Section: Module 1: Policies in Health Systems | Health Policy and Management | NextGenU.org

  • Competencies covered in this module:
    • Compare and contrast health and social service delivery systems among and between countries, which reflect diverse political, organizational, and legal contexts, and use these experiences to improve access to, regulation of, and fairness of health systems.
    • Identify the main components and issues of the organization, financing, and delivery of health services and public health systems.
    • Discuss multiple dimensions of the policy-making process, including the roles of ethics and evidence.
    • Discuss the policy process for improving the health status of populations.

    • Module 1: Lesson 1: Introduction to Health Systems 

      Student Learning Objectives:

      Upon completion of this lesson, you will be able to:

      • Define "health policy."
      • Define "management" as it applies to healthcare.
      • Explain the importance of Healthcare Management.
      • Describe the health and social service delivery challenges of low- and middle-income countries.
      • Compare and contrast health and social service delivery systems among high-, middle-, and low-income countries.
      • Define the terms "political," "organizational," and "legal frameworks" as they relate to health and social service delivery systems.
      • Explain the impact of the political context in the delivery of health and social services.
      • Explain the influence of organizational context in the delivery of health and social services.
      • Explain the importance of the legal context in the delivery of health and social services.
      • Describe the characteristics of fair and regulated health systems.
      • Provide examples of strategies for improving the equity and fairness of health systems.
      • Using the example of substance use disorders, examine strategies to improve access to fair health systems.

      Approximate time required to complete the readings (at 144 words/minute) and assignments for this module: 18 hours and 42 minutes.

       
      Required Learning Resources and Activities
    • Read the entire article. (5 minutes)

      Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health - 2021

    • Read the following sections: "Introduction" and "Strategic Management of Health Systems."(12 minutes)

      The New Public Health2014

    • Read the entire article. (22 minutes)

      NCBI2017

    • Read the entire article. (36 minutes)

      NCBI - 2020

    • Read the entire article. (31 minutes)

      Oxford Journals, Health Policy, and Planning2017

    • Read the section "Distinct Fields but Common Interests." (6 minutes)

      International Journal of Health Policy and Management2017

    • Read the following sections:
      1. What is culture in context?
      2. Three levels of organizational culture in healthcare, including the paragraphs before "One culture or many subcultures."
       (6 minutes)

      BMJ2018

    • Read the Introduction and Key concepts of literature. (8 minutes)

      NCBI2016

    • Read the section "Law and global health." (3 minutes)

      The Lancet2019

    • Read the entire article. (25 minutes)

      NCBI2019

    • Read the following sections: Background, Discussion, and Conclusion. (16 minutes)

      BMC Health Services Research2013

    • Read Section 1: The Legal System for Global Health. (57 minutes)

      Lancet2019

    • Read the following sections:
      1. Introduction
      2. Section 1: Redefining high-quality health systems.
       
      (24 minutes)

      The Lancet2018

    • Read the content under the heading "Introduction," "Results," and "Discussion." (24 minutes)

      NCBI2018

    • Read the entire article. (37 minutes)

      National Academy of Medicine2016

    • Read to the end of section 7.2. (39 minutes)

      WHO2016

    • In this activity, you will compare delivery systems among high-, middle- and low-income countries. Then, you will discuss their strengths and weaknesses and what can low- and middle-income countries learn from high-income countries and vice versa. 

      Step 1: Review and Consider 

      Review the learning resources “Integrated care: learning between high-income, and low- and middle-income country health systems” and “Measures to strengthen primary health-care systems in low- and middle-income countries.” Think about what you would consider to be the strengths and weaknesses of healthcare delivery systems across the 3 categories: low-income, middle-income and high-income countries. Then, contemplate if any system can help improve the other.

      Step 2: Discuss

      In 350-500 words, write a discussion post where you:

      • Identify at least two strengths and weaknesses of healthcare delivery systems in each of low-,middle- and high-income countries. Explain why each feature is considered a strength or weakness. 

      • In your own words, explain what low- and middle-income countries can learn from the strengths of the delivery systems in high-income countries. Provide examples to justify your answer.

