HLSC607 - Policy and Planning in Health Care

Year

Credit points

Campus offering

Prerequisites

Teaching organisation

Unit rationale, description and aim

As an aspiring health care leader, it is essential for students to understand the contexts within which healthcare decisions are made including social, economic, political and technological contexts, among others. While many healthcare decisions are made at the local level, decisions made at policy level will have an impact on all levels of health care and on all practitioners working within the health care system. Accordingly, this unit supports students in developing the ability to plan, implement and evaluate policy-related strategies that promote effective, culturally safe health service administration in a variety of health settings and among diverse communities, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Students will also be supported to develop specialised skills in analysing and evaluating solutions to complex problems that are associated with policy development, planning and implementation as well as the consequential outcomes of policy decisions.

This unit provides the opportunity for students to analyse issues that relate to policy development, planning and implementation in health care service delivery in Australia. This unit is founded on a social justice and equity framework with a special focus on evaluating policies that impact on the health of disadvantaged people, as well as on strategies that will reform policymaking, delivery and financing of health care in Australia.

The aim of this unit is to provide opportunity for students to explore policy decision-making processes, to analyse underlying assumptions associated with policy decisions, to evaluate outcomes of policy decisions and to appraise potential issues for policy reform.

Learning outcomes

To successfully complete this unit you will be able to demonstrate you have achieved the learning outcomes (LO) detailed in the below table.

Each outcome is informed by a number of graduate capabilities (GC) to ensure your work in this, and every unit, is part of a larger goal of graduating from ACU with the attributes of insight, empathy, imagination and impact.

Explore the graduate capabilities.

On successful completion of this unit, students should be able to:

LO1 - justify how contemporary Australian policy making can influence equitable access to health care and the financial burden of illness (GA1, GA2, GA3, GA4); 

LO2 - evaluate current policies impacting upon the healthcare workforce and their influence on quality health care in Australia (GA4, GA5); 

LO3 - create strategies that potentially can lead to health reform, and an improvement in health service delivery or more equitable financing in the Australian health care system, with particular reference to socially disadvantaged population groups (GA1, GA2, GA3, GA4, GA5, GA6). 

Graduate attributes

GA1 - demonstrate respect for the dignity of each individual and for human diversity 

GA2 - recognise their responsibility to the common good, the environment and society 

GA3 - apply ethical perspectives in informed decision making

GA4 - think critically and reflectively 

GA5 - demonstrate values, knowledge, skills and attitudes appropriate to the discipline and/or profession 

GA6 - solve problems in a variety of settings taking local and international perspectives into account

Content

Topics will include: 

• Public policy analysis and healthcare 
• definitions and descriptions of policy 
• types of public policies 
• distinctiveness of public policy 
• policy analysis 
• policymaking process 

• Contemporary policies that impact on aspects of health service delivery: 
• public and private hospital policies 
• health insurance and funding policies 
• consumer service provision policies 
• health care policies and ethical perspectives 

• Policies impacting on the Australian healthcare workforce  
• regulated workforce 
• unregulated workforce 

• Health policies for disadvantaged groups, including 
• social justice and equity perspective 
• social determinants of health and healthcare utilisation 
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people 
• people with mental health problems 
• people with disabilities 
• older people 

• Reforming health policymaking 
• constraints on policymaking 
• inclusion on the policy agenda 
• improved policymaking and policymaking structures 
• strengthening community and consumer participation 
• values and equity 
• key future trends 

Learning and teaching strategy and rationale

Teaching and learning strategies utilised in this unit will support students in meeting the aim and achieving the learning outcomes relevant to this unit as well as to the broader course learning outcomes. 

Multi-mode  

This unit utilises an active learning approach whereby students will be provided with an opportunity to participate in classroom discussions and interactivity with peers through attendance in class-based lectures that function as combined lecture/tutorial. Tutorial activities include, but are not limited to, discussion, debate, policy/article review that involves mini student presentations and other learning activities. In addition, learning e-modules and links to electronic readings will be provided on the learning environment online (LEO) in order to guide students’ reading and extend the classroom learning.   

The classroom learning environment and associated e-modules will create opportunities for students to reflect on current and past health policy, develop skill in policymaking processes, evaluation of policy decisions and the impact of health care policy on disadvantaged population groups. In constructing knowledge about the complexity of health care and the implications of healthcare policy decisions in relation to social and health-related outcomes, students will identify areas for policy reform and will be supported in appraising potential outcomes of policy reform.    

