BETH5104 Bioethics, Law and Society introduces students to interrelationships between health care, ethics, and the law. Students will explore the moral basis of law and the means by which law in turn, influences and directs clinical practice and health policy. We also look at the limits of law in solving ethical dilemmas, and consider what happens when the law falls out of step with the moral institutions of health care providers, patients, and the general public. Over the course of the semester, students will learn 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 the law of consent, medical negligence, advance directives, maternal-foetal conflicts, abortion, reproduction, end-of-life decision-making, tissue regulation and infectious disease. Learning activities in BETH5104 include lectures, case discussions (during lectures), problem-based learning, online learning activities and written assessments.

This unit provides students with an overview of the ethical and political issues that underlie public health and public health research. The unit begins with some fundamentals: the nature of ethics, of public health (and how it might be different to clinical medicine) and of public health ethics. It introduces key concepts in public health ethics including liberty, utility, justice, solidarity and reciprocity, and introduces students to different ways of reasoning about the ethics of public health. A range of practical public health problems and issues will be considered, including ethical dimensions of communicable and non-communicable diseases in populations, and the ethical challenges of public health research. Throughout, the emphasis is on learning to make sound arguments about the ethical aspects of public health policy, practice and research. Most learning occurs in the context of five teaching intensives, which are highly interactive and focus on the development and application of reasoning skills.

BETH5206 Ethics and Public Health introduces you to a range of ethical issues that arise within the practice of public health. It begins with an orientation to the field: we will discuss conceptualisations of public health, what ethics is, and how ethics relates to evidence. We will talk about the origins and development of public health ethics as a (relatively new) field, and how it is distinguished from other areas of ethics. Your learning will then be structured around three sets of important concepts. The first are concepts central to utilitarian reasoning: benefit, harm and cost. The second cluster of concepts relates to the proper relationship between the citizen and the state (including public health as an institution): they are freedom, liberty and paternalism. The third cluster includes fairness, justice and equity, concepts that are often used rhetorically in public health, but not always carried through into practice. We will focus on two main case studies to apply what you learn. Throughout this unit you will be encouraged to ask questions, and to compare and debate competing answers to those questions. What is public health? What does it mean to say that something is harmful? To what extent should we each be free to engage in practices that harm our health? What is the proper role of the state in attempting to change the health of populations? What is equity and why does it matter (and if it matters, why aren't we doing more about it)? This is a Core Unit for Graduate Diploma and Master in Public Health students. Most learning occurs in the context of two teaching intensives, which are highly interactive and focus on the development and application of reasoning skills.

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.

This unit aims to develop a critical and comparative understanding of the history, theory and practice of health policy. It gives an overview of the political choices and frameworks - national and global - that shape policymaking. The unit examines policy frameworks, and the roles of politics, evidence and advocacy in setting policy priorities. Analysis and debates regarding health policy will be placed in broader contexts - comparing different health systems and priorities for health. Case studies will be used to examine the relationships between policy and practice.
Learning outcomes. By the end of this unit students will be able to: (i) Define the boundaries and key features of health policy; (ii) Understand the basic history and features of the Australian health system; (iii) Identify policy instruments and how they function; (iv) Understand the main frameworks used for analysing policy; (v) Understand the factors influencing how policy issues are prioritized in health; (vi) Gain skills in policy communication, including preparation of a policy brief.

This unit aims to provide students with an understanding of 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. Topics covered 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, such as universal health coverage?
Learning outcomes. By the end of this unit students will be able to: (i) apply basic concepts and methodologies of health economics and political economy in policy analysis; (ii) understand the role of economic analysis in planning and evaluating health policy change; (iii) understand the main models and debates regarding health system funding and the implications for equity, delivery and governance of health services; (iv) be familiar with theoretical frameworks underlying health economics and current debates over health finance.(v) apply this knowledge to current Australian and global health systems and debates over reform.

This unit aims to develop skills for undertaking policy research and analysis. The unit takes a multidisciplinary approach to familiarise students with fundamental frameworks and methodologies that can be applied to analyse policy from multiple disciplines including public health, social and political sciences, behavioural sciences, public policy and history.
Learning outcomes. By the end of the unit students will be able to: (i) Apply a critical analysis to questions of policy success or failure; (ii) Understand and explain the different methodological approaches that can be applied in policy analysis and research; (iii) Identify appropriate research methodologies, data collection methods and analysis for specific policy research questions; (iv) Design a health policy research project.

Healthcare is now one of the largest employers and sectors in the Australian economy. Approximately two thirds of its funding comes from government, while two thirds of services are provided by the private sector. This unit explores this complex mix, building an understanding of the inter-relationships among the players in the industry, public and private. The course will explore the financial and regulatory environment in which providers operate and identify the main business models used by different players in the industry, including service providers, private insurers, employers, and government regulators. The unit draws on expert lecturers, international comparisons and case studies to give an understanding of the incentives and constraints that shape strategies to create value in health care.
Learning outcomes. By the end of the unit students will: (i) have an understanding of the 'eco-system' of health care; (ii) be able to navigate the regulatory and technological aspects of business in the health sector; (iii) be able to identify and evaluate public and private business strategies in the main health care sectors.

