Overview
This course is designed for students from a wide variety of backgrounds: health services, administrators, policy makers, practitioners, and clinicians. It provides in-depth discussion concerning the key political and administrative decision-making processes of the Canadian health systems. Particular emphasis is placed on the health policy development process and the issues associated to the welfare state.
The course begins with public policy definition, the health policy development process, and funding solutions to complete policy issues. Students also examine the variety of social, economic and political influences on health policy making. Students will discover that there are a variety of “policy instruments” available to decision makers to solve policy problems at the policy formulation stage.
Objectives
After completing Health Administration 369, you will be able to:
- identify and explain the basic concepts and processes underlying health care policy making.
- analyze critically the development of the health care system in Canada.
- examine and apply a critical assessment to current health care reform initiatives.
- communicate clearly in both verbal form and written form.
Outline
Health Administration 369 is structured for independent study with interactive tutoring. The course comprises the following nine units.
- Unit 1: Development of Canada’s Health Care Systems
- Unit 2: Public Policy in Canada
- Unit 3: Decision Making in Health Care
- Unit 4: Governance, Democracy and Public Management
- Unit 5: Agenda Setting and How Governments Decide
- Unit 6: Reform of Health Care in Canada
- Unit 7: Citizen Engagement
- Unit 8: Shifting to Community
- Unit 9: Future Health Policy Issues
Evaluation
To receive credit for HADM 369, you must achieve a course composite grade of at least D (50 percent) and a grade of at least 50 percent on the Final Examination. The weighting of the composite grade is as follows:
| Activity | Weight |
| Assignment 1 | 20% |
| Assignment 2 | 20% |
| Term Paper | 30% |
| Final Examination | 30% |
| Total | 100% |
The final examination for this course must be requested in advance and written under the supervision of an AU-approved exam invigilator. Invigilators include either ProctorU or an approved in-person invigilation centre that can accommodate online exams. Students are responsible for payment of any invigilation fees. Information on exam request deadlines, invigilators, and other exam-related questions, can be found at the Exams and grades section of the Calendar.
To learn more about assignments and examinations, please refer to Athabasca University’s online Calendar.
Materials
Digital course materials
Links to the following course materials will be made available in the course:
Crichton, A., Robertson, A., Gordon, C., & Farrant, W. (1997). Health care: A community concern? Calgary: University of Calgary Press.
Pal, L. A., Auld, G, & Mallett, A. (2021). Beyond policy analysis: Public issue management in turbulent times (6th ed.). Nelson.
Other Materials
Most of the course materials for HADM 369 are available online through the myAU portal. A Reading File also accompanies the course.