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Appropriate Health System Design
Last Updated: 2026-02-05 15:42:05
Abstract
This course elaborates upon relevant aspects in the conception, implementation and distribution of health devices and systems that effectively meet peoples and societies' needs in a local context. Four key elements of appropriateness (usage, cost, durability and performance) that are integral to the engineering design process are extensively discussed and applied.
Objective
The main goals are to > Evaluate the appropriateness of health systems to the cultural, financial, environmental and medical context in which they will be applied and > Design health systems from a user's perspective for a specific context At the end of the course, students can > name, understand and describe the 4 main principles that define appropriate technology > apply these principles to critically analyze and assess health systems and technology > project him/herself into a unfamiliar person and context and create hypotheses as to that person's needs, requirements, and priorities > modify specifications of existing systems to improve appropriateness > discuss the challenges and illustrate the the ethical and societal consequences of proposed design modifications > communicate effectively the results of his/her system analysis and implementation strategies to non-specialists
Content
The course will be interactive and involve roleplay. Please do not sign up for this course if you are not ready to leave your comfort zone in class. The lectures are divided in two parts: The first part elaborates upon the important concepts of the design of health care devices and systems, and discusses implementation and dissemination strategies. We focus on communities such as low income households, the elderly, and patients with chronic illnesses that have special needs. Topics covered include point-of-care diagnostics, information and communication technologies, mobile health, user interactions, and also the social-cultural considerations. The second part consists of elaboration of an appropriate device conducted by student groups. Each group will analyse an existing product or solution, critically assess its appropriateness according to the criteria learned in class, and provide explanations as to why the system succeeds or fails. The students will also present design improvements. Grading will be based on a written case report due in the middle of the semester and a final seminar presentation in form of a poster discussion and demo.
Resources
Literature
WHO, "Medical Devices: Managing the Mismatch", 2010. http://www.who.int/medical_devices/publications/med_dev_man-mismatch/en/ PATH, "The IC2030 report. Reimagining Global Health," 2015. http://ic2030.org/report/ R. Malkin and K. Von Oldenburg Beer, "Diffusion of novel healthcare technologies to resource poor settings," Annals of Biomedical Engineering, vol. 41, no. 9, pp. 1841:50, 2013.
Learning Materials (Links)
- Main link
- Link to main course website
General Information
- Language
- English
- Levels
- MSC
- Frequency
- Yearly recurring
Examination
- Type
- graded semester performance
Registration & Places
- Max Places
- 42
Course Components
| Type | Title | Time & Place | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| lecture | Appropriate Health System Design |
|
2 h weekly |
Offered In
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Recommended Elective Courses (These courses are particularly recommended for the Bioelectronics track. Please consult your track adviser if you wish to select other subjects.)
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Recommended Elective Courses (These courses are particularly recommended for the Biomechanics track. Please consult your track adviser if you wish to select other subjects.)
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