the economic concepts difficult to grasp without prior background. The course assumes some familiarity with economics."

"The pace was also quite fast in some modules, making it hard to keep up."

"Could benefit from more examples or simplified explanations in certain areas."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in What to Finance in Health and at What Price? with these activities:

Review Basic Economic Principles

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Reinforce your understanding of fundamental economic concepts to better grasp the challenges of resource allocation in healthcare.

Browse courses on Opportunity Cost

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Review introductory economics textbooks or online resources.
Complete practice problems related to supply, demand, and market equilibrium.
Summarize key economic principles and their relevance to healthcare financing.

Review 'Poor Economics' by Abhijit V. Banerjee and Esther Duflo

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Understand the economic realities of poverty and their impact on healthcare access and outcomes.

View Good Economics for Hard Times on Amazon

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Read the book, focusing on chapters related to health, education, and access to services.
Identify the key insights and policy recommendations presented in the book.
Discuss how these insights can inform the design of more equitable and effective health policies.

Review 'The Price of Health' by Peter Ubel

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Gain insights into the economic and behavioral factors influencing healthcare costs and resource allocation.

View Putting Knowledge to Work on Amazon

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Read the book, focusing on chapters related to resource allocation and healthcare costs.
Summarize the key arguments and examples presented in the book.
Reflect on how the book's insights relate to the course's modules on priority setting and affordable medicine prices.

Four other activities

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Participate in a peer discussion on ethical dilemmas in healthcare financing

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Engage in a peer discussion to explore the ethical challenges and trade-offs involved in healthcare financing decisions.

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Prepare a list of ethical dilemmas related to healthcare financing.
Participate in a peer discussion, sharing your perspectives and listening to others.
Reflect on the different viewpoints and the complexities of ethical decision-making in healthcare.

Write a blog post on healthcare rationing

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Synthesize your understanding of healthcare rationing by creating a blog post that explores its ethical and practical implications.

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Research different perspectives on healthcare rationing.
Outline the key arguments for and against rationing.
Write a blog post that presents a balanced view of the issue.
Share your blog post on social media or relevant online forums.

Develop a proposal for a Health Benefits Package

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Apply your knowledge of Health Benefits Packages by developing a proposal tailored to a specific population or region.

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Define the target population and their healthcare needs.
Research existing Health Benefits Packages and best practices.
Develop a detailed proposal outlining the services included, financing mechanisms, and implementation plan.
Present your proposal to a group of peers or mentors for feedback.

Create a presentation on medicine pricing strategies

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Deepen your understanding of medicine pricing by creating a presentation that compares and contrasts different strategies for achieving more affordable prices.

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Research different medicine pricing strategies used in various countries.
Analyze the advantages and disadvantages of each strategy.
Create a presentation that summarizes your findings and provides recommendations for a specific country or region.
Practice your presentation and solicit feedback from peers or mentors.

Career center

Learners who complete What to Finance in Health and at What Price? will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Pharmaceutical Pricing Analyst

A pharmaceutical pricing analyst studies the factors that influence drug prices and develops strategies for cost optimization. This course provides a unique perspective on health economics, particularly the module on achieving more affordable medicine prices. The course explores the variables that determine medicine prices and introduces tools countries can use to negotiate lower prices. The course may help a pricing analyst better understand the complexities of pharmaceutical markets, and the broader context of Universal Health Coverage (UHC).

See salaries and explore the career path for Pharmaceutical Pricing Analyst

Health Technology Assessor

A health technology assessor evaluates the clinical and cost-effectiveness of new health technologies, such as medical devices and pharmaceuticals. This course can be useful because of its dedicated module on Health Technology Assessment (HTA), as well as the analytical methods for evaluating technologies that it covers. It discusses the various techniques, such as cost-effectiveness analysis and the multi-criteria analysis that are critical for a health technology assessor. By offering insight into explicit priority-setting mechanisms, this course may equip a professional for a vital area of health technology assessment.

See salaries and explore the career path for Health Technology Assessor

Health Policy Analyst

A health policy analyst examines healthcare systems, develops policy recommendations, and assesses the impact of existing policies. This course is directly relevant because it explores the core issues in health financing, such as resource allocation, priority setting, and achieving universal health coverage. The course's focus on explicit priority setting, health benefit packages, and analytical methods aligns with the daily work of a health policy analyst. The content on managing health spending and ensuring affordable medicine prices can be useful in developing effective and sustainable health policies.

See salaries and explore the career path for Health Policy Analyst

Health Economist

A health economist applies economic principles to health care, analyzing cost-effectiveness, resource allocation, and policy impacts. This course provides a comprehensive look at health financing, with a particular emphasis on the gap between resources and needs, and the importance of efficiency in health resource management. The course's modules on Health Technology Assessment (HTA) and cost-effectiveness analysis directly relate to the core competencies of a health economist. The course may also be useful for understanding the nuances of explicit priority setting in health, which is often a critical aspect of a health economist's work.

