2025-2026 Graduate Catalog

CRES 831 Health Policy and Systems Thinking

The formation of successful health policy and reform requires stakeholders to understand the structure of both the public and private sectors of the healthcare system, the delivery of health care services in the US, health law and the effects that governmental healthcare reform can have on the cost, quality, and access to healthcare services. This course will also cover the implications of moral hazard to the economics of healthcare and will outline the profound impact health policy can have on quality of life for the US population. Disparities in the delivery of and outcomes from various healthcare sectors will also be covered.

Credits

3

Outcomes

  1. 1. The historical context of health policy, including an exploration of the impact of the Affordable Care Act
  2. 2. Understand the relationship between health policy and healthcare outcomes across various US populations
  3. 3. Summarize how healthcare cost, quality, and access interact within the US healthcare system and the impact these three variables can have on the patient experience.
  4. 4. Apply health policy concepts to health services research.