Health Policy

This subject has the following teaching availabilities in 2016:

170 hours

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Health Policy was formerly know as Health and Public Policy. Students who have completed Health and Public Policy are not to enrol in this subject.

For the purposes of considering request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Cwth 2005), and Students Experiencing Academic Disadvantage Policy, academic requirements for this subject are articulated in the Subject Description, Subject Objectives, Generic Skills and Assessment Requirements of this entry.
The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details on the disability support scheme can be found at the Disability Liaison Unit website.

The subject focuses on the decisions, usually made by governments, which determine the present and future objectives underlying a country’s health services and programs. The following topics will be covered:

• policy definitions and instruments;
• ideas, ideologies and interests that influence priorities in policy decision making;
• the significance of effectiveness, efficiency and equity as objectives of health policy;
• legal, political, managerial, sociological and economic perspectives in understanding policy formation; and
• the emerging role of scientific evidence in policy formation.

Processes relating to the development and implementation of health policy including health policy analysis and monitoring and evaluation. Both Australia and developing country contexts will be studied.

Upon completion of this subject, students should be able to:

• Describe and critically appraise theoretical perspectives on policy making from a political science, epidemiological, economics, law, , sociological and managerial perspective.
• Debate the role of different understandings of equity alongside other objectives in informing health policy and policy change
• Critically analyse the origins and evidence base of health policy and funding decisions both in Australia and developing countries
• Describe and critically analyse policy development processes and the drivers of policy change
• Choose and justify a policy analysis methodology for a particular policy issue

One essay due mid-semester, 2000 words (40%); one presentation of 10 mins (20%) due mid-semester. One essay due during the examination period, 2000 words (40%)

Students will also have access to electronic copies of relevant readings.

This subject is not available as a breadth subject.

Upon completion of this subject, students will have developed skills in:

• Critical thinking and analysis,
• Initiative, autonomy and organization,
• Oral communication,
• Written communication,
• Persuasion and argumentation,
• Working with others and in teams.