Health Policy II

School of Medicine

This goal of this course is to twofold: 1) to give students an in-depth look at parts of the delivery and financing systems of the U.S. health care system and 2) to help students critically examine study designs and methodologies used in assessments of the U.S. health care system. Health system topics covered in the course will include variation in the costs and quality of the U.S. health care system, how a health system might assess new technologies, and the ethical implications embedded in the US health care system. Methodological topics will include types of validity, risk adjustment, randomized controlled trials, quasi-experimental study designs, and cost effectiveness analysis. This course will draw on multiple disciplines, including bioethics, economics, sociology, and biostatistics. The prerequisite for this course is PUBH 5520; an interest in a research-based career is strongly advised for MPH students.