Health Policy and Administration (HPA)

A systematic application of the principles of organizational behavior to understanding professional roles in health services organizations.

Addresses theory and application of program evaluation, emphasizing process and outcome evaluation strategies for programs involving individuals, organizations and populations. HDFS (HPA) 506 Design and Evaluation of Prevention and Health Promotion Programs Across the Life Span (3) This course is designed for graduate students interested in the design and evaluation of programs in a wide range of human services (e.g., health care, social services, education). The course provides a foundation in the theory and application of program evaluation, with focused attention to the details of how such work can be proposed and conducted. The majority of the semester will focus on issues related to developing scientifically sound and viable studies of interventions in line with students' interests. The goals for this course are to help students build the knowledge and confidence to evaluate human service programs and/or policies that are implemented in research settings (academic or government) and communities or community settings (e.g., schools, health care facilities, community agencies).

Introduction to health policy focusing on health services financing, insurance and other current health policy topics. HPA 510 Health Services Financing and Policy (3) The second in a two-course sequence that introduces graduate students to the organization, financing, and delivery of health services in the US. This course focuses on health services financing and policy. This course will cover policy issues in the federal Medicare program, state Medicaid programs and private health insurance markets, and other important current health care policy issues. The course will also introduce students to the discipline of policy analysis, primarily the economic perspective, but will also include discussions on the political perspective and the policy-making process. The objectives of this course are to help students: 1) Understand the mechanisms by which Americans pay for their health care and become familiar with current health policy issues. The topics covered in this course will serve as a context for key policy issues that will be intensively discussed in a paired research seminar course; 2) Appreciate the policy-making process and the role of political perspectives in the formation and implementation of policy proposals; 3) Understand approaches of policy analysis, which will provide them with an analytic framework for critiquing health policy issues as well as health services research; 4) Develop policy analysis skills.

An examination of seminal and current research on health services financing, insurance and health policy. HPA 511 Research Seminar on Health Services Financing and Policy is one of two seminars designed to complement introductory courses in the graduate H P A curriculum. This course allows graduate students seeking careers in health services research to engage in deeper study and discussion of the classic and current research on the issues of payment, insurance, regulation and policy related to health care delivery in the U.S. health care system and to begin to explore their research interests for a thesis.The primary objectives of the course are: (a) to help students become familiar with a selection of "classic" and "cutting edge" papers in the field of health services research (b) to develop students' ability to critically read and analyze the health services research literature with an emphasis on the conceptual and methodological approaches used by researchers (c) to assist students in developing their ability to organize, synthesize and integrate research drawn from a variety of disciplinary approaches into a coherent foundation for further study in health services research (d) to improve students' oral and written communication skills, emphasizing organization, clarity, and the ability to give and respond to constructive professional criticism The readings for this class are all drawn from important journals in the field of health services research. Class will generally include 2 or 3 different activities designed to meet the objectives above. During each class, we will spend some time discussing the assigned articles to review the key points, analyze strengths and weaknesses of the research design, and consider how they provide a framework for studying the issues. In some classes, students will be asked to provide a short oral presentation of a topic, complemented by a written summary of the presentation topic. The class will discuss the paper and presentation, giving students constructive critical feedback on the presentation and paper. Finally, in some classes, the entire class will collaborate in developing a research question into a basic research proposal.Students will be responsible for writing papers, giving presentations, preparing written critiques of articles as a seminar class, the full participation of every student is necessary. Students must not only come prepared to class, they must be active participants in all aspects of the class each week. Grades in the class are based on oral presentations, written papers, article critiques and student participation.

This course provides an overview of basic methods for undertaking research pertaining to health services organizations and systems. In addition to basic methods, the course also provides "the current state of the art" in health services research. Students will gain an understanding of research design, statistics, and methodology while developing critical thinking and analytical skills to examine the health services research literature. Students will also develop and demonstrate effective presentation skills and engage in detailed discussions about current and emerging areas of health services research. This course is recommended for students who do not have an extensive background or training in statistical methods but who will be carrying out policy research, social science research, or program impact evaluation. It is also relevant to those who will apply the results of Health Services Research (HSR) done by others.

Introduction to health systems, health services organization and health care delivery focused on trends, problems and issues.

