A group of students and faculty members from Central Michigan University and Rochester Institute of Technology visited Stockholm for one week to study the Swedish health system. Topics during the week included the history, governance, financing of the system including performance and service provision. The group had a chance to visit the emergency care department at Karolinska University Hospital, as well as a primary care center and an elderly care facility with dementia care.

Objective
The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) ranks Sweden as among the best healthcare systems in the world. During the course students learned key facts about the Swedish healthcare system and study visits gave them hands-on experience of how the healthcare system functions in Sweden. The objective of the course was for students to learn about the Swedish healthcare system in order to compare and contrast differences with the healthcare system in the United States.

Content and output
This 5-day study abroad course offered opportunities to develop cross-cultural competencies for students with healthcare experience. The objective of this course in Stockholm was to provide an overview of healthcare delivery in Sweden focusing on the Stockholm region and local institutions.
Students listened to speakers from Stockholm University, Stockholm County Council and the medical university Karolinska Insitutet to learn about the structure and governance of the Swedish healthcare system. The group also visited Karolinska Institutet Innovation center and had a workshop together. Speakers from the Pratikertjänst – the largest private dental and health care group in Sweden – talked about the current situation for healthcare staffing in Sweden.

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