Health Systems and Policy (PUBH1103)

Course overview

What is the most important thing you need when you get sick? A compass and a map!
In this course you'll learn how to navigate the Australian health system and be equipped with the skills needed to advocate for those who get lost. Through this course we will help you build your compass and map to explore questions such as:
- Why do some people get sick more often or get sicker than others?
- Why can some people access health care more easily than others and how can we advocate to address this?
- Why do some health policies seem like a good idea, but never see the light of day?
Welcome to Health Systems and Policy. This course introduces students to issues relating to the Australian health care system and the diverse communities it serves. Together we ask and answer the 'whys' and equip students with the skills to take action. We will develop an understanding of how the Australian health system works and discuss the many challenges that arise when providing health care for our diverse population, particularly groups that are socially isolated and marginalised by systems and policies. We will also consider current issues and debate the many challenges the health system and policy makers face.

EXPECTATIONS

This course is designed as a blended course. This means that both the self-learning component and in-class participation (workshops) are necessary for successful completion of the course. 

In this course interactive online modules are used to exchange information, discuss core ideas and debate issues. Online module activities are supported by compulsory three hour workshops where you work in smaller groups to discuss and apply core concepts.ﾠ Throughout the course you're encouraged to actively debate ideas and ﾠsearch widely for alternative viewpoints - we will also be keeping a close eye on the policies our politicians are debating or proposing and watch how the health system is changing before our eyes.

It is expected that each week you will engage in the online modules. Given that participation is a critical component to your learning in this course, it is essential that you not only attend the workshops, but that you maximise engagement with your peers and facilitators/lecturers in these sessions.

Study Tips

Important: You will need to spend between 10 to 12 hours per week doing the online modules, relevant readings and activities, and preparing for workshops for this course.

Assessment is regular – so you need to work consistently and regularly to keep up. You cannot delay your study until the end of the semester.

If you want to take notes, you should aim to take notes from the modules as though you were sitting in an actual lecture. Focus on the main points that are being covered, rather than trying to write down every word (transcripts of videos are available in the captions). Transcribing the videos and online content word-for-word will be very time consuming and is not an effective way to learn. 

Workshops will not be recorded as they are designed to be highly interactive. A significant proportion of the workshop time will be dedicated to group activities. Therefore, you will need to be present in class for the duration of each workshop, and we expect that you will engage with your classmates and facilitators. 

Class attendance and participation are an integral part of this course.  

ASSESSMENT

More detail about each assessment item is available via the Assessment link.

The assessment for this course is based on some of the principles of effective learning identified by scientific research.

The very brief summary is that learning is more effective when:

• Repeated testing is used;
• Feedback on performance is delayed;
• Recall rather than recognition is used;
• Learning is interleaved with other topics;
• Learning is spaced out over time.

In this course, we will test you regularly to encourage spaced learning, rather than massed study before an end of semester exam. We would also encourage you not to try to complete the online modules in a single sitting. You might want to break up the modules by completing study for some of your other courses.

Course requirements

Assumed background

It is assumed that students will read state and national newspapers or news websites and are aware of current health care issues within Australia.

Course contact

Course staff

Timetable

The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.

Additional timetable information

Face-to-face three hour workshops will be scheduled at St Lucia in Weeks 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 10 and 12.ﾠ Workshops are compulsory for all students. Workshops are NOT recorded.

Students will be organised into small groups at the first workshop.

Aims and outcomes

The course aims to provide a broad introduction and overview of the Australian health system. It examines: the key contributors to health care (e.g., levels of government, non-profit and private providers, health professionals, and consumers), the functions, financing and policy processes within the system; use of the system and associated care pathways; and contemporary issues facing health policy makers. The course uses an equity lens and aims to establish a critical perspective of health policy making through consideration of the key stakeholders and decision makers linked to health policy making processes. Critically, it is also based on a social determinants of health perspective, which ensures students develop an awareness of the impact of the health system and health policy on different population groups, particularly those who are socially excluded and marginalised in Australia.

Learning outcomes

After successfully completing this course you should be able to:

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment details

Module Workbooks

Mode

Written

Category

Paper/ Report/ Annotation

Weight

60% Workbook compilation I 25% & Workbook Compilation II 35%

Due date

Week 1 - Week 13

Learning outcomes

L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06

Task description

Submission guidelines

Further details will be available from the Course Blackboard site.

Deferral or extension

You may be able to apply for an extension.

Please refer to 10. Policies and guidelines

Late submission

Please see 10. Policies & Guidelines

Workshop participation

• In-person

Mode

Activity/ Performance

Category

Tutorial/ Problem Set

Weight

24%

Due date

Week 3 - Week 12

Learning outcomes

L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06

Task description

Submission guidelines

Deferral or extension

You may be able to apply for an extension.

Please refer to 10. Policies and guidelines.