See salaries and explore the career path for Health Economist

Health Program Manager

A health program manager oversees the planning, implementation, and evaluation of health programs. Understanding health financing and resource allocation, as covered in this course, is essential for a program manager to ensure that programs are fiscally responsible and effective. The course's content on explicit priority setting and health benefit packages can help inform the development of targeted healthcare programs. A health program manager may find that familiarity with methods for evaluating technologies allows them to advocate for evidenced-based strategies. It may help them to improve the impact of their programs.

See salaries and explore the career path for Health Program Manager

Health Services Researcher

A health services researcher studies how people access health care, how much care costs, and the outcomes of such care. This course covers many factors, like resource allocation and priority setting which are relevant to the work of a health services researcher. The course's material on health benefits packages and analytical methods for decision-making, as well as costing of health technologies can help build a foundation of understanding. The course's study of the gap between needs and resources may be helpful in research into healthcare access.

See salaries and explore the career path for Health Services Researcher

Public Health Consultant

A public health consultant advises organizations and governments on health initiatives, often working within project teams that involve budgetting and strategy. This course can help a public health consultant understand the economic and financial aspects of health systems, including resource allocation, priority setting, and managing medicine prices. The course details aspects of health economics, which form an important part of public health. It may equip a consultant to offer informed recommendations about the design and implementation of health programs.

See salaries and explore the career path for Public Health Consultant

Healthcare Consultant

A healthcare consultant provides expert advice to healthcare organizations to improve their operational efficiency, financial performance, and strategic planning. This course's coverage of health financing, resource allocation, and priority setting directly aligns with the work of a healthcare consultant who looks to improve strategies. The course's topics on explicit priority setting, health benefits packages, and the analytical methods used to evaluate health technologies can be beneficial. It may help a consultant better develop strategies related to healthcare costs.

See salaries and explore the career path for Healthcare Consultant

Healthcare Administrator

A healthcare administrator manages the administrative and operational aspects of healthcare facilities or organizations. This course may help in understanding the financial constraints and resource management issues that are crucial in the effective operation of a health system. The course's content, particularly on health benefits packages and priority setting, provides a framework for healthcare administrators to make resource allocation decisions. The course may be useful to provide a greater understanding of the analytical methods used to evaluate health technologies, which contributes to effective management strategies.

See salaries and explore the career path for Healthcare Administrator

Policy Advocate

A policy advocate promotes specific policies and initiatives through lobbying, education, and public awareness campaigns. This course, focused on public health officials, may be effective for a policy advocate in their efforts to push for specific reforms in the health sector. The course materials regarding universal health coverage, resource allocation, and priority setting can provide crucial insights for policy advocacy. This course may help a policy advocate better understand the complexities of health financing and the challenges involved with implementing effective public health policies.

See salaries and explore the career path for Policy Advocate

Medical Underwriter

A medical underwriter assesses the risk associated with insuring individuals or groups, and informs decisions on coverages and premiums. This course's study of health financing, explicit priority setting, and health benefit packages can help an underwriter gain insight into the costs associated with different medical services and technologies. The course may be useful as it introduces multiple concepts and methods used when considering a healthcare system, such as managing medicine prices, as this can inform decisions on insurance plans.

See salaries and explore the career path for Medical Underwriter

Biostatistician

A biostatistician designs and analyzes data from public health studies or clinical trials. This course may be useful for biostatisticians working in the public health sector who can make use of its material regarding health economics. Understanding how policy is informed by data is important in the work of a biostatistician. This course may help them to have a better awareness of the factors that shape healthcare policy. They may find the analytical methods discussed in the course, such as cost-effectiveness analysis, to be directly relevant to their work.

See salaries and explore the career path for Biostatistician

Medical Affairs Specialist

A medical affairs specialist communicates clinical and scientific information about medical products. This course may be useful for a medical affairs specialist in a pharmaceutical or medical device company, as it may provide them awareness of the broader healthcare environment. The course material on health technology assessment and the evaluation of health technologies may be useful in terms of understanding the value of their products. This course may provide a basic understanding of the factors that influence coverage and pricing decisions.

See salaries and explore the career path for Medical Affairs Specialist

Data Analyst

A data analyst collects, processes, and analyzes large datasets to identify trends, patterns, and insights to help an organization make better decisions. This course may provide a data analyst who is interested in the healthcare field with a greater understanding of the healthcare industry. The course's material regarding health economics may give a data analyst context on the way that healthcare funding is applied. The course may be useful for those exploring how data informs healthcare policy.

See salaries and explore the career path for Data Analyst

Research Analyst

A research analyst collects and analyzes data to identify trends, patterns, and insights. They support research projects by gathering relevant information and compiling it into reports. This course may be useful for a research analyst who is interested in the healthcare field as it may help them have a greater understanding of the healthcare sector. The course's material regarding health economics may give a research analyst relevant context on how healthcare funding is applied. This course may help those exploring how data informs healthcare policy.

See salaries and explore the career path for Research Analyst

What to Finance in Health and at What Price?

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Syllabus

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Reviews summary

Insights into health financing and priority setting

Activities

Career center

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