Health Sciences

This course is part of the Laurea Magistrale program and is intended for advanced level students. Enrolment is by consent of the instructor. The course introduces fundamentals in economic evaluation theory and modeling methodology in healthcare. Students learn how to structure a medical decision model and how to estimate the incremental cost-effectiveness (ICER) and cost-effectiveness acceptability curves (CEACs), how to interpret results, and how to draw policy implications. Students are trained in critically reviewing HTA-studies, in order to judge their validity and applicability. The course discusses topics including CEA/CBA analysis; uncertainty and decision-making in healthcare; fundamental concepts of economic evaluation theory; theoretical foundation of modeling; types of models; development of decision trees and Markov models; an sensitivity analysis and the interpretation of the results. The course consists of ten classes. Classes are lectures which last three hours, with breaks where necessary. At least three classes are Excel workshops carried out in the computer lab. The course requires a reasonable level of understanding of basic mathematical concepts and basic probability theory. Students should also be comfortable with the basics of spreadsheet software such as MS Excel.

This course examines the culture and philosophy of traditional Chinese medicine. It covers the development of Chinese medicine from the social, cultural, ideological and technological perspectives, including the safety of Chinese medicine, modernization of Traditional Chinese medicine, and internationalization. Topics include its origin and culture, historical evolution and development, modern development and humanistic background, strategy of modernization and internationalization, and basic concepts of Chinese medicinal base plants, classification, preparation, Taodi herbs, etc.

This course examines population health and well-being consequences of demographic changes from an interdisciplinary approach, including sociological, demographic, economic, and political science, particularly in developed countries.

The contents of the class are arranged around the following topics: the concepts of health and illness, why do we care about health; the social determinants of health, why is health social, beyond mind and body, construing in inter-action; a systemic-constructivist model of health and illness; and caregiving experience. Depending on the nature of discussions and research articles, the class content may be adapted to promote students’ interests and engagement, and develop their research and evidence based readings. The course requires a foundation level of psychological literacy developed throughout the first to second year of undergraduate study in psychology as a prerequisite.

The course introduces the diversity and rapid development of the healthcare system in Shanghai. It covers public hospitals, private hospitals, international hospitals or clinics for the foreigners (like Parkway and United Family Hospital). Public hospitals are mainstream and divided into three levels: tertiary, secondly and primary care center. The course also examines the application of IT in healthcare, including AI and mobile health, which is rapidly evolving in Shanghai, for example, cloud/digital hospital. Other topics include the medical insurance system and methods of payment.

This course offers a dynamic and comprehensive introduction to the systems and politics of global health in low and middle-income countries. Students examine critical challenges, including pandemics, ageing populations, pharmaceutical innovation, and the climate crisis, alongside the key determinants of health and their consequences for development. Students explore policies designed to improve health and development, the barriers to their implementation, and practical strategies to overcome these obstacles. Topics include global health governance, universal health coverage, health system strengthening, and the politics of disease burdens. The course also considers the impacts of migration, conflict, and climate change on health.