Late submission

Please see 10. Policies & Guidelines

Eat the Week

• Online

Mode

Written

Category

Essay/ Critique, Participation/ Student contribution

Weight

16%

Due date

Week 3 - Week 11

Learning outcomes

L02, L06

Task description

Submission guidelines

Further information will be available from the Course Blackboard site.

Deferral or extension

You may be able to apply for an extension.

Please refer to the policies and guidelines.

Late submission

Please see 10. Policies & Guidelines

Course grading

Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.

Additional course grading information

Students are required to submit all components of the assessment to pass the course.

Supplementary assessment

Supplementary assessment is available for this course.

The final grade awarded will be based on the results of the supplementary assessment only, and a passing grade will be awarded if, and only if, the student receives at least 50% of the marks on the supplementary assessment. 

Additional assessment information

Students are required to submit all components of the assessment to pass the course.

ﾠ

Please note the following regarding assessment:

• Students are required to submit all components of the assessment to pass the course.
• Students are expected to demonstrate critical thinking and use of the academic literature (journals, reports and texts). You are also required to do wider reading than only the references supplied.
• Assignments will be marked as quickly as possible, normally within two weeks and returned to you. Comprehensive feedback will be provided showing the mark for the assignment and comments on the piece of work.
• All online modules must be completed.
• Workshop attendance is compulsory.

Assignment Submission:

Turnitin no longer automatically emails students a receipt when they upload an assignment.ﾠ Students need to download their receipt manually and keep a copy as proof of submission.ﾠ ﾠ

Assignments for this course will be submitted electronically via Blackboard and/or using Tunitin.ﾠ

Before submitted any assignments for this course you must ensure you have completed UQ’sﾠ compulsory onlineﾠ Academic Integrity Tutorial.

When you successfully submit your assessment, you need to manually download your receipt and keep a copy as proof of submission as Turnitin no longer automatically emails students a receipt when an assignment is uploaded.ﾠ ﾠ

It is the responsibility of the student to check the assignment preview and confirm that the assignment has been successfully submitted.ﾠﾠ

If the submission was not successful:

1. Note the error message (preferably take a screenshot)
2. Go to your assignment page and see if it is possible to submit again
3. If you cannot submit again, immediately email your course coordinator.ﾠ

Learning resources

You'll need the following resources to successfully complete the course. We've indicated below if you need a personal copy of the reading materials or your own item.

Library resources

Library resources are available on the UQ Library website.

Learning activities

The learning activities for this course are outlined below. Learn more about the learning outcomes that apply to this course.

Additional learning activity information

General Approach to Learning

You will need to be organised in your approach to learning PUBH1103. Below are some hints for learning in PUBH1103. These hints will also be useful for other courses.

University study is more demanding than Year 12. You are required to cover a considerable amount of material in each course, and you are responsible for your own study. The key to thriving at university is to be organised. If you adopt a methodical approach to your study, then you are more likely to have time to enjoy the wider aspects of university life, in addition to achieving well in your course work.

Study habits that were encouraged by your secondary school teachers are just as important at university. It is beneficial to regard university study as an occupation. You should develop a regular routine that enables you to maintain pace with current material, and to prepare for assignments well in advance of the due date. Set aside fixed times for your studies, so that you do not fall behind in any of your courses. Plan for written assignments in advance, so that you do not have to miss important work to meet the due date, or fall behind in other courses in the weeks in which those assignments are due. It is also a good idea to vary your working day, rather than spending all of one day on a particular course. It is also more effective to limit study sessions to no more than two hours without taking a rest or coffee break in which you actually leave your desk.

At all times, prepare before attending the workshops so that you can most effectively engage with your classmates and your facilitators/lecturers during in-class hours. Active engagement during your classes will help you better process and understand the material which, in turn, will be reflected in your performance on the assessments for the course. If there are any points that are unclear when taking notes, you may want to put a question mark in the margin. By doing this, you can easily clarify the unclear concepts soon after class with the lecturer, a facilitator, or a classmate. Each week's material builds on each other, so it is essential that you are engaging with the material in a timely manner (i.e., week-by-week) and that you clarify any points of confusion before moving onto subsequent weeks.

Policies and procedures

University policies and procedures apply to all aspects of student life. As a UQ student, you must comply with University-wide and program-specific requirements, including the:

• Student Code of Conduct Policy
• Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy and Procedure
• Assessment Procedure
• Examinations Procedure
• Reasonable Adjustments for Students Policy and Procedure

Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.

Course guidelines

School of Public Health (SPH) Guidelines for late submission of progressive assessment - Preamble

To apply for an extension to the due date for a piece of progressive assessment (eg assignments, oral presentations and computer-based assignments) students should complete the online request at  https://my.uq.edu.au/information-and-services/manage-my-program/exams-and-assessment/applying-assessment-extension?p=2#2  

Information regarding deferral of in-semester exams and end-of-semester exams is available from https://my.uq.edu.au/information-and-services/manage-my-program/exams-and-assessment/deferring-exam 

If requesting an extension on medical grounds, a medical certificate must be provided. The extension will be approved for the number of days included in the medical certificate that the student was not fit to study or work, eg if the medical certificate is for 3 days, an extension will be approved for 3 days maximum regardless of the student's request.  