An examination of seminal and current research on health services organization and delivery, emphasizing costs, access and quality. HPA 521 Research Seminar on Health Services Organization and Delivery (3) HPA 521 is one of two seminars designed to complement introductory courses in the graduate H P A curriculum. This course allows graduate students seeking careers in health services research to engage in deeper study and discussion of the classic and current research on the issues of health services organization and delivery in the U.S. health care system and to begin to explore their research interests for a thesis. The primary objectives of the course are: (a) to help students become familiar with a selection of "classic" and "cutting edge" papers in the field of health services research (b) to develop students' ability to critically read and analyze the health services research literature with an emphasis on the conceptual and methodological approaches used by researchers (c) to assist students in developing their ability to organize, synthesize and integrate research drawn from a variety of disciplinary approaches into a coherent foundation for further study in health services research (d) to improve students' oral and written communication skills, emphasizing organization, clarity, and the ability to give and respond to constructive professional criticism The readings for this class are all drawn from important journals in the field of health services research. Class will generally include 2 or 3 different activities designed to meet the objectives above. During each class, we will spend some time discussing the assigned articles to review the key points, analyze strengths and weaknesses of the research design, and consider how they provide a framework for studying the issues. In some classes, students will be asked to provide a short oral presentation of a topic, complemented by a written summary of the presentation topic. The class will discuss the paper and presentation, giving students constructive critical feedback on the presentation and paper. Finally, in some classes, the entire class will collaborate in developing a research question into a basic research proposal. Students will be responsible for writing papers, giving presentations, preparing written critiques of articles as a seminar class, the full participation of every student is necessary. Students must not only come prepared to class, they must be active participants in all aspects of the class each week. Grades in the class are based on oral presentations written papers, article critiques and student participation.

Introduction to the principles and methods of managerial epidemiology and its application to health care. HPA 523 Managerial Epidemiology (3) This course is intended to familiarize students with the methods and principles of managerial epidemiology. Changes in the structure of the health delivery and financing systems are making managers more responsible for the health of enrolled and constituent populations. The tools of epidemiology are important for purposes of planning, monitoring, and evaluation of population health. Managing the health of populations requires both an understanding of the factors that influence population health and how those factors can be influenced by health care organizations and systems. In addition to the management of population health, the methods of managerial epidemiology can be applied to organizational evaluation and clinical practice improvement. Epidemiology, interaction between health behavior and health management, health interventions, quality improvement, outcomes management, and program implementation and evaluation methods are examined. Particular emphasis is given to health management applications aimed at vulnerable populations, such as racial/ethnic minorities and the elderly.

A systematic study of the roles of health services managers and the organizational and environmental context within which they work.

Explores health and health services across the life course using a population health approach.

This course provides an overview of social factors that lead to demographic disparities in health. H P A(SOC) 526 Health Disparities (3) This course provides a broad exploration of U.S. health disparities. In particular, it examines several types of U.S. health disparities that emerge as a result of individuals' race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, nativity status and gender. The course focuses on theoretical and methodological strategies for studying health disparities as well as empirical evidence supporting the existence of different health disparities and explanations for understanding and ameliorating them. Students will summarize and discuss weekly readings and apply course materials to understand the state of the field and to carry out an original research project on a particular health disparity that interests them. This course fulfills basic seminar requirements in the Sociology graduate curriculum and serves as a process course for the interdisciplinary Demography dual-title graduate curriculum.

This course is focused on understanding and overcoming the challenges associated with nurturing and managing effective health care operations. H P A 527 Managing Healthcare Operations (3) This course is focused on understanding and overcoming the challenges associated with nurturing and managing efficient and effective health care operations. It exposes students to the frameworks, theory, and skills commonly employed by managers in an effort to deliver excellence in health care services. The course begins by considering process management and improvement, including the fundamentals of process analysis, queuing theory and staffing applications. The course concludes by taking a step back from specific processes to consider operating systems as a whole. Specifically, the concluding module of the course focuses on how the design of an operating system can impede or enhance the effectiveness of the organization's processes, including the role of complexity and tradeoffs healthcare organizations face between focus and flexibility.

Introduction to data sources and use of software for data management and analysis in health services research. H P A 528 Health Data Analysis for Research (3)The statistical analysis of quantitative data is a major tool for health services researchers. This course provides students with an overview of practical, concrete information about identifying, acquiring, processing, and analyzing data in typical health service research settings. The course covers three main content areas: Data issues in health services research, including legal and ethical information on human subjects and private health information; manipulating primary and secondary health services research data to create files amenable to research analysis; and basics of descriptive and exploratory analysis of health services research data. The objectives of the course are: (1) to give students a solid foundation of knowledge about health services data issues for their thesis and related research projects in the future; (2) to give them practical experience manipulating commonly used data sets in health services research; and, (3) to allow them to begin to explore potential research hypotheses for thesis and other research. Its primary role is to guide students in the master's of science and doctoral programs in Health Policy and Administration as they begin to explore research. It is also appropriate for other graduate students who intend to do research in or related to health services research.

