UNIVERSITY FIRST LEVEL MASTER

DEGREE

IN

HEALTH SERVICES MANAGEMENT

IN COLLABORATION WITH

MCGILL UNIVERSITYHARVARD UNIVERSITY

ACADEMIC YEAR 2008/2009

Program

Introduction

The National Health Institute (Istituto Superiore di Sanità - ISS) is theleading technical and scientific public body of the Italian National HealthService. Its activities include research, control, training and consultationin the interest of public health protection.

The Centre for Research on Health Economics and Health CareManagement (CREMS) of the Carlo Cattaneo University (LIUC) operates inthe health and social-health sectors in areas relating to health and socialcare management, providing research and training activities, both in Italyand abroad.

The aim has been to capitalise on the experiences of these two partners,noting in particular the experience of the ISS, which as long ago as 1989realised an international course in Public Health Management for a districtlevel in developing countries. Now, for the academic year 2008/2009,these two organisations propose a University First Level Master Degreein Health Services Management. This involves an updated education andtraining pathway that will define the professional figure of the expert ininternational health. This need arises as a response to the newevolutionary processes in public health that are conditioned by thedynamics of sustainable development, and by epidemiologic and socio-economic transition.

Objectives and goals

The Masters degree has as its main goal the diffusion of a technical andmethodological model of reference for the improvement of the healthservices. This is integrated with the principles of good organisationalmanagement practice that have been promoted and adopted by the WorldHealth Assembly, and have been accepted by the system of theUniversities of the United Nations (UNU), among others.

The first specific objective is the education and training of health directorsworking in the public and private sector. This will focus on in thetechniques of projecting, planning, managing and evaluating the NationalHealth Systems and Services of developed Nations, through bothtransitional and developmental phases.

The second objective is the transmission of competence for projecting andactivating formative activities that are analogous to those in the contextof the Masters itself, which proposes an innovative methodologicalapproach, in line with the principles of the International Networkcoordinated by Maastricht University, The Netherlands.

To reach these goals, the Masters will promote the development of amultidimensional vision of social health and management problems. Thiswill consider the different elements of which they are composed on thebasis of the development of a system of services that are both integratedand managementally evolved. Through this system, regulated encountersbetween the demands of the clients and the services on offer will bemade possible through the continuous renewal of the services that areoffered.

Job opportunities

The Masters syllabus is mainly oriented towards the acquisition ofmanagement abilities in the field of health services management.

In particular, by the end of the training process, the students should beable to:

• understand and analyse the basis of the management of healthservices and health politics:

• plan, manage and evaluate social health services and programmesin line with the strategies and the national health plans, consideringthe resources and the limitations within this context;

• draw up and realize operative research activities;• manage human and financial resources in health sector.

Upon completion of the Masters, the graduates will be suitablyexperienced to be able to work professionally in the fields of: health,social health and expanded health systems. In particular, the Masters willprovide them with the knowledge and training so that they can contributeto different organisations that finance, plan and control policies andhealth strategies. Successful candidates will be well equipped for jobs innational and international organisations of cooperation in the healthsector.

Admission requirements

Applications are expected to be submitted by those who possess aBachelor degree, or equivalent title.

There will also be the need to be able to access informatics instrumentsand the internet in the geographical area of their residence.

In addition, due to the particular characteristics of the Masters, thefollowing abilities are preferred:

- a basic knowledge of the English language;- a basic knowledge of informatics.

The admission of candidates who have completed their earlier training

outside of Italy will be decided upon through the evaluation of the FacultyCouncil.

Didactic typologies

The Masters is based on a series of courses that are based around thedidactic modalities that will make the Masters accessible to professionalfigures coming from the job environment.

The didactic typologies that are used are the following:

- Residential learning (formazione in residenza; FR);- Distance learning (formazione a distanza; FAD).

The FR includes a week in residence, which is frequency limited toThursdays and Fridays, according to the following scheme:

- Friday morning: residential planning encounter (4 hours) at thelocation of the Masters course;

- Friday afternoon: scientific literature materials research (4 hours) atthe location of the Masters course;

- Tuesday morning: on-line encounters for tutoring and for thedefinition of the didactic material;

- Thursday morning: encounters relating to problem-solving, while inresidence (4 hours), at the location of the Masters course;

- Thursday afternoon: the expert answers: seminars that includeopen questions to an expert in the field on themes dealt with duringthe previous week while in residence (4 hours), at the location ofthe Masters course.

