Prefix and Course Number: HSMP 6670

Long Course Title: Introduction to Health Policy Analysis and Communication

Course Title: Intro to Health Policy

Semester and Year: Winter Intercession 2012-2013 (January 2013)

Instructors:

Susan Rifkin, PhD

Adjunct-Professor, Health Systems, Management, and Policy

Elaine Morrato, DrPH MPH

Associate Professor, Health Systems, Management, and Policy

Office Hours: To be announced

TA: applicable if student enrollment is 30 or more

Credit Hours: 1 (course is not repeatable for additional credit)

Introduction:

This course introduces students to a framework for systematically and critically evaluating the health policy literature (and to use these skills and knowledge to present a policy analysis). Students will learn effective oral and written communication skills for presenting their health policy analysis. This course prepares students to effectively write policy analysis papers and briefs for evaluation in the health policy courses offered by the HSMP department. Evaluation is based on a written analysis of a health policy paper of the student’s choosing and class participation in small group exercises and oral presentations.

Catalog Description:

Introduces a framework for systematically and critically evaluating the health policy literature. Reviews effective oral and written communication skills for presenting policy analyses. Evaluation is based on a written analysis of a policy paper of the student’s choosing.

Course Delivery:

Five 3-hour class periods involving lectures, small group exercises and oral presentations. (see tentative Course Schedule for more detail)

Prerequiste(s): None

Required texts:

Buse K, Mays N, Walt G. “Policy Implementation” Making Health Policy www.openup.co.uk 2005.

Smith, Catherine (2009). Writing Public Policy: A Practical Guide to Communicating in the Policy Making Process, 2d ed. (Oxford UP) [note: 3rd edition will publish in the summer of 2012]

CSPH Competencies:

Educational Objectives / Competencies
  1. Identify key components in a framework for analyzing health policy, including the policy development process, implementation, and outcomes.
/ Demonstrate an understanding of tools used to analyze public policy issues (CR-HSMP 5)
  1. Apply this framework to critically and systematically evaluate U.S. and global health policies through the use of published case examples.
/ Apply the core functions of assessment, policy development, and assurance in the analysis of public health problems and their solutions (BPHS/CC 17)
  1. Identify principles of effective written and oral communication when summarizing key learning from the analysis of the case example and making recommendations.
/ Communicate effectively both in writing and orally (BPHS/CC 6)
Effectively present [health policy analysis and recommendations] based on scientific information for professional and lay audiences (BPHS/CC 7)
  1. To apply the above skills to present an analysis of a health policy of their choosing and to provide recommendations for a policy decision maker.
/ Identify, retrieve, and synthesize current scientific evidence relevant to health and public health issues. (BPHS/CC 10)

Course Schedule(tentative)

We propose a Tues/Thursday schedule. Each class session is 3 hours. We could conduct the class late afternoon/early evening to better accommodate working students.

Class Period / Date / Course Activity
1 / Jan 4, 2013
(Thursday) / Lecture: Framework for critically and systematically evaluating health policy literature.
Lecture: Effective oral communication skills for presenting policy analyses.
Group Work #1: Evaluation of a written report on policy development using a published case example from the U.S.
2 / Jan 9, 2013
(Tuesday) / Due: Proposed paper for the final paper. Instructors will approve the selection.
Due: Oral presentation of their policy analysis of the U.S. case example (Group Work #1). Class will discuss and critique the presentations.
Lecture: HSMP rubric for evaluating written health policy analyses and briefs. (based on the rubric developed by the London School of Economics)
3 / Jan 11, 2013
(Thursday) / Lecture: Effective written communication skills for presenting policy analysis. Examples will be discussed and critiqued.
Group Work #2: Evaluate a second written report on policy outcomes using a published case example from a non-U.S. setting.
Homework: Find an example of a policy analysis brief to share in the next class session.
4 / Jan 16, 2013
(Tuesday) / Due: Oral presentation of their policy analysis of the nonU.S. case example (Group Work #2). Class will discuss and critique the presentations.
In-Class Exercise: Examples of written policy analysis briefs will be discussed and critiqued.
Homework: Students draft their policy analysis paper.
5 / Jan 19, 2013
(Friday) / In-Class Exercise: Peer-review critique of draft analysis paper. Summarize key lessons learned.
Final revised analysis paper due by Jan 26, 2013.