Public Health Practice
PHxx 407
Course Data
Number:
Title:
Credit hours:
Department:
School/College:
Type:
PH 407
Practice of Public Health
four
Health Promotion & Behavioral Sciences
School of Public Health and Information Sciences
Lecture and lab
Course Description
This required course is an introductory overview of public health practice. It is organized by the
core functions and basic services of public health, and is designed for all students in public
health, not limited to those with any particular emphasis. The course will be taught as a lecture
course, with continuous opportunities for active learning and engagement.
Course Objectives
Upon completion of the course, the successful student will be able to:
1. Identify and thoroughly explain the “core functions” of public health.
2. Identify and explain “basic functions” of public health, and link them back to the core
functions.
3. Outline the methods and systems of community health assessment.
4. Design a plan for assessing the health status and needs of a specific community.
5. Apply three levels of evaluation to a typical public health problem.
6. Define and explain the concept of public health policy, and give some examples of policy
solutions to public health problems.
7. Draw similarities and differences between clinical health services and public health services.
8. Apply principles of information and communication campaigns to a typical public health
need.
9. Explain the theory of coalition, and outline a plan to organize a coalition to solve a particular
public health problem.
Prerequisites
Enrollment in the B.S. in public health degree program
Course Instructors
Name
<name>
Course Director
<name>
…
Version: July, 2010
Office
<office>
Phone
<phone>
Email
<email>
<office>
<phone>
<email>
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Public Health Practice
PHxx 407
The course instructors welcome conversations with students outside of class. Students may
correspond with instructors by email or set up appointments by contacting <name> at <phone>
or <email>.
Students should also contact <same name> with questions they might have regarding the
mechanics or operation of the course.
Course Topics and Schedule
IMPORTANT NOTE: The schedule and topics may change as the course unfolds. Changes
will be posted on Blackboard.
Event
Class
1
Class
2
Topic(s)
Introduction and
orientation – What
public health can do.
What public health
cannot do.
Core function 1:
assessment – public
health data systems
lab
Class
3
GIS and assessment
Using data to
determine health
needs and assets
Class
4
lab
Quantitative and
qualitative methods
Focus group
assessment
Communicating and
applying assessment
findings
Class
5
Class
6
lab
Evaluation – the flip
side of assessment
Designing audience
feedback for process
evaluation
Version: July, 2010
Reading assignments
What is Public Health?
http://www.whatispublichealth.org/
This is Public Health
http://www.thisispublichealth.org/
Core Functions / Basic Services
http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/ehs/EPHLI/core_ess.htm
Assessing Community Needs and Resources
http://ctb.ku.edu/en/tablecontents/chapter_1003.aspx
Community Health Status Indicators
http://www.communityhealth.hhs.gov/HomePage. aspx?
GeogCD=&PeerStrat=&state=&county
County Health Rankings
http://www.countyhealthrankings.org/
Community Health Data Initiative
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data_access/chdi.htm
Quick Health Data On-line
http://www.healthstatus2010.com/owh/index.html
Qualitative Methods to Assess Community Issues
http://ctb.ku.edu/en/tablecontents/section_1050.aspx
Community Health Assessment and Action
Planning Handbook
http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/cfh/ophp/
system/planning/chaap/docs/handbook-072307.pdf
Introduction to Evaluation
http://ctb.ku.edu/en/tablecontents/chapter_1036.aspx
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Public Health Practice
Class
7
Class
8
lab
Class
9
Class
10
lab
Evaluation methods
Health assessment
poster presentations
Designing impact and
outcome evaluation
Core function 2:
Policy Development
Linking assessment to
programming
policies: program
planning
Class
11
Using POME for
designing public
health interventions
Program planning
models
Class
12
Program planning
steps and components
lab
Constructing a logic
model
Program planning,
continued
Program planning
group presentations
Timelines and
program budgets
Midterm exam
Class
13
Class
14
lab
Class
15
Class
16
lab
Class
17
Policy tools in public
health
Writing letters to
policy makers.
