‘A good health system delivers quality services to all people, when and where they need them. The exact configuration of services varies from country to country, but in all cases requires a robust financing mechanism; a well-trained and adequately paid workforce; reliable information on which to base decisions and policies; well-maintained facilities and logistics to deliver quality medicines and technologies’ (WHO 2019).
Consider a challenge relating to the current delivery of an aspect of health services in your workplace, or a workplace you are familiar with.
Drawing on the presentations, discussions and tasks on this course, and your broader reading of relevant literature, you should write an essay demonstrating your understanding of how this challenge could be addressed.
Students are required to:
Identify an area for health services improvement in your workplace, or a workplace you are familiar with (100 words).
Present a brief, critical overview of the organisation and delivery of the intervention you have chosen, using relevant health intelligence data (300 words).
Outline the improvement objective(s) you have identified and the rationale for it, making reference to the principles identified in the course that underlie the development of health services and health service policy (800 words).
Evaluate the role of management and leadership in delivering the improvement you have identified (300 words).
This assessment component is a 1,500 word essay. Remember that the assessment is on your attainment of the course learning outcomes, rather than the issue selected.
Learning outcomes
Consider the following learning outcomes when planning and writing this assignment:
Critically assess the role of management and leadership in health services.
Critically evaluate the organisation and delivery of health care services, including inter-organisational issues.
Critically appraise the principles underlying the development of health services and health service policy.
Critically evaluate and apply the principles of quality assurance, clinical governance, and risk management in health services.
Ensure you make reference to good quality contemporary literature to support your points. You will be assessed against how well you demonstrate critical analysis of the literature and/or theories.
Your assessment should be supported throughout with a wide range of appropriate evidence (references). Please refer to guidelines for referencing style in the assignment handbook.
If using reference management software (recommended) such as Endnote or Mendeley, you should select one style and use it consistently.
Reference
WHO (2019). Health systems. Available at https://www.who.int/topics/health_systems/en/
