Health Policy (HSMP 6605)
Course Syllabus
Spring Semester 2012
Course Overview:
Instructor:
Elaine H. Morrato, DrPH MPH CPH
Assistant Professor, Department of Health Systems, Management & Policy
Building 500, Room E3311
Phone: 303.724.1535
Email:
Office Hours: Available by appointment.
Location:
TuesdaysThursdays
2:30 ‐ 3:50 PM 2:30 ‐ 3:50 PM
Ed 2 South L28-2305Ed 2 South L28-1307
University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus
Special Exceptions(see Policy Analysis Workshop description):
Tuesday, February 14: 2:30 – 6 p.m.
Tuesday, February 28: 2:30 – 6 p.m.
Credit Hours:3
Introduction: The purpose of this course is to provide an overview of the health policy development and implementation process in the United States. It is a required course for the Health Systems, Management, and Policy track of the Master of Public Health degree program. Students develop skills in policy analysis, policy implementation, and the effective communication of health policy. Guest speakers, student interaction, and class projects expose students to health policy practice at the local, state, and federal levels.
Catalog Description:The focus of this course will be the analysis of important US health policy issues and the development of skills necessary for the practice of health policy. Analytic concepts, approaches and frameworks will be used to explore specific health policy case examples.
Course Delivery: The classmeets face-to-face twice per week. Course delivery consists of lectures, in-class labs and group discussions, skill-building exercises, and a policy analysis case study project. Course materials and assignments are posted on Blackboard.
Prerequisites:HSMP6603 (or equivalent)
Educational Objectives:
- Understand how health policy is developed in the United States, including an understanding of the politics of health issues, the roles of interest groups and stakeholders, and the laws and social values that must be incorporated into successful policies.
- Analyze a health policy case example using the Kingdon framework on policy agenda setting
- Apply written, oral, and media communication strategies and skills for health policy communication and advocacy.
- Explain individual and system-level factors involved in the implementation of health policy.
- Evaluate a local, state or federal level health policy discussion; identify the stakeholders involved and summarize their positions on the health topic; and make recommendations to a legislator, or other stakeholder, on actions to be taken.
- Work together in multi-disciplinary groups that model the way public health agencies conduct program and policy activities.
- Develop a broader understanding of a variety of health policy issues and case examples affecting the United States.
CSPH Competencies to be developed:
Health policy is a multidisciplinary field of inquiry and practice concerned with the delivery, quality and costs of health care for individuals and populations. This definition assumes both a managerial and a policy concern with the structure, process and outcomes of health services including the costs, financing, organization, outcomes and accessibility of care. The following provides a list of the Colorado School of Public Health MPH Degree Competencies that this course addresses.
- Understand the policy process and the principles, values and pressures that guide health care policy making [Concentration in Health Systems, Management and Policy 12]
- Perform a policy analysis for a decision maker, addressing the issues of cost, benefit, distribution, effectiveness, efficiency, administrative ease, legality, equity, and political acceptability, and make and support recommendations affecting health policy and practice [Concentration in Health Systems, Management and Policy 13]
- Demonstrate an understanding of tools used to analyze public policy issues [Core MPH Health Care Systems, Management and Policy Competencies 5]
- Assess and explain the effects of policy development and implementation at all levels (federal, state, local) on the practice of public health [Core MPH Health Care Systems, Management and Policy Competencies 6]
- Analyze health policy issues, including the health, fiscal/economic, administrative, legal, social, ethical and political implications. Include in the analysis an awareness of issues that transcend national boundaries and/or have global implications [Core MPH Health Care Systems, Management and Policy Competencies 7]
- Communicate effectively both in writing and orally [Basic Public Health Skills/Cross Cutting Competencies 6]
Integration of Course Content with other Core Public Health Areas:
The lectures and group projects will provide students examples of contemporary public health policy issues fromthe areas of health systems, management and policy, epidemiology, community and behavioral health, and environmental health. Students will apply analytic and organizational skills learned in the other Core Public Health areas to describe the magnitude of public health problems, to identify and analyze policy options, make policy recommendations, and to identify issues and strategies involved in policy implementation.
Course Evaluation
There are three types of performance assessments used in this course: evaluation projects (policy analysis and health policy in practice assignments), skill exercises (in-class labs/group discussions, policy memo), and participation in on-line group discussions. A summary of the assessments are described below. A more detailed description of each assessment, including grading rubric, will be provided separately and posted on the course Blackboard site.