If requesting an extension using a Student Access Plan (SAP) as evidence, a maximum of 7-day extension will be approved in the first instance. Updated medical documentation, as well as a copy of the SAP, is required if requesting an extension for more than 7 days. 

A student may have a maximum of three extension requests approved for a single assessment task.   

An extension for an assessment item due within the study period in which the course is offered, must not exceed four weeks in total.  

The following SPH guidelines are consistent with the UQ policy. However, the SPH Guidelines contain specific rules and interpretations for SPH courses, and requests for extension and penalties for late submissions will be judged according to the guidelines outlined in this document. You should read both the information in your my.UQ at the following link: https://my.uq.edu.au/information-and-services/manage-my-program/exams-and-assessment/applying-assessment-extension and the SPH guidelines (below) before submitting a request for an extension. The SPH Guidelines apply to all courses offered by the School of Public Health unless the Course Profile explicitly states otherwise.

SPH Guidelines for late submission of progressive assessment

Initial extension for an individual item of assessment – the SPH Student & Academic Administration Team and/or the Course Coordinator decides.

This could be for medical or compassionate reasons, or if, in the opinion of the Course Coordinator, there are exceptional circumstances.

Acceptable and unacceptable reasons for an extension are listed at the following link, along with the required evidence to be provided:  https://my.uq.edu.au/information-and-services/manage-my-program/exams-and-assessment/applying-assessment-extension?p=1#1

A request for an extension to an assessment due date must be submitted through mylUQ as soon as it becomes evident that an extension is needed, but no later than one calendar day after the assessment task submission due date and time. 

If applying for an extension after the due date and time of the assessment item, your request may not be approved. An explanation as to why your request was not submitted prior must be included.       

If approved, a new due date will be set. This would generally be no later than 7 days after the original due date, however this can be modified to take account of the circumstances of the request and the time that would have been lost from studies.

If the new due date is past the date for submission of end-of-semester results, the student will receive an INC (incomplete) result.

Second and all subsequent extensions for an individual item of assessment – the SPH Student & Academic Administration Team and/or the Program Convenor together with the Course Coordinator decides.

This would only be approved for exceptional circumstance with supporting documentation.

• Online requests must be made at least 24 hours prior to the due date from the first extension.
• The SPH Student & Academic Administration Team and/or the Course Coordinator will consult with the Program Convenor, who will make the final decision.
• If approved, the new due date would generally be no later than 7 days after the first extension due date.
• The Program Convenor should consider if remedial or other support should be offered to the student.
• The Program Convenor should provide a report on these matters as needed at SPH Examiners’ Meetings.

The maximum number of extensions for each assessment item is three only. 

Please Note: In order to support course progression, extensions that total more than 14 calendar days from the original due date of an assessment item will only be approved in very exceptional circumstances. These requests are assessed and approved or denied on a case-by-case basis. 

If you have been ill or unable to attend class for more than 4 weeks in a semester, we advise you to carefully consider whether you are capable of successfully completing your courses this semester. You might need to consider applying for removal of course.

Penalty for late submission

Submission of assignments, practical reports, workbooks, and other types of written assessments after the due date specified in the Course Profile will receive a penalty.

The penalty will be a deduction of 10% RELATIVE PERCENTAGE per day (24 hour period or part thereof, including weekends and public holidays) or for work graded on a 1-7 scale, a deduction of one grade per day, e.g. If the original mark is 73%, then 10% relative percentage is 10% of this value, ie 7.3%, The final mark for this assessment item after applying the penalty for 1 day late submission would be 73 -7.3 = 65.7% The same outcome is achieved by multiplying the original score by .9; ie 73 x .9 = 65.7%

The penalty for multiple days late is the relative percentage multiplied by the number of days late. 

A submission that is not made within 10 days of the due date will receive a mark of 0% for that assessment item.

Where a student has sought more than one extension, the due date for calculating the penalty will be the due date for the most recently approved extension.

Submission of Medical Certificates

Students are responsible for ensuring that any medical documentation they submit is authentic and signed by a registered medical practitioner. Such practitioners can be identified via the AHPRA website. Also note that:

• Not all online medical services are staffed by registered practitioners
• If the registration status of the practitioner cannot be verified, then an alternative practitioner should be sought
• Students will be held fully responsible for all documentation they submit, even if done so in ignorance of the practitioner's registration status

Medical documentation may be subjected to an audit by the University.

SPH Assessment Guidelines

The School of Public Health assessment tasks have been designed to be challenging, authentic and complex. While students may use AI technologies, successful completion of assessment in this course will require students to critically engage in specific contexts and tasks for which artificial intelligence will provide only limited support and guidance.

A failure to reference AI use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.

To pass this assessment, students will be required to demonstrate detailed comprehension of their written submission independent of AI tools.