Health Sciences

School of Public Health

The Australian Healthcare System - PHE4AHS/PHE5AHS

Coordinator

Adamm Ferrier and Andrea Neale

Unit Details

PHE4AHS/PHE5AHS

Timetable

Timetable

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Outline

Unit Description

The key structural components of the Australian Health Care System, their interrelationships and relevant policy issues are described and analysed. The health status of Australians and inputs to the system (finance, workforce) are reviewed, together with institutional arrangements (hospitals, primary care, public health services) and departmental and interdepartmental structures. Trends in health system performance are also identified.

Unit Aim

To enable students:

• To describe the key structural components of the Australian health care system.
• To identify trends in health system performance and to analyse factors shaping these trends.
• To evaluate contemporary health policy proposals and assess their impact on health services .

Unit Requirements

There are 10 modules in the unit which correspond to either a whole chapter in the principal text or a component of a chapter. There is also an introductory exercise to get you started using WebCT.

For each of the main modules there will be:

• A set of learning objectives
• Set reading from the unit textbook 
• An overview of the topic
• Supplementary reading provided or websites to be visited
• Personal discussion questions 

Each module covers a different aspect of the Australian health care system with the work being equivalent to a one hour face-to-face lecture.

For students studying fully online there will be four online discussion group sessions held during the semester. For students studying using a mixed mode approach four face to face tutorial groups sessions will be held at the City Campus (Franklin Street) at the following times:

14/3, 28/3, 2/5, 16/5 all from 9 -12 midday

Please note that you must select to study either fully online or in mixed mode. In either case you are expected to participate in all four sessions. 20% of your mark for this unit will be assigned to your group work.

Assignments

You are required to submit two assignments during the unit. The first is worth 30% of your mark and involves an essay of 2000 words and the second is a two hour exam and is worth 50% of your mark. There is a hurdle requirement that you submit a short set of personal learning objectives for the unit within the first two weeks of the semester and that you introduce yourself to your tutor group.

Details of the assignments, including the due dates and process for submission will all be found on WebCT.

Textbook

The textbook for the unit is:

Duckett, S.J. (2004). The Australian Health Care System. 2 nd Edition. Melbourne, Oxford University Press.

It can be obtained from the La Trobe University Bookshop at Bundoora on (03 9479 1234) which holds it in stock because of its use in on-campus teaching. It can also be obtained by requesting any major bookstore to order it, or directly from the publisher at www.oup.com.au .

It is important that you obtain a copy of the text as soon as possible as it will be required from the commencement of the unit.