Historical, cultural, social, and political determinants of our approach are examined. Various elements comprising the system are identified and discussed. These include the settings in which health care is delivered, the providers of health services, and those who pay for this care. Interactions between the providers of care, its consumers, those who insure it, the corporate sector, and government are also considered. Contemporary health system issues are reviewed and proposals for reform are analyzed.
Epidemiology is the science which studies the determinants of health and disease.
This course introduces the principles of epidemiology and demonstrates their application in the study of human health status from a population perspective. The student is provided with an opportunity to recognize community health as the outcome of a complex of ecological relationships and to view such relationships as determinants of societal need and demands for health services. The use of epidemiology to generate a database for health services program planning and evaluation is emphasized. This course has been approved for the General Social Science requirement. The course is intended to address the needs of students from a broad range of concentrations, including business, the social sciences, the health sciences and majors in health policy and management.