The aim of this unit 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. We analyse the influence and power of institutions and actors in the development and implementation of global health policy, and investigate the governance of global health policy responses. Teaching makes extensive use of current case studies from recognised experts in the field.
Learning outcomes. By the end of this unit students will be able to: (i) Explain the effects of globalization on health of populations; (ii) Demonstrate how events and trends in health and non-health areas affect global health policy; (iii) Identify and classify the different types of actors/institutions that influence health policy; (iv) Undertake a policy stakeholder analysis with reference to power, influence and interests; (v) Develop strategies to influence global health policy development and implementation; (vi) Define global health governance and its role in structuring and regulating global health policy.

The aim of this unit is to increase students' understanding about the links between evidence and policy and practice and to build skills for making an evidence based case for change and implementing evidence based policy. The teaching of this course will include: lectures, guest presentations from leading policy makers and researchers on current health policy issues and student presentations of how evidence from research can assist them to address real world issues in their jobs.
Learning outcomes. By the end of this unit student will be able to: (i) Use evidence to identify areas that require policy change; (ii) Search for and critically appraise evidence for policy design and implementation; (iii) Understand key theories of the use of evidence in policy and practice; (iv) Critically analyse the role of evidence in policy and political processes; (v) Identify facilitators and barriers to the use of evidence in policy; (vi) Use evidence effectively in a case for policy change.

In this unit students undertake an independent research project and develop a complete policy for implementation in the real world. This unit is a capstone project that builds on the skills developed in HPOL5008. Students will choose a policy project, which can be drawn from their work experience or identified with the assistance of their academic mentor, and must be approved by the Unit Coordinator. 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.
Learning outcomes: By the end of this unit students will be able to: (i) identifyfactors and stakeholders supporting and resisting policy change, and strategies required to facilitate adoption of policy change; (ii) understand and analyse the key components of policy development; (iii) effectively research, write and communicate a new policy.

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 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 and class exercises.

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.

This unit will examine the major mechanisms of health workforce planning in Australia. The nature of the Australian health workforce will be considered, and the processes by which planning is influenced through government policy and research translated and integrated with policy. Current health workforce issues such as adequacy of education and training programs, ageing, and the distribution of the workforce will be addressed. Current approaches to planning for an adequate health workforce, and evaluations of the quality of evidence on current health workforce models of care will be examined using practical examples.

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.

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 learn how to communicate effectively with respect to health risks, both to individuals with health concerns, and with respect to risks to the public. 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, including: how to effectively manage outbreak or other crisis situations; how to communicate about issues where the risk is low but ublic concern is high (such as with respect to the fluoridation of water); and how to best manage controversies. 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, 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. Over the course of the unit we will address: What is qualitative research? How is it different from quantitative research? What is its history? What research problems can it address? How do I design a qualitative study? What are the different (and best) ways to generate data? 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? What is good quality qualitative research? Can I generalise qualitative findings? You will get practical experience and skills through carrying out an observation, participating in a focus group, conducting an interview, analysing data, arguing for qualitative research in health, and appraising the quality of published literature. 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.

This unit provides an overview of climate change in the context of public health. The unit begins with climate change models and explores causation and the ways in which climate change interacts with human behaviour and population health. It comprises three parts: 1) the scientific evidence, including the history/trend, exposure assessment, and the consequences of climate change and extremes, 2) responses to climate change, including adaptation and mitigation, to build community resilience, and 3) an integrated multi-disciplinary perspective, e.g. international environmental governance and law, environmental economics, and environmental and social injustice, to address climate change and health in a broader concept of sustainability and global change. This unit will provide both Australian and international perspectives on climate change and health, supported by theoretical and empirical research in both developed and developing countries. It will enable students to have a critical thinking about climate change and health.

The prevention and control of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) or chronic diseases - mainly diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, chronic respiratory diseases, and cancers - involves shared risk factors. This unit introduces students to the principles of primordial and primary prevention and control of NCD risk factors, specifically tobacco use, harmful use of alcohol, physical inactivity, unhealthy diets, salt reduction, and obesity prevention. This unit provides an integrated exploration of the current state-of-the-art in research and practice for addressing these preventable 'lifestyle' risk factors. The emphasis is on primordial and primary prevention strategies, rather than the management of NCDs in those already with chronic disease. This solutions-focused unit comprises specific modules about each of tobacco control, harmful alcohol consumption, physical activity, nutrition and health, salt and health, and obesity prevention. By the end of this unit, students will understand the dynamic relationships between the key risk factors, and the important role of primary prevention approaches to reducing lifestyle risks that are precursors to NCDs.

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. Across the first three workshop days we will explore the principles of qualiative analysis, learn about different analytic strategies and key analytic tools. You will learn how to develop codes and themes, use memos and analytic maps, and interpret data through the process of writing. The final workshop day focuses on writing; you will learn methods 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? Between workshops, you will work to analyse a portfolio of qualitative data. After completing this Unit you will have increased your experience, skills and confidence in qualitative data analysis and writing.