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Unit outline_

HSBH3003: Health Service Strategy and Policy

Semester 2, 2024 [Normal day] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

This unit of study offers students an insight into the larger picture of how a nation sets priorities for health services. The importance of evidence-based health policy development in planning health services and strategies for increasing the cost-effectiveness of delivering health services will be covered. Students will gain skills in health service needs assessment, measuring cost-effectiveness, macroeconomic evaluation of health services and systems, and health equity assessment. It is envisaged that students will develop a capacity to understand the concept of health policy and its relevance to the delivery of health care services and to take a problem-oriented approach to analysing and evaluating current policy provisions and strategies in the Australian context.

Unit details and rules

Academic unit Participation Sciences
Credit points 6
Prerequisites
? 
(HSBH1007 or HSBH2007 or FMHU2000) OR 12cp of 2000-level units of study
Corequisites
? 
None
Prohibitions
? 
None
Assumed knowledge
? 

None

Available to study abroad and exchange students

Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator Marika Franklin, marika.franklin@sydney.edu.au
Lecturer(s) Marika Franklin, marika.franklin@sydney.edu.au
Tutor(s) Gianina Raymundo, gianina.raymundo@sydney.edu.au
The census date for this unit availability is 2 September 2024
Type Description Weight Due Length
Presentation group assignment Group presentation
Group presentation
30% Multiple weeks
Closing date: 18 Oct 2024
20 minutes
Outcomes assessed: LO2 LO4 LO5
Assignment Reflection task
Reflection on policy concepts and process
25% Week 08
Due date: 22 Sep 2024 at 23:59
1000-1200 words
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4
Assignment Assessment 3: Position paper
Assessment 3: Position paper
45% Week 13
Due date: 03 Nov 2024 at 23:59
2000 words
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO5 LO4 LO3 LO2
group assignment = group assignment ?

Assessment summary

Assessments for this unit are different to those listed in the Handbook and have been updated to reflect changes in unit delivery and student feedback. 

  • Assessment 1 Reflection task: Write a weekly journal reflecting on the lecture and reading material (week 1 and 6 inclusive). The purpose of this task is to develop your understanding of key health policy concepts and processes, and critically review your own learning. 
  • Assessment 2 Group presentation: The aim of this assessment is to develop your skills in how to analyse a health policy. In small groups of 3 or 4, you will evaluate your chosen health policy and communicate your analysis to a panel of policy makers. This will build toward your final major assessment task. 
  • Assessment 3 Position paper: The aim of this assignment is to use the critical analysis skills developed in your group project to produce a position paper (building on assessment 2). Each group will choose a key stakeholder identified in the policy analysis. While you can work in your groups, you will each produce your own individual position paper for this task. 

Students must complete all the assessment tasks to pass the entire unit. Failure to complete any assessment item will result in being awarded an Absent Fail (AF) grade, regardless of cumulative marks in the unit of study.

Detailed information for each assessment can be found on Canvas.

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy 2014 (Schedule 1).

As a general guide, a high distinction indicates work of an exceptional standard, a distinction a very high standard, a credit a good standard, and a pass an acceptable standard.

Result name

Mark range

Description

High distinction

85 - 100

 

Distinction

75 - 84

 

Credit

65 - 74

 

Pass

50 - 64

 

Fail

0 - 49

When you don’t meet the learning outcomes of the unit to a satisfactory standard.

Students must complete all the assessment tasks to pass the entire unit. Failure to complete any assessment item will result in being awarded an Absent Fail (AF) grade, regardless of cumulative marks in the unit of study.

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

  • Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
  • After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

This unit has an exception to the standard University policy or supplementary information has been provided by the unit coordinator. This information is displayed below:

Written work submitted electronically after 11.59 pm on the due date will be considered to have been submitted late. For every calendar day up to and including ten calendar days after the due date, a penalty of 5% of the maximum awardable marks will be applied to late work. For work submitted more than ten calendar days after the due date a mark of zero will be awarded.

Academic integrity

The Current Student website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and automated writing tools

You may only use generative AI and automated writing tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator. If you do use these tools, you must acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section. The assessment instructions or unit outline will give guidance of the types of tools that are permitted and how the tools should be used.

Your final submitted work must be your own, original work. You must acknowledge any use of generative AI tools that have been used in the assessment, and any material that forms part of your submission must be appropriately referenced. For guidance on how to acknowledge the use of AI, please refer to the AI in Education Canvas site.

The unapproved use of these tools or unacknowledged use will be considered a breach of the Academic Integrity Policy and penalties may apply.

Studiosity is permitted unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission as detailed on the Learning Hub’s Canvas page.

Outside assessment tasks, generative AI tools may be used to support your learning. The AI in Education Canvas site contains a number of productive ways that students are using AI to improve their learning.

