About this tour
This Study Tour to Portugal provides you the chance to compare and contrast the healthcare systems in Denmark and Portugal.
Lisbon, the vibrant capital of Portugal, is a city rich in history, culture, and innovation. As a culturally diverse capital in Southern Europe, it offers a unique setting to explore how healthcare can be organized and delivered. Portugal’s healthcare system, the Serviço Nacional de Saúde (SNS), provides universal healthcare to residents, but it currently suffers challenges such as economic constraints, an aging population, and continuing social disparities.
During the Study Tour you will gain insight into the administrative and practical aspects of Portuguese healthcare delivery by engaging with relevant stakeholders and institutions. We will investigate how healthcare is prioritized, which services are provided, and how they are distributed across different populations. This will support your understanding of how classroom theories translate into a real-life context, and help you better understand the challenges and opportunities the health system faces.
Additionally, we will discuss the connection between social determinants of health and healthcare policies, providing a comprehensive view of Portugal’s approach to public health and wellbeing.
To further contextualize your studies and understanding of Portuguese culture, we will explore the city’s historic neighborhoods, taste traditional Portuguese cuisine, experience a fado music performance, and visit cultural landmarks.
Learning outcomes
- Compare the structure, role and function of different health institutions in the Portuguese healthcare system
- Observe the challenges Portugal faces in relation to healthcare delivery due to rising costs, increase in aging populations, and inequality in health
- Engage in your personal learning process outside the classroom by actively participating and challenging your current ideas and assumptions
Possible activities
- Visit primary care facilities and meeting with a general practitioner
- Visit to a community health service facility working with health promotion
- Visit to an administrative unit in the National Health Service