The health system in Canada is a core part of how Canadians view themselves. How does Canada’s system compare to others in terms of safety and quality? What about other aspects, such as access to care, equity (across provinces, among groups and communities and being patient-centred? How do we measure these components, and what is being done to change and improve Canadian health care? Even though Canadians are healthier than ever before, what areas of the system continue to need reform? These are the types of questions we will examine in this course.
To understand health care issues, to contribute to policy debates, and to address administrative concerns, you need to understand how health care currently works. In this course you will learn about health care: not just the part you work in or are most familiar with, but also all the interacting parts, such as the structure, funding, organization, processes, people, and policies that arise at federal, provincial, community, and institutional levels. You’ll learn about the current challenges and opportunities and be prompted to think creatively about where health care can improve and how we can achieve better health outcomes for Canadians. The aim of this course is to help you form your own evidence-based ideas about the health system.
Outline
HADM 339 is divided into nine units:
Unit 1: Introduction to the Canadian Health Care System Book
Unit 2: Sustainability, Health Care Costs and Financing Book
Unit 3: The Health Status of Canadians: What Is It, What Causes It, What Can Be Done About It
Unit 4: Primary Care: The Foundation
Unit 5: Hospitals and Pharmaceuticals
Unit 6: Home Care and Long-Term Care
Unit 7: Safety and Quality in the Health Care System
Unit 8: Who Provides Health Care?
Unit 9: Challenges, Threats, and Opportunities
Evaluation
To receive credit for HADM 339, you must achieve a course composite grade of at least D (50 percent) and a grade of at least 50 percent on the Final Examination. The weighting of the composite grade is as follows:
Activity
Weight
Complete by
Tutor-marked Exercise 1
15%
after Unit 3
Tutor-marked Exercise 2
15%
after Unit 5
Essay Assignment
30%
after Unit 8
Final Examination
40%
after Unit 9
Total
100%
The final examination for this course must be taken online with an AU-approved exam invigilator at an approved invigilation centre. It is your responsibility to ensure your chosen invigilation centre can accommodate online exams. For a list of invigilators who can accommodate online exams, visit the Exam Invigilation Network.
To learn more about assignments and examinations, please refer to Athabasca University’s online Calendar.
Materials
This course either does not have a course package or the textbooks are open-source material and available to students at no cost. This course has a Course Administration and Technology Fee, but students are not charged the Course Materials Fee.
Duckett, Stephen. (2012) Where to from here? Keeping Medicare Sustainable. McGill Queen's University Press. (eBook)
Duckett, S. (2012). Health Administration 339: Organization of the Canadian health care system—Study guide. (2012). Athabasca, AB: Athabasca University.
Challenge for credit
Overview
The challenge for credit process allows you to demonstrate that you have acquired a command of the general subject matter, knowledge, intellectual and/or other skills that would normally be found in a university-level course.
Full information about challenge for credit can be found in the Undergraduate Calendar.
Evaluation
To receive credit for the HADM 339 challenge registration, you must achieve a grade of at least C- (60 percent)on the examination.
Athabasca University reserves the right to amend course outlines occasionally and without notice. Courses offered by other delivery methods may vary from their individualized study counterparts.