Policy and Planning in Health Care
PostgraduateACU-HLSC6072024
Course information for 2024 intake
Enrolments for this course are closed, but you may have other options to start studying now. Book a consultation to learn more.
- Study method
- 100% online
- Assessments
- 100% online
- Entry requirements
- Part of a degree
- Duration
- 10 weeks
- Loan available
- FEE-HELP available
Policy and Planning in Health Care
About this subject
On successful completion of this Policy and Planning in Health Care, students should be able to:
- Justify how contemporary Australian policy making can influence equitable access to health care and the financial burden of illness
- Evaluate current policies impacting upon the healthcare workforce and their influence on quality health care in Australia
- Develop 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
- Public policy analysis and healthcare
- Contemporary policies that impact on aspects of health service delivery:
- Policies impacting on the Australian healthcare workforce
- Health policies for disadvantaged groups, including
- Reforming health policymaking
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 subject 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 subject provides the opportunity for students to analyse issues that relate to policy development, planning and implementation in health care service delivery in Australia. This subject 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 subject 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.
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.
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.- Written Research Policy Review - Enables students to critically analyse current healthcare policy . (20%)
- Narrated e-Poster - Enables students evaluate and articulate the impact of a current health policy on consumers of healthcare. (30%)
- Essay / Report / Proposal - Enables students to evaluate the potential impact of an identified area in need of policy reform. (50%)
For textbook details check your university's handbook, website or learning management system (LMS).
Established in 1991 after amalgamating four eastern Australian Catholic tertiary institutes, Australian Catholic University now has seven campuses, from Brisbane to Melbourne and welcomes students of all beliefs. Specialising in arts, business, education, health sciences, law, theology and philosophy, ACU encourages its students to think critically and ethically and bring change to their communities and offer this online through Open Universities Australia.
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- 26
Entry requirements
To enrol in this subject, you must be admitted into a degree.
Additional requirements
No additional requirements
Study load
- 0.125 EFTSL
- This is in the range of 10 to 12 hours of study each week.
Equivalent full time study load (EFTSL) is one way to calculate your study load. One (1.0) EFTSL is equivalent to a full-time study load for one year.
Find out more information on Commonwealth Loans to understand what this means to your eligibility for financial support.