The course emphasizes theoretical as well as practical issues relating to applying advanced methods of epidemiology in health services research. H P A 540 Epidemiological Applications in Health Services Research (3) Advanced methods of epidemiology are presented with examples and exercises. The course emphasizes theoretical as well as practical issues. Students will identify opportunities for implementing the epidemiological principles in health services research. Students will also have the chance to explore the existing secondary data resources and/or to collect primary data and prepare them for epidemiological analysis. The course examines various applications of epidemiological methods in health services research. It focuses on the design and implementation of research projects utilizing epidemiological techniques to study the health of an identified population (Pennsylvanians), using data that is part of a national program, Behavioral Risk Factors Surveillance System (BRFSS) run by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in all states.

Seminar focusing on disparities in infant, child, and adolescent health, and policies and programs impacting these disparities. HPA 541 Poverty, Race, Ethnicity and Child Health (3) This course is designed to 1) strengthen students' understanding of the multidimensional nature of health and well-being at each stage of childhood and adolescence, and the magnitude of health disparities that exist among children of differing socioeconomic position and race/ethnicity; 2) encourage critical evaluation of existing governmental policies and programs impacting children's health and health disparities, and exploration of other potentially effective approaches; and 3) enhance students' expertise in the synthesis, critical analysis, and presentation of material in class and in written form. The content of this course is relevant not only to students in the Health Policy and Administration program, but also for students in other disciplines including but not limited to Demography, Human Development and Family Studies, Biobehavioral Health, Nutrition, and Nursing who are interested in learning about children's health and health disparities. Students are expected to participate actively in all class discussions and homework assignments, lead the class in the discussion of a specific government program impacting children's health, write a short reaction paper on the class text, write a final term paper on socioeconomic and racial/ethnic disparities in an aspect of children's physical or mental health including evaluation of current and potential policy approaches for addressing these disparities, and present the major points made in the term paper to the class for discussion. This course will be offered once a year, with enrollment limited to 20 students.

Survey of the application of economics to the roles of markets and government in health care.

This course prepares students to evaluate and conduct basic and applied research using cost-effectiveness analysis and other value assessment frameworks to shape evidence-based policy on the use, coverage and pricing of pharmaceuticals and other health interventions. The course uses recent literature to emphasize the connection between methodology and the evolving health technology assessment policy landscape in the US and around the world. Students will gain understanding of methodological, empirical, ethical and political challenges in assessing the value of health interventions (and in using those assessments to affect access, use and payment for health interventions) from the perspective of patients, health systems and society.

Examination of major approaches to performance improvement in contemporary healthcare systems. H P A 551 Quality Improvement in Healthcare (3)The goal of this course is to provide students with requisite knowledge and skills for managing quality improvement and patient safety efforts in health care organizations. The various perspectives on the challenges of providing safe and reliable health services are covered. Operational approaches to quality improvement adapted from industry are examined and practiced in cases and exercises. Students learn to identify key aspects of systems and work flows. They employ currently used analytic tools to analyze quality-related systems problems and identify potential solutions. Finally, the course will assist students in improving management skills in the affective realm. Specifically, excellent performance in this competency realm will be demonstrated through: (a) persuasive written and verbal communication skills; (b) the ability to facilitate group problem solving in a situation that includes conflict; and (c) the ability to effectively navigate difficult conversations. The teaching and learning methods used in the course will include lectures by the instructor (usually brief), briefings by students, discussion, role play and other structured active learning exercises. Weekly class process reflections will be used fro improvement purposes. The class serves as part of the culmination of the professional master's degree program. It is also appropriate as an elective course for students in master's and doctoral programs who are interested in research and applications in quality improvement in health care.

Integration of prior course work in the program to develop a strategic plan for a health services organization.

Review and critical analysis of state-of-the-art health services research methods.

Application of theoretical and empirical tools of microeconomics to issues in health services utilization and delivery.

Applications of theoretical and empirical tools of organizational studies in the delivery of health care.

Introduction to regression models in health services research, including violations and tests of model assumptions and solutions for those violations. HPA 564 Research Methods in Health Services Research (3)This course is the initial course on health services research methods for master's of science and doctoral students in the Department of Health Policy and Administration. In the context of the typical types of data used by health services researchers, students are introduced to the basic linear regression models that are fundamental for understanding more complex modeling of health care data. The course also reviews common data problems in health services research, including heteroskedasticity, serial and auto-correlation, and limited dependent variables. The objectives of the course are:to help students understand the theoretical and practical aspects of applying linear regression models to health care data;to help students understand the typical ways in which health care data often lead to violations of the assumptions of linear regression to develop students' knowledge and skills in being able to use statistical models to test for and correct health data for heteroskedasticity, serial and autocorrelationto introduce students to binary response models that are ubiquitous in health services research.

