Syllabus

Instructor

Office Hours

  •   Tuesday/Thursday
  •   9:30-10:30 AM
  •   Tidewater 1929

Course Details

  •   Tuesday/Thursday
  •   10:30–11:45 AM
  •   Tidewater 1903

Course Descripton

The primary aim of this course is to present an overview of health policy in American government, its scope, dynamics, and conceptual and practical dilemmas. It is designed to acquaint students with major issues involved in formulating, implementing, and assessing patterns of decisions established by government. Because the study of policy is essentially interdisciplinary, readings for the course have been drawn from several fields, including sociology, political science, and economics. Specific areas of consideration will be addressed during the seminar through analysis and discussion of the functions of state and local government and various stakeholder groups that attempt to influence governmental action.

Prerequisites

Open to graduate students.

Learning Objectives

After completing this course, students will be able to do the following:

  1. Exhibit a conceptual understanding of the forces and factors accounting for legislation and regulation pertaining to health services.
  2. Develop a framework to critically discuss and evaluate policy issues affecting the U.S. health care system.
  3. Compare and contrast the public policy objectives of various stakeholders with the realities of the political process.
  4. Critically evaluate the research literature that examines the federal and state roles in health services.
  5. Evaluate current proposals advanced in Congress and by the private sector that impact health services delivery.
  6. Demonstrate a working understanding of the legislative process and the related federal and state regulation processes.

Competency Mapping

Competency Signature Assessment
1. Apply economic and legal concepts and theories to the analysis of healthcare policy and management issues. Long answer exam questions requiring application of economic, statutory (EMTALA, HIPPA, tax exemption, antitrust) and regulatory concepts to practical hypothetical scenarios that take place in hospitals or other settings.
2. Analyze the impact of health policies using fundamental research and analytical methods. Empirical Paper Assignment: An analysis of Applied health and social policy topics such as an evaluation of the ACA, health insurance coverage, health care access, demographic trends, public program participation, public program eligibility, health surveillance, or health disparities.
3. Illustrate how the evidence base in health policy literature supports a health policy. Literature Review: Critical literature review assessing the existing support for policy alternatives to a student-chosen problem.
4. Communicate health policy issues effectively orally. Presentation that communicates the issues (stakeholders, criteria, alternatives) around a chosen health policy.
5. Examine policy interventions that address social determinants of health, promote health equity, and reduce health disparities. Memo that evaluates the impacts of policy interventions using a method (Bardach or other) for health policy analysis.

Course Structure

The course structure for HPAM 7660 - Health Policy Analysis is designed to facilitate active student participation and integrate a combination of lectures, data labs, group activities, and case presentations. The class sessions are organized into thematic units that explore the U.S. health policy landscape, policy analysis methodologies, and policy evaluation. By combining these components, the course aims to ensure students develop both theoretical knowledge and practical skills in health policy analysis

Course Materials

Required Materials

We will use the following online (and free!) textbook along with various readings that will be posted to the course website under the Assignments tab.

We’ll use R in this class to conduct data analysis. R is free, open source, and available on all major platforms. RStudio (also free) is a user interface for R that is commonly used to work with the R language. R is available in all Tulane computer labs and you are encouraged to bring your laptop to class if you’re able to. Data Lab 1 will walk you through setting up R and RStudio on your laptop.

Assessment of Learning

The following components and weights will be used to calculate your final grade:

Category Percent of Final Grade
Policy Memo & Infographic 25%
Case Presentations 25%
Participation (contributing to class discussions, asking relevant questions, and engaging in group activities) 25%
Reading Discussion Questions & Problem Sets 15%
Peer Assessment 10%
Total 100%


Your final course grade will be calculated according to the following ranges:

Letter Grade Percentage
A 94.5% and above
A- 89.5 to 94.49%
B+ 87.5 to 89.49%
B 82.5 to 87.49%
B- 79.5 to 82.49%
C 69.5 to 79.49%
F Below 69.5%

Description of Required Assignments:

Policy Memo - throughout the semester, you will construct a policy memo to be submitted on the final day of class. The memo should advocate for a policy position of your choice and can be targeted to local leaders (e.g., mayor, city council, etc.), or state or federal legislators. The target audience will depend on the scope of your policy. The final draft of the policy memo should be approximately 8-10 pages, excluding references.

