Introduction to Health Policy will focus on activism. We will introduce you to a method for causing policy change and introduce the tools necessary to implement the policy change.

The course will begin with a description of the rational policy model, an eight-step process of policy analysis. It will then introduce four techniques used to influence the policy process—assessing need/demand, analyzing political and legal ramifications, examining economic and financial considerations, and assessing existing programs and policies. The eight-step process and analytic techniques will be illustrated using three policy issues—delivering medical care, injury prevention, and emergency preparedness.

The goal of the course is to provide students with the tools necessary to analyze a policy issue and begin to shape the trajectory of health and health care policy.

Gerard F. Anderson, Ph.D., Course Instructor

Take a few minutes to meet the course faculty and get a brief introduction to the course with this video introduction.