Advanced topics course focusing on extensions of the ordinary least squares regression model and nonlinear methods in health services research. H P A 566 Advanced Methods in Health Services Research IThe objectives of this course are to help students identify problems that may arise in health services research data, understand methods designed to address such problems, and apply those methods to problems that they encounter in their empirical work. This course is part of the methods core in the HPA doctoral curriculum, and builds from students' introduction to research methods which is a pre-requisite course. Students should have a strong foundation in statistical and research methods prior to taking H P A 566. After completing the course, students should be prepared for the beginning stages of data analysis for a thesis and for further advanced level study in health services research methods. Evaluation is based on homework and examinations.

Application of advanced methods to health services research topics focused on empirical approaches to causal inference in nonexperimental data. HPA 567 Advanced Methods in Health Services Research II (3) The main theme of the course will be estimating causal effects using non-experimental data in health services research. These general topics, and the associated estimation methods, often go by other names; in economics they are referred to as "identification strategies," while in other disciplines they are sometimes labeled "quasi-experimental research designs." Causal inference is one of the main issues to confront in conducting health services research. Devising empirical strategies that increase the likelihood that estimates have a causal interpretation is one of the primary objectives of health services researchers. The course will have a distinctively applied bent. The goal will be to survey as many estimation strategies as possible, with particular emphasis placed on those most commonly used by empirical researchers. The objectives will be to understand the strengths and weaknesses of the various approaches, the assumptions they require, and how they have been used in practice.

The goal of this course is for students to gain experience in the process of innovation and research formulation that is necessary for successful completion of the doctoral dissertation and for future research in the fields of health economics, health services research, population health, and health policy. Students will learn how to critically assess emerging research in these fields and define their own research questions by focusing on study significance, innovation, research design, impact, and limitations. An emphasis will be placed on identifying promising lines of research, as opposed to individual projects, and on determining strategies for optimizing research output and impact.

Introduction to the field of health services research.

Supervised off-campus, nongroup instruction, including field experiences, practicums, or internships. Written and oral critique of activity required.

Creative projects, including nonthesis research, which are supervised on an individual basis and which fall outside the scope of formal courses.

Formal courses given on a topical or special interest subject which may be offered infrequently.

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Supervised and graded teaching experience in selected undergraduate Health Policy and Administration courses.

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This course is designed to examine the theories and frameworks that underlie the influence of values and ethics (personal, professional, organizational, and social) on leadership practices in healthcare organizations, and to challenge students to examine their own ethical assumptions. The primary emphasis of this course is on the values held by individuals and their impact on the administrative problem-solving processes. Values conflicts will be explored in the context of individual values clashes with the broader organizational and social values held by healthcare organizations. Students will be exposed to a broad range of theoretical literature on values and ethics, but the primary focus of this course is on the development of practical leadership knowledge and skill that will lead to more reflective, intelligent, and principled practices. The primary course goal is to provide students with the tools to be more effective when confronting issues that have ethical implications in their own organizations. Using case studies and interactive discussions, this course will examine the ethical decision-making process and confront the ethical challenges that healthcare leaders will face.

Exploration of diagnostic and intervention strategies employed in planned change in health services organizations and programs.

The project management framework of this course will allow students to enhance previously attained competencies and acquire advanced skills while addressing ever-evolving project management challenges specific to the health care services organizations. The assignments will focus on enterprise-wide thinking while engaging in cross-functional relationships as they work to meet project goals. Students will continue to layer and build previously developed competencies in finance, operations, leadership, human resources, law, marketing, and organization behavior specific to the health care services industry. In order to explore multiple perspectives, students will rotate into various executive roles as well as project manager and receive feedback on their performance. The course structure will give each student an opportunity to reflect on choices, assess progress to goals, and evaluate successes and failures in a supportive environment while striving for continual performance improvement within the project.

This course is designed to provide students with the requisite knowledge and skills for leading quality improvement and population health management efforts in health services organizations. The various perspectives on the challenges of providing safe and reliable health services are covered. Population health will focus on the identification and stratification of populations at risk; evidence-based care, care coordination, patient and community engagement and data analytics and reporting of outcomes. Operational approaches to quality improvement adapted from within health care and other industries are examined and applied. Students will employ currently used analytic tools to investigate systems problems and to identify potential solutions.

