Public Health

Credit Points

10

Course Coordinator

Dr Diane Skatun

Pre-requisites

N/A

Co-requisites

N/A

Notes

Overview

Topics covered by the course include:

Priority setting in health care.
Economic evaluation of health interventions.
Health Systems.
Payment systems and incentives
Equity.

Structure

The material to be covered combines the conceptual and the theoretical with practical applications of health economic thinking. Sessions will involve lectures, group work, open discussion and occassional seminars from 'visitors' who will bring a variety of practical experiences to the classroom.

Assessment

The course will be assessed on one group work presentation, one assignment and a final exam. The group work presentations will be worth 10% of your final mark. The assignment will be worth 40% of your final mark and the exam will be worth 50% of your mark.

Credit Points

15

Course Coordinator

Dr Clare Robertson

Pre-requisites

N/A

Co-requisites

N/A

Notes

Overview

Topics covered by the course include:

Background to, scope and purpose of health services research.
The relationship of research and practice.
Introduction to research designs.
Experimental designs.
Quasi-experimental designs.
Structure, process and outcome.
Questionnaire design.
Qualitative research methods.
Reviewing previous research.
Critical appraisal of health services research.
Perspectives and values.
Ethical considerations in health services research.
Perspectives and values.
Ethical considerations in health services research.
Reporting the findings of, and writing up research.
Data management and analysis and reportings of findings.
Use of health services research in policy and changing practice.

Structure

This course will be taught in two-hour seminars twice weekly, with one 2-hour and 30 minute lecture to provide exam feedback.

Assessment

An examination will be held during the first half of the session that contributes to 40% of the total mark for the course. There will also be a protocol for an evaluation of an innovation in health care assignment which contributes 60% of the total mark for the course.

Credit Points

10

Course Coordinator

Professor Lorna McKee

Pre-requisites

N/A

Co-requisites

N/A

Overview

To provide a theoretical framework for understanding organisational change in Health Care organisations.

To increase awareness of strategic change: design and implementation.

To develop knowledge and insights concerning topical NHS change challenges

To build transferable skills with regard to communication, group work, problem solving and team building

Structure

Participants are expected to draw on and share their personal experiences of the topics covered and small group activities will be a prominent feature of this module. Some formal lectures will be used to introduce new material, but these are complemented by focussed discussion, practical exercises and group work.

The course will be taught by weekly two-hour sessions. Student groups will be encouraged to accept responsibility for small sections of the syllabus, which will entail making presentations and leading discussions. They are expected to develop a working knowledge of the NHS through group task work.

At the end of the course, students will be asked to make group presentations drawing on the themes covered throughout the course. This will not be part of the formal assessment but a chance to reflect on learning and presentation skills. Feedback will be provided taking account of presentation, content and style. Vignettes or topics will be provided at the beginning of the course.

Assessment

The assessment will be via an individual written assignment to be handed in at the end of the course.

Credit Points

10

Course Coordinator

Dr Gordon Prescott

Pre-requisites

n/a

Co-requisites

n/a

Notes

Overview

This course intends to develop the student's awareness of the fact that statistical techniques are integral to scientific research. Researchers must be able to specify a precise research question in statistical terms and then select an appropriate study design in order to carry out an effective research project. They must also be able to assess the adequacy of the research presented in scientific or medical literature. The same skills are also required for many MSc dissertation projects.

This course equips the student with knowledge of statistical principles and statistical methods. In addition, the student will gain experience of analysing, presenting and interpreting numerical information.

Structure

The course will cover the following:

What are data? Data types and presentation of data
What is chance? Probability
How does my data relate to the real world? Samples, distributions, statistical inference
Answering research questions with statistical techniques. Hypothesis testing
What if my data are awkward? Non-parametric methods
How does one variable relate to the other? Correlation and simple linear regression
How does one variable relate to several others? Multiple linear regression
Study design for research. Odds ratios and relative risks
Awkward data. Transformations
Relating binary health outcomes to other variables. Logistic regression

Lectures on Thursday morning and tutorials on Friday morning

Assessment

The course will be assessed using an assigment to be submitted in November (40% of overall mark) and an examination in January (60%). Both the assignment and the examination are compulsory for all students and staff who attend the course.

Credit Points

5

Course Coordinator

Dr Amudha Poobalan

Pre-requisites

N/A

Co-requisites

N/A

Overview

The purpose of this course is to set the courses from the rest of the programme into the context in which they are used to improve the health of the public.