The University of Southern California library provides a good guide for writing a policy memo. Note that as the guide states: “You should not approach writing a policy memo in the same way as you would an academic research paper. Yes, there are certain commonalities in how the content is presented [e.g., a well-written problem statement], but the overarching objective of a policy memo is not to discover or create new knowledge. It is focused on providing a pre-determined group of readers the rationale for choosing a particular policy alternative or specific course of action. In this sense, most policy memos possess a component of advocacy and advice intended to promote evidence-based dialog about an issue.” Your policy memo will consist of the following 7 sections, that will be submitted individually throughout the semester before a final version of the memo to be submitted on the last day of class:

  1. Executive summary
  2. Introduction and problem definition (Bardach Step 1)
  3. Issue analysis (Bardach Step 2)
  4. Proposed solutions (Bardach Steps 3, 4, & 5)
  5. Strategic recommendations (Bardach Step 6 & Step 7)
  6. Conclusion (Bardach Step 8)
  7. References

Policy Memo Due Dates:

  1. Problem statement – Feb. 27th
  2. Preliminary reference list – March 13th
  3. Introduction and problem definition draft – March 27th
  4. Issue analysis draft – April 3rd
  5. Proposed solutions draft – April 10th
  6. Strategic recommendations draft – April 17th
  7. Executive summary and conclusions draft – April 24th
  8. Final draft – May 1st

Case Presentation - The case presentations will take place on April 22nd, April 24th, and April 29th. I’ll provide more detail on the course web site along with a rubric for the case presentations.

Reading Discussion Questions & Problem Sets – Reading discussion questions will be due by class time each Tuesday afternoon and should be submitted through the Canvas link on the course web site. I will post the reading discussion questions and problem sets to the web site at least a week in advance of the due date.

Peer Assessment - The peer assessment component of your grade will consist of anonymous grading of your team contribution by the other members of your team (more specific details to follow).

Attendance Policy

Class attendance is a critical component of learning, and students are expected to attend and participate fully in all scheduled class meetings and activities. While there is no specific attendance grade in the course, class absences will reflect negatively on student participation scores. Students are responsible for notifying instructors and the Office of Student Experience about significant absences that result from serious illnesses, injuries, or critical personal problems. Students experiencing barriers to meeting attendance requirements due to disabilities are encouraged to register with the Goldman Center for Student Accessibility to discuss accommodation and to make the necessary arrangements with their instructor.

ADA/Accessibility Statement

Tulane University is committed to offering classes that are accessible. If you anticipate or encounter disability-related barriers in a course, please contact the Goldman Center for Student Accessibility to establish reasonable accommodations. If approved by Goldman, make arrangements with me as soon as possible to discuss your accommodation so that they may be implemented in a timely fashion. I will never ask for medical documentation from you to support potential accommodation needs.

Student Code of Academic Content

Students are required to adhere to the Unified Code of Graduate Student Academic Conduct, available online here.

Each student enrolled in the School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine has the responsibility to read, understand and follow the code of academic conduct. Lack of knowledge of code or its application does not constitute an excuse for non-compliance. Tulane University expects and requires behavior compatible with its high standards of scholarship. By accepting admission to the university, a student accepts its regulations and acknowledges the right of the university to take disciplinary action.

Artificial Intelligence Policy

There are no restrictions on the use of AI in this course. Use of AI tools such as ChatGPT are encouraged for class writing assignments (e.g., policy memo sections). However, you should note that these tools are unlikely to generate high quality work on their own. The best use of these tools involves editing and refining draft materials that you have written yourself.

Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Statement

Equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) are important Tulane values that are key drivers of academic excellence in our learning environments. In our drive for academic excellence, we seek to ensure that students, faculty, and staff across diverse social identities, cultural backgrounds, and lived experiences can thrive – especially those from underrepresented and underserved communities (e.g., race/ethnicity, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, disability, social class, international, veterans, religious minorities, age, and any other classification protected by applicable law - see Tulane’s Nondiscrimination Policy). To build a supportive culture and climate for every member of our community, we recognize that we each have unique EDI strengths to share with others and that we also have areas for EDI growth, learning, and change. This EDI commitment and cultural humility helps us collectively build a university community and culture where everyone experiences belonging.

Religious Accomodation Policy

Per Tulane’s religious accommodation policy, I will make every reasonable effort to ensure that students are able to observe religious holidays without jeopardizing their ability to fulfill their academic obligations. Excused absences do not relieve the student from the responsibility for any course work required during the period of absence. Students should notify me within the first two weeks of the semester about their intent to observe any holidays that fall on a class day or on the day of the final exam.

Title IX

Tulane University recognizes the inherent dignity of all individuals and promotes respect for all people. As such, Tulane is committed to providing an environment free of all forms of discrimination including sexual and gender-based discrimination, harassment, and violence like sexual assault, intimate partner violence, and stalking. If you (or someone you know) has experienced or is experiencing these types of behaviors, know that you are not alone. Resources and support are available: you can learn more here.

Disclosures of gender-based discrimination

In order to comply with the requirements of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Tulane University requires all faculty members to report incidents of gender-based discrimination. Please know that if you choose to confide in me, I am required by the university to share your disclosure in a Care Connection to the Office of Case Management and Victim Support Services to be sure you are connected with all the support the university can offer. The Title IX Coordinator is also notified of these disclosures. You choose whether or not you want to meet with these offices. You can also make a disclosure yourself, including an anonymous report, through this form.

Statement on Confidentiality and Privacy

Tulane University is committed to protecting the privacy of all individuals involved in a disclosure of gender-based discrimination. Any and all of your communications on these matters will be treated as either “Confidential” or “Private.”

Confidential Private
Certain individuals and resources (see list below) are designated as confidential. Individuals and resources designated as confidential will not share any information, except in extreme circumstances involving imminent danger to one’s self or others, with the Office of Case Management and Victim Services, the Title IX Coordinator, or local law enforcement without the express permission of the disclosing party. Private resources means that information related to a disclosure of gender-based discrimination may be shared with key staff members of the University to assist in the review, investigation, or resolution of the disclosure or to deliver resources, accommodations, and support services. Information pertinent to the disclosure will be shared with the following Offices:
Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS):
(504) 314-2277		 Case Management & Victim Support Services (CMVSS): (504) 314-2160
Student Health Center
Downtown: (504) 988-6929
Uptown: (504) 865-5255		 Tulane University Police (TUPD)
Downtown: (504) 988-5531
Uptown: (504) 865-5911
Sexual Aggression Peer Hotline and Education (SAPHE): (504) 654-9543 Title IX Coordinator: (504) 865-5611 or email: titleix@tulane.edu

Title IX Safeguards for Pregnant and Parenting Students

Title IX also provides reasonable protections and support for pregnant and parenting students. Discrimination on the basis of a student’s pregnancy, childbirth, false pregnancy, termination of pregnancy, or recovery from any of the previous conditions is prohibited by Title IX, and Tulane is committed to providing equal access to academic programs and extracurricular activities to students who might be, are, or have been pregnant. If you need support related to a pregnancy or any of the previously listed conditions, visit pregnancy.tulane.edu for more information, including a list of resources. Student who believe that they may have experienced pregnancy discrimination can file a complaint with the Title IX Office by contacting 504-865-5611 or titleix@tulane.eduor visiting the office in Jones Hall 308, filing a report at: https://cm.maxient.com/reportingform.php?TulaneUniv=&layout_id=0

Emergency Preparedness & Response