Division of Health Policy and Management
Health policy and management focuses on equity in access to health services as this is indispensable for maintaining and improving the health of the population. Since policy can only be understood within each country’s history, this course will focus on Japan. However, the course will be based on global concepts and trends so that the contents could be adapted to other countries. In particular, Japan would be able to provide a model for the super aged society.
Courses Offered by Division Faculty
Health Policy and Management
The purpose of this course is to study Japanese healthcare policy from various perspectives, including the environment surrounding healthcare, such as economics and finance, politics, and public opinion. In particular, the course will cover the latest trends in the healthcare insurance system, healthcare delivery system, regulations and laws, healthcare related industries, social disparity and health, policy making process and advocacy. The focus will be on Japan, but students will also learn about comparisons from a global perspective and the implications for other countries.
Health Economics
The purpose of this course is to understand the key aspects determining healthcare: egalitarian principle, unpredictability of need, information asymmetry between physician and patient, and uncertainty of outcome, using Japan as an example. This course will be from the perspective of citizens and patients. Long-term care insurance (LTCI) will be studied as it would illustrate the uniqueness of healthcare, and also show how society copes with the aging society. Lastly, pharmaco-economic analysis will be explained using concrete examples. Note that the providers’ perspective will be covered in the Health Policy and Management course.
Organization in Public Health
In this course, students will learn the basic knowledge necessary to run and manage hospitals and other medical and public health-related organizations, with a particular focus on the "people/organization" element, including leadership, organizational personnel, and basic management skills.
Pharmaco-epidemiology and Pharmaco-economics
This course will cover the issues and techniques in observational studies for the assessment of drug usage, safety and efficacy. The basis for cost-effectiveness in medical technology (pharmaco-epidemiology evaluations) and recent information about how it can be applied will also be examined.
Introduction to Health Technology Assessment
Lectures include outcome setting, state transition probability, and health technology policy assessment in and outside of Japan.
The purpose of this course is to learn the outline of medical technology assessment scheme in Japan, and to acquire the basic knowledge and skills necessary for carrying out practical work in HTA.