1. Policy analysis project (50% of course grade)
Students will work in small groups (3-4 individuals) to apply the policy analysis framework and analytic methods presented in class on a health policy issue of their own choosing. This project consists of (1) a policy analysis paper (10-12 pages singled spaced) written by each individual student; (2) a group presentation (20-25 minutes) to the class; and (3) a policy recommendation memo written by each individual summarizing the policy case example, key learning, and recommendations for a contemporary policy maker. Students will provide peer review of the group presentations.
Due dates:
Policy analysis topic and bibliography – 7 February
Individual analysis paper – 26 April
Group presentation – 1 May
Recommendation memo – 8 May
2. Labs, quizzes and in-class participation (20% of course grade)
Several “policy laboratory” projects will be incorporated throughout the course to reinforce policy concepts and skills presented in class. Labs are graded based on participation. If a student misses a lab, they should talk with the instructor. Students have one week to complete the lab independently.
Lab dates:
Policy stakeholders and actors – 31 January
Framing the public health problem – 2 February
Politics of health policy and identifying policy windows – 9 February
Policy implementation – 21 February
Strategic communication plan – 5 April
Communicating health policy with the media – 19 April
Use of social media in health policy – 26 April
Policy analysis workshop dates: (with HSMP 6615, Global Health Policy class):
Policy development case example – 14 February (jointly, 2:30 – 6 p.m.)
Policy implementation – 28 February (jointly, 2:30 – 6 p.m.)
Debrief and relevance for policy analysis project -- 8 Mar (regular class time)
Online quiz dates:
Policy development – 16-21 Feb
Policy implementation – 29 Mar- 3 Apr
Extra credit:
Periodically, the course instructor with share for open discussion a current event related to health policy. Students have the opportunity to sign up to lead a 10-15 minute current event discussion for extra credit. Talk with the course instructor if you are interested.
Some news sources include:
Robert Woods Johnson Foundation (RWJF) Daily News Digest: Health Policy
Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report
The Colorado Health Foundation
3. Policy brief (15% of course grade)
Students will write a short brief with policy recommendations on a health issue using effective writing principles from the University Writing Center. Students will provide peer review of 3 policy briefs during the writing workshop.
Due dates:
Policy recommendation memo peer review discussion – 14 April (draft, not graded)
Edited policy memo – 17 April (graded)
4. Health policy in practice evaluation (15% of course grade)
Students will observe a local, state, or federal meeting discussing health policy on a topic of their own choosing. The instructor will provide students a list of possible local venues and on-line resources that they can use. Students will write a short summary (2-3 pages single spaced) describing the forum, the policy issue discussed, the positions of the relevant stakeholders, and share their perspective on the forum’s effectiveness for moving health policy and implementation forward. Students will also discuss what they learned during a class round table.
Due dates:
Health policy practice topic and forum – 7 February
Evaluationand round table discussion – 17 May
Submitting Assignments
All work will be submitted via the Blackboard assignment page. For information on how to use this:
Returning Graded Assignments:
In accordance with Family Education Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, we want to insure your privacy as a student. We will use the Blackboard Grade Center within the course to provide you with feedback on assignments as well as your final grade.
Grading Scale
The following minimal grading scale will be used:
A 94-100%A 90-93%
B+ 87-89%B 84-86%B 81-83%
C+ 78-80%C 75-77%C 72-74%
D+ 69-71%D 66-68%D 63-65%
F <62%
Course Readings
There are no required textbooks. Instead, online resources (scientific articles, pdfs of book chapters, on-line resources) are being used as readings for this course. Please refer to the course document Health Policy (HSMP 6605) Reading List for a detailed description of the readings.
The readings will be made available to students through Blackboard.
Course Policies:
Attendance Policy
Attendance will not be taken. However, classroom participation will be assessed through the laboratory projects and online discussion forums as part of the course grade.
Class Participation Policy
Attendance will not be taken. Students are expected to participate in the laboratory excercises and class discussion. Please see the section on Course Evaluation.
Make-up Assignment Policy
Make-up assignments must be approved prior to the due date except in the case of unexpected emergencies and these are permitted at the discretion of the course instructor. In general, assignments must be made up within 1 week from the scheduled due date.
