POPLHLTH 301 : Strengthening Health Systems
Medical and Health Sciences
2025 Semester Two (1255) (15 POINTS)
Course Prescription
Course Overview
The primary purpose of this course is to provide students with the opportunity to apply theoretical frameworks, knowledge and skills developed throughout the BHSc degree to understand, evaluate and develop appropriate, evidence-based solutions for challenges facing the New Zealand health sector.
Throughout the course you will be challenged to use a variety of tools and frameworks to consider:
- The importance of equity, access, efficiency and quality goals
- How you know if the health system is performing well
- How improving one aspect of the health system affects the other aspects
Capabilities Developed in this Course
| Capability 1: | People and Place |
| Capability 2: | Sustainability |
| Capability 3: | Knowledge and Practice |
| Capability 4: | Critical Thinking |
| Capability 5: | Solution Seeking |
| Capability 6: | Communication |
| Capability 7: | Collaboration |
| Capability 8: | Ethics and Professionalism |
Learning Outcomes
- Define the terms access, equity, quality and efficiency, explaining why these are key criteria used to assess the performance of health systems and critically examine these criteria in relation to a particular health service. (Capability 1.1, 1.3, 2.1, 2.3, 3.1 and 4.1)
- Identify and articulate the main components of a health system, the key stakeholders involved, the main criteria used internationally to assess the performance of a health system, and identify and apply the role and “habits” of a health system improver. (Capability 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 2.1, 3.1, 3.2 and 4.1)
- Define equality, equity, access, equity of access, horizontal (in)equity, and vertical equity) as used as key terms in health services and health systems research. (Capability 1.1, 1.3, 2.1, 3.1, 3.2, 4.1 and 4.2)
- Explain the concept of needs and its relevance to debates about access to health care and equity and identify the factors that contribute to, and the factors that alleviate inequity of access to health services. (Capability 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 2.1, 2.3, 3.1, 3.2 and 4.1)
- Define and describe key measures of quality and the quality improvement cycle. (Capability 1.1, 4.1, 4.2, 5.1 and 5.2)
- Identify and describe tools for quality improvement and discuss the important roles of leadership and team climate in supporting quality efforts (Capability 3.2, 4.1, 4.2 and 5.2)
- Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of different financing arrangements and identify the main payments systems for health professionals and hospitals and the types of incentives associated with each form of payment (Capability 3.2, 4.1, 4.2 and 5.1)
- Explain the arguments for and against cost containment as a policy objective and describe the main methods of containing costs with reference to the main strategies that have been used in New Zealand to improve efficiency and contain costs. (Capability 4.1, 4.2, 5.1, 5.2 and 5.3)
- Critically evaluate specific health system initiatives (Capability 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 5.1, 5.2, 5.3, 6.1, 6.2, 7.1, 7.2, 8.1, 8.2 and 8.3)
Assessments
| Assessment Type | Percentage | Classification |
|---|---|---|
| Assignment 1 Background Paper | 20% | Individual Coursework |
| Assignment 2 solutions Paper | 20% | Individual Coursework |
| Think Tank | 10% | Individual Coursework |
| Group Presentation | 10% | Group Coursework |
| Final Exam | 40% | Individual Examination |
| 5 types | 100% |
| Assessment Type | Learning Outcome Addressed | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | ||
| Assignment 1 Background Paper | ||||||||||
| Assignment 2 solutions Paper | ||||||||||
| Think Tank | ||||||||||
| Group Presentation | ||||||||||
| Final Exam | ||||||||||
Workload Expectations
This course is a standard 15 point course and students are expected to spend 10 hours per week involved in each 15 point course that they are enrolled in.
For this course, you can expect 2 hours of lectures, a 1 hour tutorial (think tank), 2 hours of reading and thinking about the content and 5 hours of work on assignments and/or test preparation per week.
Delivery Mode
Campus Experience
Attendance is required at scheduled activities including tutorials/think tanks to receive credit for components of the course.
Lectures will be available as recordings, but should not be considered a substitute for attending in person. Other learning activities including tutorials/think tanks will not be available as recordings.
The course will not include live online events.
The activities for the course are scheduled as a standard weekly timetable.
Learning Resources
Course materials are made available in a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas which also includes reading lists and lecture recordings (where available).
Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the instructor.
Student Feedback
At the end of every semester students will be invited to give feedback on the course and teaching through a tool called SET or Qualtrics. The lecturers and course co-ordinators will consider all feedback and respond with summaries and actions.
Your feedback helps teachers to improve the course and its delivery for future students.
Class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the department and faculty staff-student consultative committees.
Academic Integrity
The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework, tests and examinations as a serious academic offence. The work that a student submits for grading must be the student's own work, reflecting their learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced. A student's assessed work may be reviewed against electronic source material using computerised detection mechanisms. Upon reasonable request, students may be required to provide an electronic version of their work for computerised review.
Class Representatives
Class representatives are students tasked with representing student issues to departments, faculties, and the wider university. If you have a complaint about this course, please contact your class rep who will know how to raise it in the right channels. See your departmental noticeboard for contact details for your class reps.
Inclusive Learning
All students are asked to discuss any impairment related requirements privately, face to face and/or in written form with the course coordinator, lecturer or tutor.
Student Disability Services also provides support for students with a wide range of impairments, both visible and invisible, to succeed and excel at the University. For more information and contact details, please visit the Student Disability Services’ website http://disability.auckland.ac.nz
Special Circumstances
If your ability to complete assessed coursework is affected by illness or other personal circumstances outside of your control, contact a member of teaching staff as soon as possible before the assessment is due.
If your personal circumstances significantly affect your performance, or preparation, for an exam or eligible written test, refer to the University’s aegrotat or compassionate consideration page https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/academic-information/exams-and-final-results/during-exams/aegrotat-and-compassionate-consideration.html.
This should be done as soon as possible and no later than seven days after the affected test or exam date.
Learning Continuity
In the event of an unexpected disruption we undertake to maintain the continuity and standard of teaching and learning in all your courses throughout the year. If there are unexpected disruptions the University has contingency plans to ensure that access to your course continues and your assessment is fair, and not compromised. Some adjustments may need to be made in emergencies. You will be kept fully informed by your course co-ordinator, and if disruption occurs you should refer to the University Website for information about how to proceed.
Student Charter and Responsibilities
The Student Charter assumes and acknowledges that students are active participants in the learning process and that they have responsibilities to the institution and the international community of scholars. The University expects that students will act at all times in a way that demonstrates respect for the rights of other students and staff so that the learning environment is both safe and productive. For further information visit Student Charter https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/forms-policies-and-guidelines/student-policies-and-guidelines/student-charter.html.
Disclaimer
Elements of this outline may be subject to change. The latest information about the course will be available for enrolled students in Canvas.
In this course you may be asked to submit your coursework assessments digitally. The University reserves the right to conduct scheduled tests and examinations for this course online or through the use of computers or other electronic devices. Where tests or examinations are conducted online remote invigilation arrangements may be used. The final decision on the completion mode for a test or examination, and remote invigilation arrangements where applicable, will be advised to students at least 10 days prior to the scheduled date of the assessment, or in the case of an examination when the examination timetable is published.