This course is designed to provide students with requisite knowledge and skills for leading and creating the organizational and cultural structure that will positively support the management of human capital. Students will explore the human capital theory of people management, and will apply the principles. Concepts will be placed into operational context using case situations and reading materials. Students will explore the principles of human resource management including; workforce development, succession planning, employee development, selecting the right members of the team, and supporting those team members through effective leadership and management techniques, and will have the opportunity to apply the tools to their own unique organizational situations.

This course provides students with an understanding of financial management principles as applied to health service organizations. The course emphasizes health care financial management concepts and terms, health care management techniques and their use, and the interpretation and analysis of financial information in health service organizations.

The purpose of this course is to apply the theory and principles of accounting and finance to management decision making in health care organizations. Case studies are used to simulate the context in which financial decisions are made. Case settings include a wide variety of provider organizations, including hospitals, clinics, medical practices, and home health organizations, as well as integrated delivery systems, managed care organizations, among others.

This course explores the legal issues commonly found in the U.S. based health services organizations, and investigates the health care professional as decision-maker and leader. This course will familiarize the health care administrator with a basic understanding of the challenges and opportunities the law provides at the state and federal levels and the legal issues associated with delivery of care in health organizations. Students will gain practical understanding and best practices that they can utilize in their current and/or future roles. The course will guide students through exercises that allow them to understand the contemporary role law plays in the health care industry.

Healthcare marketing is designed to introduce students to the theory, concepts, skills, and principles of marketing applied to health-related organizations. Key marketing concepts, including assessing the external environment, identifying opportunities and gaps between strategy and capabilities, product or service development and management, and communication channels and strategies. Participants must have a basic knowledge of the US healthcare system, including key stakeholders, national trends in health delivery, financing and health policy. Students will employ marketing tools in solving problems using case studies. The course employs active learning through projects and cases to achieve learning objectives. Students will demonstrate mastery of skills through written assignments and oral presentations. Analytical skills will be employed to assess market indicators as well as for monitoring internal metrics.

This course is designed to provide students with a working knowledge of issues surrounding the design, evaluation and use of information systems in the health services sector. The course uses discussions, cases, and projects to lead the student to think critically about the management of Information Systems (IS) in the health care setting. Students do not learn how to design health IS components. Rather students seek to understand the components of IS, how IS are used to improve operational effectiveness, analytics, and current topics in IS. In brief, this course provides foundations of IS for supporting clinical services, patient safety, quality improvement, and administrative functions in health services management.

Introduction to current clinical issues in health services organizations focusing on the role of managers. H P A 822 Clinical Issues for Health Services Management (3)This course is designed to provide the clinical aspect to the HPA graduate students' education, an important component of understanding population health and status assessment. It will allow students to gain exposure and utilize important clinical technologies which are used to formulate patient diagnoses. Students will also apply their knowledge in designing treatment plans for patients through hypothetical case studies. All students will learn basic medical vocabulary and terminology that is used in the field of medicine and will gain an understanding of the pathophysiology, diagnosis, prevention and treatment of common diseases. Students will gain an awareness of methods of health promotion and apply that knowledge to real life and hypothetical cases. This class will focus on the clinical aspects of medicine. By the end of this course, students will have the necessary skills and knowledge to: 1. Describe and identify technologies used to diagnose and treat diseases.2. Demonstrate in written and oral work an understanding of the basic patholophysiology, diagnosis and treatment of common diseases. 3. Compose written and oral work displaying a basic knowledge of commonly used medical terminology. 4. Recognize the clinical approach that health care providers take in diagnosing and treating common disorders, including tools and analytical thought process used in providing quality care. 5. Demonstrate a working understanding of the importance of computers and information technologies used in patient care. 6. Utilize health care resources such as the internet to analyze and examine health care topics. This course will contribute to the student's development in: 1. Information seeking. Students will be responsible for acquiring knowledge from lectures, text books, medical journals, the internet, presentations, question and answer time with medical professionals and other resources needed to understand disease processes involving many organ systems.2. Analytical thinking. Discussions will focus on decision-making skills used in clinical care and transferable to non-clinical settings. Students will need to use the knowledge gained in class and apply learned analytical skills comprehensively to evaluate and analyze the health care delivered to a specific healthcare consumer. 3. Communication skills. Students will be expected to use accurate and complete information in preparing for and participating in classroom discussions and presentations.

Creative projects, including nonthesis research, which are supervised on an individual basis and which fall outside the scope of formal courses.

Formal courses given on a topical or special interest subject which may be offered infrequently.