This unit of study begins by introducing students to intersections amongst health care, ethics, and the law. In particular students will explore the moral basis of law and the means by which law influences moral norms, clinical practice, and health policy. Students learn how to critically read and analyse primary sources of law relevant to bioethics. Students will then examine a number of areas of law that have particular significance for bioethics and society including consent, tort law, competence, advance directives, maternal-foetal conflicts, abortion, reproduction, end-of-life-decision-making, genetics and infectious disease.
All assessments must be completed to pass this Unit.

This unit of study provides students with an overview of the broader philosophical, ethical, socio-political and cultural issues that underlie public health and public health research. Students will first review the history of public health and examine the values that underpin health promotion and disease prevention. The second part of the unit examines the place of facts and values in public health and the construction and use of information, with particular reference to evidence-based-medicine. The third part of the unit examines the cultural, moral and social context of public health including the social determinants of health, the construction of health services, the determination of research priorities and issues relating to human rights and global health.
All assessments must be completed to pass this Unit.

This unit introduces the ethics of public health. Ethics is the study of what should be done. In public health this requires thinking about what we want healthcare to achieve, both for communities and individuals. As this always involves prioritization and compromise it is important to understand; how and why we focus on some health issues and not others; why we focus on some populations and not others; how we weigh up the benefits, harms and costs of intervening in people's lives; whether our interventions are fair, just and undermine or promote human rights; and how we can best engage with communities and maintain their trust. None of these issues can be understood simply by reference to evidence, efficiency, policy or law. This is where an understanding of ethics can help. By the end of the Unit you will be able to identify the values and ideas upon which public health rests and ready to start thinking proactively about the ethical and legal issues that are raised by public health interventions and health policy. This is a Core Unit for Graduate Diploma and Master in Public Health students.
All assessments must be completed to pass this Unit.

This unit assesses the political and security significance of disease-related events and developments. Whether one contemplates historical experiences with smallpox, the contemporary challenges posed by diseases such as HIV/AIDS and SARS, or the risks arising from new scientific developments such as synthetic biology, it is clear that diseases exercise a powerful influence over civilised humankind. The unit concentrates on areas in which human health and security concerns intersect most closely, including: biological weapons; fast-moving disease outbreaks of natural origin; safety and security in microbiology laboratories; and the relationships between infectious disease patterns, public health capacity, state functioning and violent conflict. The overall aim of the unit is to provide students with a stronger understanding of the scientific and political nature of these problems, why and how they might threaten security, and the conceptual and empirical connections between them.

To develop a critical and comparative understanding of the history, theory and practice of health policy. To give an overview of the political choices and frameworks - national and global - that shape policymaking.
Learning objectives:
- acquire a critical understanding of the basic history and features of the Australian health system
- understand the main frameworks used to analyse and make policy
- understand the main issues in the translation of policy into practice
- demonstrate the capacity to apply these understandings in particular settings through case studies.
Content:
This unit explores the main structures and institutions that make health policy. The unit examines debates over policy frameworks, and the evidence and advocacy in setting priorities. Conflicts over health policy will be placed in broader contexts - comparing different health systems and assessing global influences. Case studies will be used to examine the relationships between policy and practice.

This unit aims to provide students with an understanding of the financial and economic aspects of health policy. It introduces the main concepts and analytical methods of health economics, political economy and finance. Learning objectives:
- understand the main models and debates regarding health funding in developed OECD countries and the implications for equity, delivery and governance of health services.
- apply this knowledge to current Australian and global health systems and debates over reform.
- understand the role of economic analysis in evaluating health policy change
- be familiar with theoretical frameworks underlying health economics and analysis.
Content:
This unit introduces the main concepts and analytical methods of health economics, political economy and finance to examine the workings of health systems in Australia and comparable countries. It looks at the main models of health system funding and their implications for the structure, planning and delivery of services. The first module focuses on the basic concepts and methodologies of health economics and political economy and their contribution to policy analysis. The second module places funding structures in a broader political and policy context. Topics include the debates over the public-private mix and governance and accountability - who makes decisions about funding priorities? To whom should decision makers be held accountable and for what aspects of their work? How does health finance shape broader policy reform?