Case study in public
health policy: tobacco
control
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PHxx 407
Methods for Evaluating Comprehensive Initiatives
http://ctb.ku.edu/en/tablecontents/chapter_1039.aspx
Strategic Planning for Public Health
http://www.mph.ufl.edu/events/seminar/Strategic
PlanningforPH.pdf
Developing a Strategic Plan
http://ctb.ku.edu/en/tablecontents/chapter_1007.aspx
Models for Collaborative Planning in Communities
http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?
record_id=10548&page=406
pp. 406-410
Assessment Planning Models Matrix
http://www.doh.state.fl.us/compass/documents/
MatrixCHAmodels.pdf
Logic Model Development Guide
http://www.publichealth.arizona.edu/chwtoolkit/
pdfs/Logicmod/logicmod.pdf
Principles of Advocacy
http://ctb.ku.edu/en/tablecontents/chapter_1030.aspx
Responding to Counterattacks
http://ctb.ku.edu/en/tablecontents/chapter_1035.aspx
Tobacco Control Policy
http://www1.worldbank.org/tobacco/pdf/2850-FM.pdf
Tobacco Control Policy and Politics
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Public Health Practice
Class
18
Case study in public
health policy: health
disparities
lab
Field trip: Center for
Health Equity
Case study in public
health policy:
highway safety
Enforcement power in
public health
Media advocacy
techniques
Problems in public
health policy research
Core function 3:
Assurance: safety net
versus population
health promotion
Visit to Portland
Clinic
Public health/clinical
health care interfaces
Class
19
Class
20
lab
Class
21
Class
22
lab
Class
23
Class
24
PHxx 407
http://tobacco.ucsf.edu/research.researchprojlist_
Policy_and_Politics.html
Minority Health and Health Disparities
http://www.cdc.gov/omhd/About/about.htm
Michael Marmot and Social Gradient
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NzeA53Fbt-Y
Highway Safety Research
http://www.nhtsa.gov/
Public Health and Law Enforcement
http://biotech.law.lsu.edu/Articles/8EID1157.pdf
Conducting Advocacy Research
http://ctb.ku.edu/en/tablecontents/chapter_1031.aspx
Rural Health Care Safety Nets
http://www.ahrq.gov/data/safetynet/hartley.htm
Chronic Disease Management
http://www.idph.state.ia.us/hcr_committees/
common/pdf/clinicians/savings_report.pdf
Pre and post service
workforce
competence
mechanisms
Using KY TRAIN
The information
model and public
health campaigns
The Public Health Workforce
http://www.health.gov/phfunctions/pubhlth.pdf
Class
26
Health information
technology tools
Public Health Campaigns Using Social Media
http://ohmygov.com/blogs/general_news/archive/2010/02/05/8great-public-health-campaigns-using-social-media.aspx
lab
Market research and
segmentation
lab
Class
25
Version: July, 2010
Public Health Campaigns
http://www.google.com/images?q=public+health+
campaigns&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:enUS:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF8&source=univ&ei=0fokTM3AEJSy8QbdnomABQ&
sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&
resnum=4&ved=0CDkQsAQwAw
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Public Health Practice
Class
27
Class
28
lab
Class
29
Class
30
Coalitions and
partnerships theory
and practice
Practical organization
and evaluation of
community coalitions
Coalition simulation
“speed dating” public
health policy report
exchange
Final exam
PHxx 407
Coalition Building I: Starting a Coalition
http://ctb.ku.edu/en/tablecontents/section_1057.aspx
Coalition Building II: Maintaining a Coalition
http://ctb.ku.edu/en/tablecontents/section_1058.aspx
Course Materials
Blackboard
The primary mechanism for communication in this course, other than class meetings, is UofL’s
Blackboard system at http://ulink.louisville.edu/ or http://blackboard.louisville.edu/. Instructors
use Blackboard to make assignments, provide materials, communicate changes or additions to
the course materials or course schedule, and to communicate with students other aspects of the
course. It is imperative that students familiarize themselves with Blackboard, check Blackboard
frequently for possible announcements, and make sure that their e-mail account in Blackboard is
correct, active, and checked frequently.
Required Texts
While the content in this course can be found in numerous textbooks, there is no single or small
set of books which capture the stated learning objectives. All reading assignments are webbased documents or handouts, and are listed in the course syllabus.
Prepared Materials Used by Instructors
Materials used by instructors in class are available to students via Blackboard no later than 24
hours following the class. These may include outlines, citations, slide presentations, and other
materials. There is no assurance that the materials include everything discussed in the class.
Course Policies
Student Evaluation
Health assessment poster presentations
Working in groups, students will identify a specific community or population group, and
complete an analysis of health status and needs. The instructor will organize students into their
groups, at the beginning of the semester. To complete the project, the following steps will be
required: 1) identify a specific group; 2) obtain and summarize existing data related to the health
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Public Health Practice
PHxx 407
problems and needs of the group; 3) outline a feasible strategy for obtaining additional
quantitative and qualitative health data for the selected group; 4) identify key health strengths
and weaknesses of the group.