Students with Disabilities:
For students requesting accommodations, you will need to contact the Office of Disability Resources & Services (DRS) located in Building 500, Rm. W1103. The physical address is 13001 E. 17th Place, and the phone number is (303) 724-5640. Their staff will assist in determining reasonable accommodations as well as coordinating the approved accommodations.
Honor Code
All students are expected to abide by the Honor Code of the Colorado School of Public Health. Unless otherwise instructed, all of your work in this course should represent completely independent work. Students are expected to familiarize themselves with the Student Honor Code that can be found at the URL below. Any student found to have committed acts of misconduct (including, but not limited to cheating, plagiarism, misconduct of research, breach of confidentiality, or illegal or unlawful acts) will be subject to the procedures outlined in the CSPH Honor Code.
Special Class Policies:
Out of respect for one another, students should turn cell phones/beepers off or on silent and not attend to their email, Facebook or other online content not relevant to the course during class presentations and discussions. Students may use electronic devices to take class notes and to use the Internet to access class-relevant content
Students are expected to use Microsoft Word and Power Point for papers and oral presentations.
The primary mode of class communication will be through Blackboard (including course materials, lecture slides and project descriptions). The CU Online Blackboard Help Desk can provide technical assistance at or phone 303.315.3700 (M-F: 7 am – 7 pm)
Course Schedule:
Class (date) / Topic / AssignmentsPOLICY DEVELOPMENT / 124 Jan / Course Introduction
Lecture: U.S. Health Policy Context
226 Jan / Lecture: Stakeholders and Actors
Lecture: Framing the Problem
331 Jan / Lab: Stakeholders
4 2 Feb / Lab: Framing the Problem
5 7 Feb / Lecture: Policy Stream
Lecture: Political Process / Due: Case topic
Due: Policy in practice forum topic
6 9 Feb / Lab: Politics and Policy Windows
714 Feb / Workshop (Day 1): Policy Analysis
Policy Development Case Example: U.S. Health Reform / Note: 2:30 – 6 p.m.
With Global Health Policy Course
POLICY IMPLEMENTATION / 816 Feb / Lecture: Policy Implementation / Quiz opens: policy development
921 Feb / Lab: Policy Implementation / Quiz closes: policy development
1023 Feb / Lecture: Policy Management Framework
1128Feb / Workshop (Day 2): Policy Analysis
Policy Implementation Case Example: Rwanda Rural Health Centers / Note: 2:30 – 6 p.m.
With Global Health Policy Course
121 Mar / Government relations/lobbying
Guest speaker: Jennifer Miles, MSW
Government Relations Consultant
Miles Consulting, Inc. / Colorado Capitol fieldtrip
136 Mar / NO CLASS (offsets Workshop)
148 Mar / Workshop (Day 3): Policy Analysis
1513 Mar / Policy at the Federal Level
Case Example: Federal Advisory Committee Meetings (FDA)
1615 Mar / NO CLASS (offsets Workshop)
1727 Mar / Independent study / Note: U.S. Supreme Court reviews the constitutionality of health reform
Quiz opens: policy implementation
1829 Mar / Independent study
COMMUNICATING HEALTH POLICY / 193 Apr / Lecture: Strategic Communication Plan / Quiz closes: policy implementation
205 Apr / Lab: Strategic Communication Plan
2110 Apr / Policy Memo Writing Workshop: lessons & tips
Guest: Writing Center Consultant
2212 Apr / Writing Workshop: Peer review
2317 Apr / Media Workshop: lessons & tips
Guest speaker: Jacque Montgomery
Director of Media and PR
UCD/Anschutz, UCH / Due: Policy memo
2419 Apr / Media workshop: role play
2524 Apr / Lecture: Social media and health policy
2626Apr / Lab: Social media and health policy / Due: Case report
POLICY IN PRACTICE / 271 May / Policy analysis group presentations
283 May / Policy analysis group presentations
298 May / Policy analysis group presentations / Due: Case memo
3010 May / Policy at the Local Level
Case Example: Tobacco Control
3115May / Policy at the State Level
Case Example: Implementation of Health Information Exchanges
1622 May / Policy in practice presentations and class discussion / Due: Policy in practice evaluation
Health Policy Course Syllabus (HSMP 6605)1
Colorado School of Public Healthversion date: 1/30/12