‘Choose one health system with which you are familiar. Describe how you would critically evaluate that system using relevant criteria’.
It is important to note that there is discretion in how you approach this assignment. The overall
challenge is for you to identify and justify what you see as the relevant evaluative criteria.
That in turn depends upon how you choose to interpret ‘health system’.
You may, for example, decide to focus on the level of the national health system and evaluate the
basic design features of that national system itself (e.g., how it is funded, how it is
structured, how it is planned, how it allocates resources, etc.).
Alternatively, you may choose to focus on the local health system, as a microcosm of the national
system and then proceed to undertake a critical evaluation of how—for example—the local hospital
and community services are planned, organised, co-ordinated, etc.
Or, you may prefer to take a slightly different approach to (1) and (2). You may choose to focus
on a specific care delivery system (such as maternity and child health services, services for
older people, programmes to tackle HIV/AIDS, etc.) and use evaluative criteria such as record
keeping; risk management mechanisms; informed choice for patients; privacy and dignity etc.
With regards to the evaluative criteria themselves, the challenge is to seek out, justify, and
apply what you see as the key indicators for assessing the extent to which your chosen system
(whether it be a national, a local, or a care-delivery system) is effective in achieving quality
standards. In overall terms, the challenge is to assess the strengths and weaknesses of your
chosen system
Merson, M.H., Black, R.E., & Mills, A.J. (eds.) (2006) ‘Chapter 1: The design of health systems’.
In: International public health: diseases, programs, systems and policies. University of
Liverpool/Laureate Education, Inc., custom ed. Sudbury, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning, pp. 1–14.
Hunter, D.J. (ed.). (2007) ‘Chapter 1: The policy context and growing importance of health’. In:
Managing for health. Oxford: Routledge, pp. 8–27. Available from:
http://www.tandfebooks.com.ezproxy.liv.ac.uk/isbn/9780203014349 (Accessed: 21 March 2014).
World Health Organisation (2000) ‘Chapter 1: Why do health systems matter?’. In: The world health
report 2000—health systems: improving performance. Geneva: WHO, pp. 2–21 (pp. 19–36 of e-book).
Available from:
http://site.ebrary.com.ezproxy.liv.ac.uk/lib/liverpool/docDetail.action?docID=5006803 (Accessed:
18 May 2010).
Merson, M.H., Black, R.E., & Mills, A.J. (eds.) (2006) ‘Chapter 2: Management and planning for
public health’. In: International public health: diseases, programs, systems and policies.
University of Liverpool/Laureate Education, Inc., custom ed. Sudbury, MA: Jones & Bartlett
Learning, pp. 41–60.
Hunter, D.J. (ed.) (2007) ‘Chapter 3: Exploring managing for health’. In: Managing for health.
Oxford: Routledge, pp. 54–79. Available from:
http://www.tandfebooks.com.ezproxy.liv.ac.uk/isbn/9780203014349 (Accessed: 21 March 2014).
Draper, H. (1998) ‘Should managers adopt the medical ethic? Reflections on health care
management’. In: Dracopoulou, S. (ed.), Ethics and values in health care management. London:
Routledge, pp. 38–55. Available from:
http://site.ebrary.com.ezproxy.liv.ac.uk/lib/liverpool/docDetail.action?docID=2003443 (Accessed:
18 May 2010).
Hindle, T. (2003) Guide to man
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