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

Support for students

The Support for Students Policy 2023 reflects the University’s commitment to supporting students in their academic journey and making the University safe for students. It is important that you read and understand this policy so that you are familiar with the range of support services available to you and understand how to engage with them.

The University uses email as its primary source of communication with students who need support under the Support for Students Policy 2023. Make sure you check your University email regularly and respond to any communications received from the University.

Learning resources and detailed information about weekly assessment and learning activities can be accessed via Canvas. It is essential that you visit your unit of study Canvas site to ensure you are up to date with all of your tasks.

If you are having difficulties completing your studies, or are feeling unsure about your progress, we are here to help. You can access the support services offered by the University at any time:

Support and Services (including health and wellbeing services, financial support and learning support)
Course planning and administration
Meet with an Academic Adviser

WK Topic Learning activity Learning outcomes
Week 01 What is health policy and how do we analyse it? Lecture (2 hr) LO1 LO3
Week 02 Policy approaches and strategies for policy change Lecture (2 hr) LO1 LO3
What is health policy and how do we analyse it? Tutorial (1 hr) LO1 LO3
Week 03 Stakeholders in policy and their influence Lecture (2 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3
Peer Review Activity Tutorial (1 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3
Week 04 Cultural diversity and inclusion Workshop (2 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4
Week 05 Stakeholder perspective: Council on the Ageing (COTA) Lecture (2 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4
Interest groups and stakeholders Tutorial (1 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3
Week 06 Stakeholder perspective: Policy in disability and mental health Lecture (2 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4
Group project plan Tutorial (1 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4
Week 07 Reforming policy: Aged care case study Lecture (2 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4
Analysing documents and identifying gaps Tutorial (1 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4
Week 08 Moving beyond the individual: Vaping case study Lecture (2 hr) LO1 LO2 LO4 LO5
Identifying your stakeholder Tutorial (1 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4
Week 09 Policy approaches to reduce harm: Alcohol and other drugs case study Lecture (2 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4
Group presentation - preparation Q&A Tutorial (1 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4
Week 10 Group project presentations Presentation (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4
Week 11 Group project presentations Presentation (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4
Week 12 Preparing the final report Lecture (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5
Policy Position Statements Tutorial (1 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5

Attendance and class requirements

Lectures will be delivered via a combination of on campus and online via Zoom during the scheduled lecture time – Friday 11am-1pm –  in Weeks 1-12. Lectures will be recorded.

Tutorials will run on campus in Week 2-12 inclusive. There are no scheduled tutorials in Week 1. Group presentations are scheduled during the lecture time slot in Week 10 and 11. Tutorials will also be held on Fridays.

Students are expected to attend all scheduled lectures and tutorials on campus. The content delivered each week is critical to your learning and to meet the learning objectivesMaterial discussed in the lectures or provided online is regarded as having been provided to all students in the unit.

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

All readings for this unit can be accessed through the Library eReserve, available on Canvas.

  • Bacchi, C. (2016). Problematizations in health policy: Questioning how “problems” are constituted in policies. Sage Open6(2), 2158244016653986.
  • Barraclough, S., & Gardner, H. (Eds.). (2008). Analysing health policy: A problem-oriented approach. Marrickville, NSW: Elsevier.
  • Buse, K., Mays, N., & Walt, G. (Eds.). (2012) Making health policy. Maidenhead, Berkshire, England, Open University Press
  • Germov, J., & Belcher, H. (2019). Power, politics, and health care. In Second opinion: An introduction to health sociology (pp. 448-477). Oxford University Press, USA.
  • Whitty, J. A., & Littlejohns, P. (2015). Social values and health priority setting in Australia: an analysis applied to the context of health technology assessment. Health Policy119(2), 127-136.

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

  • LO1. understand the concept of health policy and the relationship between social equity and health policy
  • LO2. identify the key structural and institutional factors shaping health policy and service delivery
  • LO3. understand the different approaches to analysing policy and apply these in assessing the health status and health service needs of Australians
  • LO4. develop an understanding of health needs assessment and evaluation of the macro-economic aspects of health services
  • LO5. critically evaluate formal health policy; write a policy position paper and policy brief from a stakeholder’s perspective.

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1 Depth of disciplinary expertise

Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.

GQ2 Critical thinking and problem solving

Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.

GQ3 Oral and written communication

Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.

GQ4 Information and digital literacy

Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.

GQ5 Inventiveness

Generating novel ideas and solutions.

GQ6 Cultural competence

Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.

GQ7 Interdisciplinary effectiveness

Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.

GQ8 Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity

An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.

GQ9 Influence

Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes Graduate qualities
GQ1 GQ2 GQ3 GQ4 GQ5 GQ6 GQ7 GQ8 GQ9

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

Feedback expressed concerns with inconsistencies in dates and rubric marks. These have been checked for consistency and updated.

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.