AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

The unit addresses the principles and the logics underpinning the operations of businesses as well as the principles of the economic evaluation of public services in the social and health-care fields.  Students will develop skills in the field of social and health economics and will develop economic tools useful for making decisions compatible with the best use of resources.

develop economic tools useful for making decisions compatible with the best use of resources.

The course aims to provide a basic knowledge of the principles and logics underpinning the operations of businesses. In particular, students will be able to understand and apply economic principles to evaluate public services provided at a central and local level. The conceptual tools for understanding and analysing the social and health services market will be provided together with solutions to problems able to reconcile the objectives of universalism, equity and economic sustainability in a context of scarce resources. International comparisons of different social and health systems will be analysed.

The unit aims at providing a basic knowledge of the principles and logics underpinning the operations of businesses and the main content of financial statements. In addition, students will be able to understand the principles used to allocate public resources and to provide public services.

By the end of this unit, students will be able to:

- understand and evaluate the economic phenomena that guide decisions in the variegated world of the social services and health market;

- understand and critically interpret the different types of public intervention in the social and health field;

- know the activities and objectives of the NHS and of the local institutions in which the students will find themselves operating, with particular reference to institutional aspects and strategic plans;

- identify the factors influencing the dynamics of demand and supply of social and health services and the challenges of the future to guarantee the sustainability of the system;

- acquire skills in economic evaluation of social and health interventions to take informed decisions reconciling equity, effectiveness and cost containment;

- describe the principles of management and organization of social and health services, through the identification of best practices and strategic plans

TEACHING METHODS

The course entails:

• face-to-face lectures aiming at providing an overview of financial and business concepts and the economic evaluation of public services
• tutorials to apply specific knowledge in practice

It is available on Aulaweb.

In case of an extension of the state of health emergency connected to covid-19, the teaching methods will be specified in Aulaweb.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

• Business administration and its main operations: financing, investments, production, sales. The economic and financial effects of operations.
• The financial statements and basic concepts on the analysis of performance.
• The budgeting of public services, especially for municipalities and Regions.
• The characteristics of the health and social services market.
• The allocation of public resources and the welfare system.
• Instruments to target the provision of public services and benefits.
• Economic evaluation of public services.
• The use of standard costs in public services.
• Micro-simulation instruments for evaluating public policies.

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

Additional materials are uploaded on Aulaweb at the beginning of and during the semester