The deliverable for this project will be a poster session, held around the 8th class period. Each
group will prepare a poster to illustrate highlights and key findings of the project. At the poster
session event, about a third of the groups will put up their posters while the remaining students
will have 20 minutes to circulate to as many posters as possible. This will be followed by the
next third, and so forth. After all posters have been presented, the class as a whole will debrief
with the instructor, to identify overriding findings and principles related to community health
assessment. Grading will be done by the instructor at the time of the poster presentations, using
a rubric designed for grading this assignment. The rubric will be provided to students early in
the semester.
Program planning group presentations
Building on the results of the community assessment projects, students will design a program to
address one of the priority needs identified. Working in the same groups formed for the
assessment project, students will build an program intervention, using the model Problem,
Objectives, Methods, and Evaluation (POME). Ideas for the intervention will come from all of
the following sources: 1) public health literature; 2) networking with public health practitioners;
3) theories; 4) internal creativity and innovation. The project deliverable will be a 20 minute
presentation, using A/V materials, in which all group members participate. Grading will be done
by the instructor at the time of the presentations, using a grading rubric designed for that
purpose. The rubric will be provided to students in advance.
“Speed Dating” public health policy report exchange
Students will identify a public health policy idea or strategy, and summarize the existing relevant
literature. They will produce a report in which they 1) explain the logic or rationale of the policy
strategy and the need it is proposed to fill; 2) summarize the pros and cons of the strategy; 3)
identify and support an advocacy position with respect to the strategy. State whether it should be
supported or not, with a clear and thorough defense of the position taken. This will be submitted
electronically to the instructor by the due date. In class, a “speed dating” process will be
conducted, in which students will sit in pairs, and in a ten minute time frame, each will explain
and review the policy strategy which they researched. At the end of the ten minutes, ten new
pairs will form to continue the process. This process will continue until each student has
discussed their policy proposal with six other students. Finally, students will be given up to 15
minutes to summarize highlights of four of the policies which were explained to them by other
students. These brief summaries will be submitted to the instructor for grading.
Attendance and Participation
Active learning is the goal of the course, and this relies on the engaged participation of students in
class. Attendance, per se, will not be graded. However, in most class periods there will be quizzes
and other in-class activities which will constitute evidence of student preparation and participation.
Documentation of student participation in these in-class activities will be the basis for this
component of the course grade.
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Exams
A midterm and a final exam will be given in the course. Exams will be based on course reading and
other assignments and class discussions. Review questions will be provided for each exam.
Grading
Health assessment poster presentations
Program planning group presentations
“speed dating” public health policy report exchange
-report
-policy summary
Attendance and Participation
Exams
-midterm
-final
Final Letter Grade
A
B
C
D
F
20
20
10
5
10
15
20
Final Percent
90-100
80-89
70-79
60-69
<60
Other Policies
Syllabus Revision
The course director reserves the right to modify any portion of this syllabus. A best effort will be
made to provide an opportunity for students to comment on a proposed change before the change
takes place.
Inclement Weather
This course will adhere to the University’s policy and decisions regarding cancellation or
delayed class schedules. Adjustments will be made to the class schedule as necessary to take
into account any delays or cancellations of this class. Local television and radio stations
broadcast University delays or closings. The UofL web site (www.louisville.edu) and telephone
information line (502-852-5555) also broadcast delays or closings.
Grievances
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Public Health Practice
PHxx 407
Students who have grievances regarding the course should contact the course director. If
students are not satisfied with the response, they should seek guidance from the Dean of the
Graduate School or the Dean of the School of Public Health and Information Sciences.
Disabilities
In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, students with bona fide disabilities will
be afforded reasonable accommodation. The Disability Resource Center will certify a disability
and advise faculty members of reasonable accommodations. More information is located at
http://www.louisville.edu/student/dev/drc/
Academic Honesty
Students are required to comply with the academic honesty policies of the University, Graduate
School, and School of Public Health and Information Sciences. These policies prohibit
plagiarism, cheating, and other violations of academic behavior. More information is located
within the SPHIS Student Catalog.
Writing Standards
Unless otherwise specifically stipulated by the course instructor, all written assignments should
be typed in black, 12-point font size, in one of these fonts: Arial, Calibri, Courier, or Times New
Roman. Microsoft Word default page margins (1 inch on top and bottom, 1.25 inches on left and
right) should be used. All pages should be numbered and lines double-spaced. For any reference
citations, the latest edition of APA or MLA style guidelines should be used. See the following
link for further information on citation formatting:
http://library.louisville.edu/research/general/citation.htm .
Additional Policy Information
Consult the UofL Graduate Student Handbook for more about UofL policies.
(http://graduate.louisville.edu/prog_pubs/handbook.pdf)
Version: July, 2010
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