      • Based on the readings, do you think that the delivery systems in high-income countries can be improved by applying the strengths of low- and middle-income systems? Why?

      Step 3: Share

      To share your work, click on the “Add a new discussion topic” button under this post and paste your work in the “Message” box. Click “Post to forum.”  Make sure to reference others’ intellectual property when necessary. All references should follow 7th Edition APA formatting. For further instructions, see the resource on the Himmelfarb Health Sciences Library: APA citation resource (N.B. references are excluded from word counts).

      OPTIONAL Step 4: Interact (10 minutes)

      If you would like to, you can reply to your peers' posts in a respectful and professional manner. Ensure that your post engages your peers' ideas by including a reflection on their comments, sharing ideas of other potential difficulties and parties involved, or asking thought-provoking questions. If a peer comments on your posting, please reply. To post a reply, click “Reply” on a particular discussion, write your feedback and then click on “Post to forum.”


    • forum icon
      Activity 2: Reflection - Strategies at Political, Organizational and Legal Levels (240 minutes) Forum

      In this activity, you will reflect on strategies to improve access to fair health systems and explain how these strategies work at the political, organizational, and legal levels. 

      Step 1: Review and Identify

      Review the learning resources on political, organizational, and legal frameworks in health and social service delivery systems. Then, take another look at the learning resource “Improving Access to Effective Care for People Who Have Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders: A Vital Direction for Health and Health Care.” From the reading, select a strategy to improve the care of people with substance use disorders that resonates more with your perspectives on the topic.

      Step 2: Reflect and Write

      Examine the details of the strategy you’ve chosen, focusing on the performance of the strategy at the political, organizational and legal levels. Write a reflection based on why you chose this strategy and how it works at each level. Your reflection should include comments about the strengths and limitations of your selected strategies along with potential barriers for their implementation (300-400 words).

      Step 3: Submit

      Submit your reflection. To share your work, click on the button at the bottom of the screen, “Add a new discussion topic.” Include the title of your work and paste your work in the “message” box. Make sure to reference others’ intellectual property when necessary. All references should follow 7th Edition APA formatting; see the resource on the Himmelfarb Health Sciences Library for instructions: APA citation resource (references are excluded from word counts).

      Step 4: Share

      To share your work, click on the “Add a new discussion topic” button under this post and paste your work in the “Message” box. “Post to forum.” Make sure to reference others’ intellectual property when necessary. All references should follow 7th Edition APA formatting. For further instructions, see the resource on the Himmelfarb Health Sciences Library: APA citation resource (N.B. references are excluded from word counts).

    • Additional Resources for Optional Learning
    • Read the entire article. (72 minutes)

      National Conference of State Legislatures2016

    • Module 1: Lesson 2: Organization, Financing, and Delivery of Health Services
       
      Student Learning Objectives:

      Upon completion of this lesson, you will be able to:

      • Define "public health delivery systems."
      • Explain how public health delivery systems are financed.
      • Explain how public health delivery systems are organized and their main components.
      • State the challenges experienced in organizing public health delivery systems.
      • State the challenges experienced in financing public health delivery systems.

      Approximate time required for the readings for this lesson (at 144 words/minute): 6 hours and 32 minutes.

       
      Required Learning Resources and Activities
    • Read the entire article. (8 minutes)

      University of Kentucky: Center for Public Health Systems and Services Research2016

    • Read the entire presentation. (30 minutes)

      CDC2013

    • Read the following section: Conceptual Framework. (38 minutes)

      NCBI2010

    • Read the entire article. (30 minutes)

      IBEROAMERICAN JOURNAL OF MEDICINE2020

    • forum icon
      Activity 3 - Issues in Public Health Delivery Systems (180 minutes) Forum

      In this activity, you will discuss public health delivery systems issues in your setting.

      Step 1: Review and Identify

      Review the learning resources on the challenges experienced in organizing and financing health delivery systems. Think about the health delivery systems in your setting with special attention to financing and organization. Can you identify any of these issues in your setting?