This unit develops skills for the effective critical appraisal of health policy. It familiarizes students with the principles, and limitations, of evidence-based health policy and how this is shaped by the health and political systems.
Learning objectives:
- to develop critical appraisal skills to critique the research that underpins policy
- to identify and analyse the main influences on policy development
- to evaluate existing policy frameworks and processes in relation to evidence, political context and broader community values
Content:
This unit builds policy analysis and analytical skills by exploring policy design, implementation and evaluation. It looks at the methods and limitations of evidence-based health policy and the problems of integrating equity concerns when developing and applying health policy. The workshops focus on the critical use of epidemiological and public policy analysis to build the evidence base for policy, taking into account political and social contexts.

This unit explores the impact of globalization the health of populations and policy making processes. It also investigates the potential to improve health outcomes globally through policy. The aim of this course is to equip students with the knowledge and skills to identify and articulate political and policy processes at the global level, become familiar with institutions and actors involved in global health policy and utilize strategies for influencing policy making at the global level. The unit will explore global health threats that transcend national boundaries; especially those whose causes or results transcend the capacity of individual states to influence. We analyse the influence and power of institutions and actors in the development and implementation of global health policy, including the World Health Organisation, UNICEF, the World Bank, the WTO, the Gates Foundation and NGOs. We will also investigate the governance of global health policy responses. Teaching will make extensive use of current case studies from recognised experts in the field.

There is a growing recognition of the importance of the evidence from research in informing the development and evaluation of health policy and practice. The aim of this module is to increase students' understanding about the links between evidence and policy and practice and, using academic and real-world examples, how evidence from research can be applied policy change processes.
Learning objectives:
In this unit students will learn about theories of links between evidence and policy and apply practical tools for using evidence from research in building a case advocating for policy change. Specifically, students will learn how evidence can be used to identify areas that require effective interventions, implement the most effective interventions, and monitor and evaluate outcomes. The unit also explores the challenges inherent in effectively using research to inform policy and political decisions.
Content: The teaching of this course will include: - lectures, guest presentations from leading policy makers and researchers on current issues-and student presentations of how evidence from research can assist them to address real world issues in their jobs.

To develop a research project that demonstrates an ability to apply theory, tools and skills developed in previous units of study to a real life problem or issue where health policy can make a difference.
Learning objectives:
- to develop skills to effectively research, write and communicate a new policy
- to understand and analyse the key components of policy development
- to identify the features supporting and resisting the policy change, and the strategies required to facilitate adoption of the change.
Content:
This unit is a capstone project that builds on the skills developed in HPOL5008 to provide students with an opportunity to develop their issues analysis and subsequent policy development skills under close supervision of an allocated academic mentor. Students will choose an approved policy project. This can be drawn from their work experience or identified with the assistance of their academic mentor. The first workshop will be devoted to the skills needed for the policy writing project. By the conclusion of the project, students will have developed a policy document including: a critical literature review; an appraisal of relevant evidence and possible options; an analysis of the environment in which the policy will be introduced; a communication strategy, and; implementation, evaluation and accountability mechanisms. The project will be presented at the final student workshop.

This unit of study introduces students to the fundamental skills that are required for postgraduate research in medicine and health. Students will learn how to conduct research that is scientifically and ethically sound, and be able to critically appraise and review literature. Students will understand the strengths and limitations of common study designs and develop simple but important statistical analysis skills, including how to present and interpret data, basic data management skills, and how to determine the required sample size for a study. Obtaining ethics approval is necessary for any study involving the collection or analysis of data involving humans, animals or their tissues. Hence, this unit will also cover ethics in research and when and how to apply for ethics approval. These fundamental skills promote a scholarly attitude towards knowledge and understanding, and are essential for engagement with the research community.

Health systems are complex and multi-faceted. Successful health systems require attention to political economy, governance, institutions, and local context. This unit will cover health systems in developing countries to equip students with a conceptual understanding and a set of tools to address major public health challenges from a health systems perspective. With a focus on evidence-based decision making, the unit will provide an understanding of health systems including specific topics such as health workforce, financing, service delivery, information systems and policy, and how these impact health interventions and health status in less developed countries. A multi-sectoral, integrated model will be used to understand the varied aspects of development challenges related to health systems. A case study approach will then provide students with concrete examples of health systems challenges and will strengthen students' ability to view health problems in a holistic, multi-faceted manner. The unit will provide students with the tools needed to make a practical difference in health systems in less developed countries with emphasis on implementation of health projects and bringing interventions to scale.