The FAD will be realised through interactions at a distance between theparticipants and the referring tutor.

The students will also be followed by one tutor per group of around 10students.

The FAD will be developed according to the didactic methodology of theProblem Based Learning (PBL) method, which uses specific problems tostimulate the students to define their own objectives of learning and

research, and to obtain these through the information needed to solve theproblem proposed.

A discussion forum will also be available for the students. The forum willbe specifically activated within the platform for distance learning, whichwill be managed by the ISS, where the problems and reading materialrelating to, and the support provided for each formative unit, will bepublished.

After the reading of the problem assigned for each course, the studentswill be required to individually research material useful to the solution ofthe problem through the internet. All of the participants will finallyindividually explain their own reflections arising from their research. Thiswill also involve their communication of the means for the methodologicaland knowledge instruments, and the operational instruments, that theyidentified through the resolution of the problem. This is designed to makethe other students aware of their research, also through the publication ofthe solutions that they elaborate upon individually in this forum, tostimulate further exchanges of opinions and information.

The analysed and published solutions will be examined by the referringtutors, who will provide an essential help role, and will supply feedbackthrough the forum, with an overview of the main points of the aspectsdealt with. They will also present their own solutions to the assignedproblems, commenting critically upon those proposed by the students.

This method will favour deep assimilation of the subjects being dealt with,rather than stimulation of solely passive and mnemonical comprehension.

Education and training pathway

The Masters is organised in three consecutive parts, each made up of itsown modules, with each part structured as following:

Part one

This initial part includes a mandatory introductory module (Introduction)that is divided into two parts: the first is a presentation of the Masterscourse and the personalised start-up. Through these, the main individualobjectives of learning will be defined, along with the study groups that

will remain the same through all of the activities of the Masters. Thesecond part is also mandatory, for the introduction of the didacticmodalities of the Masters (like for the distance learning, and attending,and the formative modality of PBL).

The Introduction will be held entirely in the main location of the Masters.

Part two

This is made up of five didactic modules, each of which is organised asfollows:

1) "Health politics and organisation", available exclusively as FAD.2) "Analysis of the Social-Health Situation", available exclusively only

as FR, at the base where the Masters takes place.3) "Planning and programming" available through FR at the base for

some of the Masters courses, and through FAD for the others,according to the details published in the Study Plans, as article 10of this admission act.

4) "Health Services Management" available through FR at the base forsome of the Masters courses, and through FAD for the others,accordingly to the details published in the Study Plans, as article 10of this admission act.

5) "Evaluation of Sanity", available exclusively through the FR at thebase of the Masters.

Part three

Among the mandatory activities and as a complementary part of theMasters, the participants will write a final dissertation on a managementtheme, for which their goal must be the application, in the differentoperative contexts, of the contents acquired during the Masters, andaccording to the education and training objectives individually agreed withthe LIUC and ISS.

The Scientific Direction Committee will evaluate the students case bycase, with the possibility of carrying out activities that are complementaryto the writing of the final dissertation, like project work and/or nationaland/or international practices. In these cases, each of the participants willbe required to respect the regulations of the welcoming organisations andnational or international structures, and the laws of the countries they will

be in. Similarly, they will be expected to behave ethically accordingly tothe guide principles of the institutions in these different countries.

If complementary activities can be agreed upon, the ISS personnel willorganise and manage such phases from a didactic point of view, and willtake care of the logistic organisation. Costs for trips and/or insurance willhave to be met by the participants.

The dissertation will be evaluated by a final Commission during the finalinterview, where the main contributions and results of the activities willbe presented.

Final examination arrangements

All of the modules proposed both by the FR and FAD will be completedthrough an examination (written or oral) to be taken at the headquartersof the Master degree.

In addition, all of the participants who have passed all of the previousexaminations will be required to discuss their final dissertation, duringwhich the final thesis will be discussed.

Those who pass the final examination will be granted the diploma ofUniversity 1st Masters Degree in Health Services Management .

