Population Health

Unit code: ASE1201 | Study level: Undergraduate
Credit points
12
(Generally, 1 credit = 10 hours of classes and independent study.)
Location
St Albans
Prerequisites
N/A
Overview
Enquire

Overview

In this unit, students learn to identify social aspects of health topics. They also explore current healthcare policy and practice, in particular the health and wellbeing of diverse and multicultural communities. Students also examine how health disadvantages experienced by particular groups are rooted in wider historical and current inequalities, including those based on ethnicity and citizenship status, gender, sexuality and class. The unit seeks to illustrate why and how sociological knowledge is essential to understanding health as well as issues in healthcare practice. The unit applies these concepts to contemporary models of healthcare professional practice, population health practice, inter-professional care and primary health care designed to address the health care needs of specific populations.

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, students will be able to:

  1. Investigate health care priorities from global, national, and local perspectives;
  2. Analyse the social aspects of health issues and health promotion;
  3. Evaluate models of health and illness as related to healthcare professional practice;
  4. Investigate the relationships between health and inequality;
  5. Examine the plurality of issues within the provision of health care to diverse communities and assess the significance of particular cultural knowledge and practices;
  6. Discuss the legal and ethical issues surrounding caring for specific populations; and the challenges of providing appropriate health care to specific populations with reference to evidence-based scenarios;
  7. Discuss primary health care and inter-professional roles, and the basics of epidemiology within population health.

Assessment

For Melbourne campuses

Assessment type: Assignment
|
Grade: 30%
Reflective Journal 1 (1000 words)
Assessment type: Assignment
|
Grade: 30%
Reflective Journal 2 (1000 words)
Assessment type: Assignment
|
Grade: 40%
Group Presentation and Report (15 minutes, 1000 words per group)

Required reading

Relevant readings (journal articles, book chapters....etc) are available online via the VU Library.

As part of a course

This unit is not compulsory for any specific course. Depending on the course you study, this unit may be taken as an elective.

Search for units, majors & minors