This unit will build on introductory public health core units of study, and apply them to consideration of global obesity as a public health problem. The unit will develop students' skills in national level, international and global approaches to obesity monitoring, prevention programs and policies, extending research methods, critical appraisal skills, introductory health promotion and disease prevention in MPH. Students will develop an understanding of surveillance systems to monitor obesity, and develop skills in evidence based obesity prevention interventions in diverse social, cultural and community contexts. The course will include discussions of policies and international approaches to obesity prevention, as part of global non-communicable disease prevention and control.

This course will build on introductory public health core units of study and apply them to an examination of physical activity and public health. The epidemiological and other evidence for health and social benefits and reasons for activity will be considered, as well as evidence-based strategies and settings for increasing physical activity at the population level. The course will consider the differences between local level 'exercise programs' and large scale public efforts, and develop an understanding of policy and advocacy as applied to physical activity promotion.

This unit aims to develop students' knowledge and skills of economic evaluation as an aid to priority setting in health care. This unit covers: principles of economic evaluation; critical appraisal guidelines; measuring and valuing benefits; methods of costing; modeling in economic evaluation. The workshops consist of interactive lectures, class exercises and case history analyses.

The aims of this unit are to provide students with an understanding of the concepts, application and analytical techniques of more advanced methods of health economic evaluation and with practical working knowledge of how to conduct economic evaluations using stochastic and deterministic data. This unit will focus on students developing the hands-on skills of conducting economic evaluations, included detailed practical instruction in the use of decision analytic software such as TreeAge and Excel. The format will be in face to face workshops with lectures followed by computer based exercises directly relating to the lectures. The broad topic areas covered are: 1) analysis of health outcomes including survival and quality of life measures 2) analysis of costs 3) economic modeling, including conduct of sensitivity analyses (one way, multi-way and probabilistic sensitivity analysis) and 4) presenting and interpreting results of cost effectiveness analyses.

The unit will examine the major components of health workforce planning in Australia. The Australia health workforce context will be considered (including total workforce size, payment mechanisms and employment arrangements) and the processes by which health workforce planning is influenced through government policy and workforce data translated and integrated with policy and planning explored. The framework for future labour force planning will be discussed. Current health workforce issues such as adequacy of the workforce, ageing of the workforce, the distribution of the workforce, professional registration, and special needs communities will be addressed. Approaches to planning for an adequate workforce and evaluating the quality of evidence on models of care will be examined including practical examples.

Translational Health introduces the main existing translational methods and models in healthcare, most of which focus on 'knowledge translation' and 'bringing evidence into practice', i.e. on moving results from the basic sciences through clinical and public health science and guidelines into clinical and public health decision and policy making. Most of these models diagnose the problem of 'loss in translation' in terms of institutional and professional barriers and blocks along the translation pathways. While acknowledging these, Translational Health focuses on the modelling method - the 'language' and 'vocabulary' - most likely to perform the translation task effectively in relation to patient-centered practice. The technique underlying the method is Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (in contrast to conventional Decision Analysis) and the template for its practical implementation is the Annalisa 2.0+ software. It is shown how high quality clinical and public health decision making needs to be based on 'values translation' as well as 'knowledge translation'. And how the approach can facilitate the desirable 'backwards translation' to ensure research is practice-relevant in both content and format. Students choose from a set of topics within which to pursue the principles, follow empirical examples and develop their own analyses in a practicum.

This unit aims to familiarise students with the strategies of public health advocacy and to provide skills in content and discourse analysis of media coverage of health and medical issues. This unit covers the role of media advocacy in advancing public health policy; framing public health issues; news gathering, reporting and editing; strategies for media advocacy; political lobbying in public health advocacy. Teaching and learning activities include interactive lectures, case studies and small group work. Students will be expected to prepare for the sessions. Requirements will be distributed prior to the first day.

