Jordan University of Science and Technology

Faculty of Medicine

Department of Public Health

Fall 2008

Course Information
Course Title / Introduction to Health Policy
Course Number / PH 731
Prerequisites / None
Instructor / Dr. Sireen Alkhaldi, BDS, MPH, DrPH, CPH
Office Location / M1, level -1
Office Phone / 23698
Office Hours / Sunday 10-12, Monday 10-12, Tuesday 10-12
E-mail /
Course Description
This course will provide instruction in the core elements of health policy analysis: impact of health policy, the context, and process of health policymaking, problem definition: political, economic, and social environment; development of policy options; and recommendations.
This course focuses on the four areas that form the analytic basis for many of the issues in Health Policy. The areas are: paying for, access to, reimbursement and organization of health care. In addition to cost control, quality, and ethics of health care.
Text Book
Title / Health Policymaking in the United States
Author(s) / Longest, B. B.
Publisher / AUPHA/HAP
Year / 2005
Edition / 4th
Book Website / http://www.ache.org/pubs/redesign/productcatalog.cfm?pc=WWW1-2048
Title / Understanding Health Policy: a Clinical Approach
Author(s) / Thomas S. Bodenheimer, Kevin Grumbach
Publisher / McGraw-Hill
Year / 2005
Edition / 4th
Book Website / http://www.accessmedicine.com/resourceTOC.aspx?resourceID=56
Assessment Policy
Assessment Type / Expected Due Date / Weight
First Exam / 30%
Second Exam / 30%
Final Term Paper / 30%
Classroom participation / 10%
Course Objectives / Weights
1.  To understand an ecological definition of health and its implications for priority setting in national health strategies and global health policy making; / 30%
2.  To understand concepts and theories related to health care reform, planning, financing and organization in health systems worldwide. / 25%
3.  Analyzing historical, political, ethical, and legal health policy issues / 25%
4.  Assessing existing programs and policies / 20%
Course Content
Week / Topics / Chapter in Text
February 17 / No Meeting
February 24 / Introduction / ------
March 3 / Health and Health Policy / Chapter 1, Longest
March 10 / Impact of health Policy / Chapter 2, Longest
March 17 / Policy Formulation, Implementation, and Modification / Chapter 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9, Longest
March 24 / Paying for Health Care
Access to health care / Chapter 2&3, Bodenheimer
March 31 / Reimbursing Health care Providers / Chapter 4, Bodenheimer
April 7 / First Exam / Material until date
April 14 / How Health care is Organized I and II / Chapter 6&7, Bodenheimer
April 21 / Painful versus painless cost control
Mechanisms for controlling Cost / Chapter 8&9, Bodenheimer
April 28 / Prevention of Illness
Quality of Health care / Chapter 11&12, Bodenheimer
May 5 / Medical Ethics and the Rationing of Health Care
National Health Insurance / Chapter 13&15, Bodenheimer
May 12 / Health Care in Four Nations
Health Care Workforce / Chapter 14&17, Bodenheimer
May 19 / No Class….preparation for the exam and term paper / ------
May 26 / Second Exam
June 9 / Final term paper presentation
Additional Notes
Cheating / Your grade should be a reflection of your own individual understanding and mastery of the material covered in the course. Cheating or dishonesty in any manner (including, but not limited to, plagiarism, lying, and/or presenting work from others as your own) will not be tolerated. Should academic dishonesty be suspected or detected, it will be dealt with according to the Jordan University of Science and Technology policies.
Workload / You should be prepared to spend at least six hours outside of class each week studying for that week’s material.
Attendance and Participation / Presentation and active participation in the classroom discussions is important for evaluation.
Students will have to prepare and present the assigned chapter every week. Classroom discussion and debate are essential to this course. I expect students to attend class ready to discuss assigned readings and I encourage them to develop their own views about the readings.