Zorgsystemen in een veranderende samenleving

Course goals

The aim of this course is to provide students with insight into the development and current organization of the Dutch healthcare system (veterinary, human, and pharmaceutical) and to enable them to apply this knowledge to contemporary societal challenges.
Upon completion of the course, students will be able to:

• Provide an overview of the key institutions involved in (animal) healthcare in the Netherlands and describe their roles and responsibilities.
• Describe the structure of the Dutch healthcare system and its major transformations, including social and political developments.
• Substantiate how the living environment influences (animal) health.
• Adopt multiple perspectives when addressing complex healthcare issues (e.g., the interests of individuals versus populations, government, industry, health insurers, pharmaceutical companies, etc.).
• Explain the pathway of a medicinal product from development to its use by human or animal patients.
• Search for publicly available information and critically assess the independence and quality of sources.
• Collaborate effectively within a group and reflect on the collaboration process.
• Communicate information concisely and effectively, tailored to different target audiences.

Content

As a society, we are increasingly confronted with new challenges, including those in the field of (animal) healthcare. Examples include demographic changes, emerging (and often costly) technologies, and recent events such as the COVID-19 pandemic. At the same time, societal norms and values continue to evolve—for instance, in perspectives on the contraceptive pill or animal welfare compared to several decades ago—as does the political landscape.
To contribute effectively and responsibly to improvements in healthcare as future professionals, it is essential to understand these developments.
In the course Healthcare Systems in a Changing Society, students will examine how (animal) healthcare is currently organized in the Netherlands. Key questions include: Which institutions are involved? How is healthcare structured at the governmental level? And how does the living environment influence health and disease?
The course explores historical decisions, ongoing transformations, and the choices that lie ahead. Particular attention is given to how trade-offs are made between individual and population-level interests.
More specifically, the course addresses healthcare costs and the processes involved in bringing a medicinal product from development to its eventual use in the treatment of humans or animals. Students will learn that there is rarely a single optimal solution to healthcare challenges, and that outcomes depend strongly on the perspective from which issues are approached.

Note
Please note that, in addition to guest lectures, other educational activities may be mandatory for eligibility for assessment on specific components. For further details, students should consult the course guide and the instructions for the relevant assessment components.