Health Policy
Module Title: Health Policy
ECTS: 10
Module Coordinator:
Professor Sara Burke, Associate Professor of Health Policy & Management
Module Description:
In order to influence better health system decision making and change which results in improved health, reduces health inequalities and provides equitable access to universal, quality care through, one needs to understand health policy. Health policy defines health goals at the international, national or local levels and specifies the decisions, plans and actions to be undertaken to achieve these goals according to the World Health Organisation‘s definition. This module explores theories, concepts and frameworks relevant to health policy, and introduces students to health policy analysis. We will use Ireland as a case to understand why history, power and politics matter in health policy; how contextual factors influence policy change; and the varied interests and actors involved. Lessons will be drawn from and applied to different country and health system contexts. Students will be exposed to a range of real-world cases in order to better understand the challenges of critiquing, analysing, influencing and implementing health policies.
Module Objectives:
- To provide students with the basic concepts and values which inform health policy making
- To demonstrate why health policy matters
- To furnish students with specific cases of health policy in order for them to be able to critique relevant policies
- To introduce students to the tools and approaches for doing health policy analysis
Module learning outcomes:
On successful completion of the module students should be able to:
- Explain the roles of health policy and health in social policy through examining how health and social policies influence health and healthcare;
- Identify key theories, frameworks and concepts associated with health policy making and implementation;
- Analyse and appraise the development, implementation and evolution of health policy, theoretically and in practice;
- Critically analyse current health policy challenges, if and how governments and societies can bring about improved health, reduced inequalities and universal access to quality healthcare;
- Situate your own role, research, interest in a broader health policy context and the role you can play in bringing out health policy and system change.