PUB HLTH 3008 - Health care systems: structure, policy and people

This is a time of major change in our health care system. The system must meet the health needs of all Australians at a time when health care costs are rapidly increasing and our population is ageing. How can we ensure our health care system is efficient, equitable and the expectations of all Australians are met? In this course, students will examine how our health care system currently works and explore the various strategies that could improve both the quality and effectiveness of the care that people receive. This will include studying health care policies and how they directly impact on people's lives; following the health care journeys of a variety of Australians to examine how the health care system functions at an individual level and how it interacts with other systems and we will look briefly at how health care systems in other countries work. Students will learn a variety of practical skills such as how to analyse health polices, how to write a policy brief and how to approach health care reform.