This course should be of interest to graduate students interested in the healthcare field, including those in the MS program.  A summary of the course is as follows:

Engineers are integral to the healthcare industry in numerous ways and a significant number of engineering graduates enter the healthcare workforce to make important contributions in numerous ways.  An understanding of the dynamics of healthcare delivery can provide insights that further enhance the role that engineers play.  The overall purpose of this course is to provide a “real world” overview of healthcare delivery in the United States (US). The topics initially covered include the major medical product segments, namely the pharmaceutical and medical devices industries.  The structure of companies operating in these sectors along with the regulatory framework which governs them will be discussed.   Health economic considerations, including product costs and reimbursement along with issues related to insurance coverage, will also be covered. Following a focused review of relevant physiology and pathophysiology, a series of critical medical conditions having the highest impact on the US healthcare system are discussed.  These diseases include coronary artery disease, heart failure, diabetes, cancer, obesity, Alzheimer’s disease, chronic kidney disease, stroke, arthritis, sepsis, and acute kidney injury.  The final aspect of the course is a team project, in which an engineering solution is proposed to address an unmet clinical need for one of major conditions discussed.