Online mode 

This unit utilises an active learning approach whereby students will engage in readings and reflections, e-Module activities and opportunities to collaborate with peers in an online environment. This can involve, but is not limited to, on-line discussion forums, chat rooms, guided reading and webinars.  In addition, learning e-modules and links to electronic readings will be provided on the learning environment online (LEO) in order to guide students’ reading and extend the online learning.   

Through an online learning platform, students will have the opportunity to reflect on current and past health policy, develop skill in policymaking processes, evaluation of policy decisions and the impact of health care policy on disadvantaged population groups.  In constructing knowledge about the complexity of health care and the implications of healthcare policy decisions in relation to social and health-related outcomes, students will identify areas for policy reform and will be supported in appraising potential outcomes of policy reform.    

Assessment strategy and rationale

In order to pass this unit, students are expected to submit three graded assessment tasks. In addition, students must achieve a cumulative grade of at least 50% across all assessments. The assessment strategy used allows for the progressive development of knowledge and skills necessary for the student to be able to consider healthcare policy approaches that impact on health outcomes, particularly for disadvantaged population groups. 

Multi-mode  

In order to become effective at improving healthcare outcomes through effective policy and planning approaches, the student must first develop comprehensive knowledge of the Australian healthcare system and of policy making processes. This is demonstrated via their participation in class discussions with both their peers and with the lecturer resulting in development of a critical review of current policy, a critical analysis of the underlying assumptions that led to the policy decision and a critical evaluation of the policymaking outcome/s. 

In the second assessment task, students are required to collaborate with peers to evaluate some of the challenges facing healthcare policymakers as well as population groups and healthcare providers on whom policy decisions impact.    

The final assessment task involves writing an essay, report or proposal identifying a health-related issue in need of policy reform and to develop a policy aimed at addressing the issue, relevant to a disadvantaged population group. Students will be required to evaluate the potential impact of their policy reform on health outcomes for the identified population group.    

Online mode 

In order to become effective at improving healthcare outcomes through effective policy and planning approaches, the student must first develop comprehensive knowledge of the Australian healthcare system and of policy making processes. This is demonstrated via their participation in class discussions with both their peers and with the lecturer resulting in development of a critical review of current policy, a critical evaluation of the underlying assumptions that led to the policy decision and a critical evaluation of the policymaking outcome/s. 

In the second assessment task, students are required to collaborate with peers in an online environment to evaluate some of the challenges facing healthcare policymakers as well as population groups and healthcare providers on whom policy decisions impact.    

The final assessment task involves writing an essay, report or proposal identifying a health-related issue in need of policy reform and to develop a policy aimed at addressing the issue, relevant to a disadvantaged population group. Students will be required to evaluate the potential impact of their policy decision on health outcomes for the identified population group.    

Overview of assessments

Multi-mode  ;

Online mode 

Representative texts and references

Althaus, C., Bridgman, P., & Davis, G. (2017). The Australian policy handbook: A practical guide to the policy making process. Crow’s Nest, Australia: Allen & Unwin.  

Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) (2016). Australia’s health 2016. AIHW. Available from: http://www.aihw.gov.au/publication-detail/?id=60129555544.  

Keleher, M., Sabanovic, H., La Brooy, C., Lock, M., Lusher, D., & Brown, L. (2014). Does more equitable governance lead to more equitable health care? A case study based on the implementation of health reform in Aboriginal health Australia. Social Science & Medicine, 123, 278 – 286. http://ezproxy.acu.edu.au/login?url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2014.07.032 

Palmer, G., & Short, S. (2014). Health care and public policy: An Australian analysis (5th  ed.). South Yarra, Melbourne: Palgrave Macmillan 

Russell, L., & Dawda, P. (2014). Lessons for the Australian healthcare system from the Berwick report. Australian Health Review 38(1), 106–108. Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/AH13185 

Verhoeven, A., Partel, K., & Thurecht, L. (2017). Universal health in a mixed public-private system: The Australian experience. International Hospital Federation, 52(4), 28 - 30.  

Waring, J., Allen, D., Braithwaite J., & Sandall, J. (2016). Healthcare quality and safety: A review of policy, practice and research. Sociology of Health & Illness, 38(2), 198 –  215. http://ezproxy.acu.edu.au/login?url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/1467-9566.12391