Study plan and formative credits

On the proposals of the Scientific Direction Committee (article 10), theFaculty Council will indicate the statutorily competent organs of the studyplan, the lessons to be activated, and the activities relating to the 60credits required by current law.

Plan of studies

SECS P/07 Economia aziendale 10 credits

SPS/08 Sociologia dei processi culturalicomunicativi

6 credits

SECS P/10 Organizzazione Aziendale 4 credits

INGIND/35

Ingegne r i a e conom i co -gestionale

3 credits

MED/04 Medicina interna 2 credits

MED/42 Epidemiologia 19 credits

ProjectWork

16 credits

Total 60 credits

The Faculty Council is responsible for the lessons and the guided practicalactivities of the study calendar, included the training stages, the projectwork and the final dissertation. They will also consider the need tofacilitate the completion of the course and to help with the educationalaspects, and if necessary, the courses will include conferences andseminars on specialist subjects given by professionals in the differentsubjects.

Number of participants

To ensure the quality of the didactics and the interactions between theparticipants, the number of participants should not be less than 30, ormore than 40.

Selection criteria

The candidates will be selected through curriculum evaluation and

through the motivational questions included with the application form. Insome cases, when considered necessary, the selection will includeinterviews. On the whole, the goal will be to ensure the ideal compositionof each course group, such that they will be ready to complete thedifferent problems that are included in the specific aims of the course.

Application instructions

To print out the application form, you should follow the followinginstructions

1st Step- Open the course website http://iscrizioni.liuc.it- Enter the "Reserved Area" (in the left box of the screen) and select

"Registration"- Click on "Proceed with registration"

NOTE: remember that completion of fields with a star aremandatory

- Fill in form 1 (personal information) of 3, and after completion of allof the fields, click on "proceed"

- Fill in form 2 (addresses) of 3, and after completion of all of thefields, click on "proceed"

- Fill in form 3 (contact) of 3, and after completion of all of the fields,click on "confirm registration"

NOTE: it is important to fill in the field "mobile", to indicat acontact number where you can always be reached

The first part of the registration is now complete: the site will then displaya User name and Password (you will also get these details at the emailaddress given). These are needed to access step 2.NOTE: the application procedure is not finished

2nd step- To access the "Reserved Area", select "Login" and insert your User

Name and Password- Access the "Registered Area", and select "Enrolment"- Click "Masters Course Enrolment"- Click within the table, on the line for Masters in Health Services

Management "No category"- Select the enrolment type as "standard enrolment" and the

academic year of "2008-2009"- Select one of the options at the page access Title

For each option it is necessary (by clicking the correspondent link) toinsert the degree title first (through the specific screen) and then to dothe same for the A-level title.

NOTE: the procedure is not finished

3rd step- If the information displayed on the screen is all correct, select "Print

application form" (it is suggested that you save a copy in case youdo not manage to print it out immediately).

- After having filled in and printed the application form in each parthandle it directly or send it via mail along with the requireddocuments indicated on page 3 of the form itself, by 10November 2008 (the post office stamp will be consider as proof

of sending date) to:c.a. Sig.ra Elisabetta MentastiSegreteria Master c/o Segreteria StudentiUniversità Carlo Cattaneo – LIUCCorso Matteotti, 2221053 Castellanza (VA)Or deliver it personally during these hours:Monday and Thursday: 9.00am – 12.00; 2.00pm – 4.30pmTuesday, Wednesday and Friday: 9.00am – 12.00

IT IS ALSO IMPORTANT TO ANSWER THE MOTIVATIONALQUESTIONS ON THE FORM

Application fee and payment methods

The Masters participation fee is €4,200.00, which is to be paid as:

- €2,200.00 to be paid at the moment of enrolment (€14.62 to beadded for taxes)

- €2,000.00 to paid by 17 July, 2009

Location

National Health Institute, Via Giano della Bella 34, 00162 Rome.The National Health Institute is situated about 25.7 km from the airportof Rome Fiumicino.

For further information:

Master Secretary National Health Instituteformazione.master@iss.itTel. (+39) 06 49904039Fax (+39) 06 49904124Website http://www.iss.it/

Master Secretary Carlo Cattaneo Universitymaster@liuc.itTel. (+39) 0331 572379Fax (+39) 0331 572425Website http://www.master.liuc.it/