Specialization "Health Technology Assessment"

of the master 'Health Sciences'


This specialization focuses on the evaluation of medical technology and technology policy (effectiveness of policy and design of regulations for new medical technology). Imagine a new cytostatic drug has been developed that produces fewer side effects. Can you just administer this drug? Who is responsible? What do legislation and the regulations state? Or in another example: new technology has made it possible to tackle disease at the molecular level. This means made-to-measure treatment and prevention. But do we really want to equip everyone with their own individual healthcare monitor? Or in even another case: what is the most effective way of putting a revolutionary PET-scan machine, which can screen tumours, into operation in a hospital? What are the consequences for the organization and policy of care and communication with regard to patients and healthcare insurers? You will explore questions relating to patient empowerment and the introduction and costing of new technology in the healthcare sector.

Courses of the Health Technology Assessment specialization

In the first part of the 1^st semester you choose two of these three courses:

-	E-health and Quality of Care

-	Medical Decision Making

-	Policy Analysis in Public & Technological Domain

And in the second part of the 1^st semester you will follow these subjects:

-	Public Health Policy

-	Risk Assessment and regulation of Health Care Technologies

The common courses

-	Clinical Efficacy and Medical Technology Assessment (MTA): In this course you will learn how to assess the efficiency of technology;

-	Health and Health Systems: Here you will gain insight in the economic factors influencing decision-making in health care systems and in differences between systems in an international context.

Courses 2011/ 2012