Structure

The module starts with an introduction to the history and background to public health, health promotion and disease prevention and emphasises the extent to which the principles and strategies of public health have evolved over the last century. This will include a description of international public health.

Assessment

This course will be assessed on one 1500 word assignment that will enable you to discuss public health issues and relate to your knowledge and learning from other courses.

Credit Points

10

Course Coordinator

Dr Gareth Jones

Pre-requisites

N/A

Co-requisites

N/A

Notes

Overview

Topics covered by course include:
Introduction to epidemiology/Measurements of disease occurrence
Introduction to the study of populations/Routine data
Study design
Estimating in epidemiological studies
Validity and reliability
Bias and confounding
Practical issues in conducting epidemiological studies
Causality/Critical appraisal

Structure

The course will be taught in twelve 1 and 1/2 hour, weekly sessions. The lectures outline the main theoretical and epidemiological principles but, thereafter, students are expected to expand on this with further reading - either from the recommended textbooks, or from other epidemiology literature/papers, as detailed in the lectures.

Assessment

The course will be assessed by two methods:-
Coursework assignment - students will be required to produce a 1000 word report, outlining a research proposal for an epidemiological study. The assignment will be worth 25% of the mark for the total course.
Formal examination - students will be required to sit a formal exam, worth 75% of the mark for the total course.

Credit Points

20

Course Coordinator

Dr Padam Simkhada

Pre-requisites

N/A

Co-requisites

N/A

Notes

Overview

Topis covered by the course include:

Origins and responses to current international health issues

Millennium Development Goas (MDGs)-Goals, Targets and Indicators

Different forms of organisation of health care and health care delivery

The structure and functions, and strength and weakness of organisations in international health

Complex emergencies and health care management during war, civil conflict or disaster

Importance of health promotion disease prevention

Maternal mortality in a global perspective

Globalisation and health including health worker migration

Reproductive and sexual health including HIV/AIDS

Issues around the failure of many health development projects including politics and advocacy in international health

The role of culture in the organisation of health care

Evaluation and research in developing countries

Structure

The course will be taught in two hour seminars twice weekly. This module runs from Week 30 (January) right through until Week 38 (March)

Assessment

Assessment of this course will be continuous assessment and an exam:
Essay 40%
Presentation 10%
Final writen exam 50%

Credit Points

30

Course Coordinator

Dr. Padam Simkhada

Pre-requisites

N/A

Notes

Overview

The course will cover the following:
• Key public health problems in the world (e.g. poverty. Malaria, HIV., etc)
• Comparison of ways health care is organised in different countries
• Workings of the international (health) organisations.
• Dealing with complex emergencies
• Importance of disease prevention and screening
• Sexual and reproductive health issues
• Health care projects in a developing world: problems with aid?
• The role of culture in health care organisation
• Evaluation and research in health care and public health in developing countries
• The importance of health in IR – the IPE context of health management; health as security.

Structure

One two-hour lecture and 1 one hour tutorial (to be arranged) per week. [To be given by staff from the school of medicine]. Students taking the 30 credit version of this course will also be given an additional 2 lectures, 2 tutorials and a 2-hour project workshop to cover the additional material and project support [To be offered by Dr Riru Vij].

Times to be decided in order not to clash with: BU 5503; BU 5302; BU 5518; and the new MBA module Leading International health Care [BU5545]; as well as all semester two courses offered on the MLitt International Relations.

Assessment

1 two hour written exam (40%); continuous assessment (60%)

Credit Points

30

Course Coordinator

Dr Geraldine McNeill

Pre-requisites

The course will be restricted to students on the MSc/PgDip Public Health Nutrition programme. The courses MT5007 and PU5005 are pre-requisites for this course.

Overview

Learning and seminars on survey methods, nutrition epidemiology, nutrition interventions in the community, nutrition policy, communicating nutrition advice at a population level and a community nutrition attachment.

Structure

8 one-hour lectures (Mon, Tues and Thurs am) or 4 two-hour seminars per week. Community placements for 2-4 days to be arranged on an individual basis.

Assessment

Two 2-hour written examinations (70%) and continuous assessment (30%).

Credit Points

90

Course Coordinator

Dr Geraldine McNeill

Pre-requisites

The course will be restricted to students on the MSc Public Health Nutrition programme. The courses MT5007, PU5005 and the new course "Public Health Nutrition" are pre-requisites for this course.

Overview

Research work as dictated by the specific project.

Structure

Research work as dictated by the specific project.

Assessment

Thesis (75%), oral presentation (25).