The unit consists of learning topics, each of which is supported by extensive Web based resources, and 4 moderated online discussion forums, each focusing on a problem related to tobacco use and control. Lecture topics include: history of tobacco use and control; the burden of illness from tobacco use; secondhand smoke: the research evidence; measuring tobacco use, uptake and cessation in communities; international trends in tobacco consumption; the tobacco industry; the WHO's Framework Convention on Tobacco Control and new forms of tobacco advertising and promotion. Problem focused discussion forums include: Harm reduction and tobacco control, regulation of tobacco, improving and implementing pack warnings; promoting smoking cessation, prevention of uptake (youth programs); denormalisation of the tobacco industry; controlling advertising; and controlling exposure to tobacco smoke, making news on tobacco and influencing political policy on tobacco.

This unit builds on content from Public Health Advocacy PUBH5414. Students will have the opportunity to critique and analyse case studies from a variety of both successful and unsuccessful public health advocacy examples. There will be an emphasis on how online environments and social media tools are contributing to public health advocacy debates and campaigns. Recent examples of how online media have influenced health policy and programming will be presented. Students will examine and prepare writing for online media such as news, blogs, and social media. The lectures will include guest speakers from non-government organisations, government and other experienced stakeholders from across the public heath sector.

In this unit, students will develop a critical awareness of the determinants of effective communication, particularly in relation to health risks to the individual and to society.
The first half covers individual health risk communication in clinical settings, including: theories of health communication, patient centred care and shared decision making; evidence-based communication skills; research paradigms including interaction analysis; cross-cultural communication in health care; discussing prognosis and informed consent. The second half explores risk communication for public health. We teach theories of risk perception and communication with particular application to public health incident responses. We give practical guides to media messages, risk message framing, public engagement using traditional and social media, and the ethical aspects of public communication. The unit offers students the opportunity to learn from outstanding guest lecturers who work in these areas and interactive opportunities for students to try their skills in risk communication and decision making.

This unit of study provides a comprehensive introduction to qualitative inquiry in health. It is designed for beginners and people who want an advanced-level introduction. Workshop One will address: What is qualitative research? How is it different from quantitative research? What is its history? What research questions can it answer? How can I search for qualitative literature? How do I design a qualitative study? You will learn about interviewing, focus groups and observation; participate in a focus group; and design and conduct your own interview. Workshop Two addresses: How do you analyse qualitative data? Is methodology different to method? What are ontology and epistemology? What is reflexivity (and aren't qualitative researchers biased)? What are the ethical issues? How are methodologies and theories used in qualitative research? What is good quality qualitative research? Can I generalise qualitative findings? You will analyse your own interview data; and learn how to make arguments for qualitative research in health. In both workshops you will meet working qualitative researchers and hear about their projects. This advanced Unit will show you a new way of thinking critically about research and researching, and give you the skills and confidence to begin evaluating and doing qualitative research for yourself.

Qualitative methodologies are historical traditions and systems for planning and justifying research methods. This intermediate unit assumes a basic understanding of qualitative research and focuses on qualitative methodologies. Qualitative methodologies are informed by theories from sociology, anthropology, philosophy and other disciplines. They shape the research questions, objectives, design and outcome of a qualitative study. This course begins with general principles of qualitative methodology and study design. We examine several qualitative methodologies in detail, including: narrative inquiry, community based participatory research, ethnography, grounded theory, creative, and qualitative synthesis. We consider their historical and theoretical roots, the research practices they encourage, and their current status. The final session considers how we can use methodologies as resources rather than recipes, maintaining both flexibility and coherence in our study designs.

In this Unit you will analyse and write about qualitative data. This intermediate unit assumes a basic understanding of qualitative research and focuses on qualitative analysis and writing. Workshop one will introduce advanced analytic strategies, including: conversation analysis, content analysis, discourse analysis and Grounded Theory analysis. Between workshops, you will work in pairs to analyse a portfolio of qualitative data. Workshop Two will concentrate on writing; we will practice tricks and tips for starting writing, structuring articles, and editing your own work. Most importantly, we will practice thinking in genres, asking the question: who is going to read this, and how should I write for them? After completing this Unit you will have a wider range of analytic techniques at your disposal, and will have experience in shaping your writing to make it appropriate for its intended audience.