      Step 2: Discuss 

      In 300-400 words, write a discussion on the related issues faced in your setting. In your discussion, you should:

      • Briefly describe your setting. It can be your workplace, community, or region.
      • Introduce public health delivery issues prevalent in your setting. Elaborate on potential causes or contributing factors.
      • Explain how these issues relate to financing and organization and justify your statements with the course readings.
      • Propose briefly some ideas that could help to alleviate the issues

      Step 3: Share

      To share your work, click on the “Reply” button under this post and paste your work in the “Message” box. “Post to forum.” Make sure to reference others’ intellectual property when necessary. All references should follow 7th Edition APA formatting. For further instructions, see the resource on the Himmelfarb Health Sciences Library: APA citation resource (N.B. references are excluded from word counts).

      OPTIONAL Step 4: Interact (10 minutes)

      If you would like to, you can reply to your peers' posts in a respectful and professional manner. Ensure that your post engages your peers' ideas by including a reflection on their comments, sharing ideas of other potential difficulties and parties involved, or asking thought-provoking questions. If a peer comments on your posting, please reply. To post a reply, click “Reply” on a particular discussion, write your feedback and then click on “Post to forum.”


    • Module 1: Lesson 3: The Policy-Making Process
       
      Student Learning Objectives:

      Upon completion of this lesson, you will be able to:

      • Explain the main role of the actors involved in the policy-making process.
      • Understand the different steps of policy development.
      • Explain the principles of evidence-based policymaking.
      • Discuss the importance of evidence in the policy development process.
      • Explain how policies affect population health.
      • Describe the correlation between the policy process and population health.
      • Reflect on how the steps of the policy-making process help in improving the health status of populations.

      Approximate time required for the readings for this lesson (at 144 words/minute): 6 hours and 54 minutes.

       
      Required Learning Resources and Activities
    • Read the entire article. (25 minutes)

      Global Journal of Interdisciplinary Sciences2016

    • Read the entire page. (5 minutes)

      CDC2015

    • Read from the section "Principles of evidence-based policymaking." (18 minutes)

      Evidence-based Policy Making Collabortavie2016

    • Read the sections "Background," "Discussion" and "Conclusion." (19 minutes)

      BMC, Springer Nature2015

    • Read the entire article. (12 minutes)

      NCBI2018

    • Read the entire article. (33 minutes)

      NURSING AND HEALTH PROFESSIONS FACULTY RESEARCH AND PUBLICATIONS - 2017

    • forum icon
      Activity 4: The Policy-Making Process (180 minutes) Forum

      You will write a discussion post on 2 steps of the policy-making process that are important to you. The discussion will include a rationale of how your selected steps ensure the improvement of the health status of a population and provide examples to support your selection. Furthermore, you will provide additional examples to illustrate the importance of evidence-based practice in the selected steps. 

      Instructions:

      Step 1: Review and Identify 

      Review the learning resources on the steps of policy-making and the importance of evidence in the policy development process. Then, identify 2 steps of the policy-making process on which your discussion will be based.

      Step 2: Discuss

      In 500-600 words, you should discuss the following:

      • Why did you choose those particular steps?

      • How do they help to improve the health status of populations?

        • Provide cases or examples to support your rationale

      • Why is evidence important in these steps?

        • Provide cases or examples to help justify your reasoning

      Step 3: Share

      To share your work, click on the “Add a new discussion topic” button under this post and paste your work in the “Message” box. Make sure to reference others’ intellectual property when necessary. All references should follow 7th Edition APA formatting. For further instructions, see the resource on the Himmelfarb Health Sciences Library: APA citation resource (N.B. references are excluded from word counts).

      OPTIONAL Step 4: Interact (10 minutes)

      If you would like to, you can reply to your peers' posts in a respectful and professional manner. Ensure that your post engages your peers' ideas by including a reflection on their comments, sharing ideas of other potential difficulties and parties involved, or asking thought-provoking questions. If a peer comments on your posting, please reply. To post a reply, click “Reply” on a particular discussion, write your feedback and then click on “Post to forum.”


    • quiz icon
      Quiz: Module 1

      To access the quiz, click on the name of the quiz provided above. On the following screen, click the Attempt Quiz button to view the case studies and respond to the questions.

      TO PASS THIS QUIZ YOU MUST OBTAIN A SCORE OF 80%.