Healthcare Disparities Course Description

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Healthcare Disparities

Course Description

            The course is designed for graduate students pursuing advanced programs in the faculty of Sociology in the University. The students will examine the constructs of healthcare disparities emphasizing on the subject, with focus on health as a contemporary social issue. It relates the impacts of healthcare disparities in the society and the possible strategies to respond to the variations. This course is exploratory designed for students who focus on advancing their knowledge on community issues and offer strategic and sustainable solutions. It will meet the need of students developing in the field and with interest of upgrading their skills in sociology and its constructs. It gives the student a general feel of belonging to the practice.

Aims

            This course aims at

1. Helping students understand healthcare as a contemporary social issue.
2. Enable students explore and understand healthcare disparities both locally and internationally.
3. Help students to visualize and propose means of responding to healthcare disparities.

Objectives

            On completion of this course, students will be able to

1. Recognize healthcare disparities as a contemporary social issue
2. Show understanding of constructs of healthcare disparities
3. Recognize the existing disparities in healthcare within and beyond the borders
4. Propose and design response to the existing healthcare disparities
5. Work to offer solutions on healthcare disparities

Prerequisites

            The students of the class should be those who have pursued an undergraduate program in sociology or related area as per the university policies and met the criteria set by the school council to pursue a postgraduate program (Woolcock, 2006).

Outline

Week 1: Introduction

1. Fundamentals of healthcare disparities – clearly outline fundamentals of disparities
2. Sociology concepts and principles – Understand all the concepts relating to health

• Social responsibilities – recognize and communicate the social responsibilities

Week 2: Healthcare and Society

1. Community healthcare needs – recognize the different healthcare needs
2. Ethical concerns – What ethical concerns are raised relating to health disparity

• Administering interventions – examine all possible responses to disparity

1. Society, Culture and Politics – how they relate and contribute to healthcare disparity

Week 3: Constructs of Disparities

1. Gender and sexual identity – the contribution of sex and sexual orientation
2. Race – Disparities relating to blacks and whites in the United States

• Economic capacity and affordability – the gap relating to different social classes

1. Disability and specialized healthcare needs – What are the options (not) available

Week 4: Perspectives and Causes of Disparities

1. Healthcare disparities perspectives – The different perspectives of disparities
2. Causes of Disparities – think of possible causes relating to your area

• Levels of Disparity – Different levels relating to global and national disparities

Week 5: Regulations and Policy Implications

1. Local and National policies – what policies are available and which are required
2. Regulations and International concerns – Which is relevant to your region

Week 6: Scope of Healthcare Disparities

1. Healthcare disparities in developing nations – Africa and the rest of the world
2. Healthcare disparities in developed nations – Western countries

• Healthcare disparities in the United States

Week 7: Interventions

Implications of Healthcare disparities – On the affected people and governments

1. Eliminating healthcare disparities – explore available plans and suggest strategies
2. Addressing and responding to disparities – which is (not) the best approach

Week 8: Impacts of the response to disparities

1. Achievements of response to variations (Both locally and internationally)
2. Shortcomings in responding to gaps ( For governments and Organizations)

Week 9: Course review (Jacquez, & Ghantous, 2013)

            Respond to issues raised by students and recap on the areas that require clarification.

Week 10: Project presentations

Course Materials

1. Anderson, Karen M. (2011). State and Local Policy Initiatives to Reduce Health Disparities. Washington, D.C.: National Academies Press.
2. Browne, Teri.,Pitner, Ronald., & Freedman, Darcy. (2013). When Identifying Health Disparities as a Problem Is a Problem: Pedagogical Strategies for Examining Racialized Contexts. Journal of Prevention & Intervention In The Community, 41(4), 220-230.
3. Larkin, Mary. (2011). Social aspects of health, illness and healthcare. Maidenhead: McGraw-Hill/Open University Press.
4. Williams, Richard Allen. (2011). Healthcare disparities at the crossroads with healthcare reform.New York: Springer.

Links

1. Casella, Cecilia. 'Disparities In Healthcare Quality Among Racial And Ethnic Minority Groups. http://archive.ahrq.gov/research/findings/nhqrdr/nhqrdr10/minority.html
2. Office, OMMHE. 'CDC - Reports - Health Disparities - Inequalities - CHDIR - Minority 'http://www.cdc.gov/minorityhealth/CHDIReport.html
3. org. 'Disparities In Health And Health Care: Five Key Questions And Answers.'http://kff.org/disparities-policy/issue-brief/disparities-in-health-and-health-care-five-key-questions-and-answers/

Course Policies

1. The success and effectiveness of the course depend on the student’s full attendance and participation. Students are expected to participate and freely express their ideas and opinions on the topic of the day. Culture of Inclusiveness should be embraced in class.
2. Any student who expects to miss a class must give prior Such is only allowed up to three times after which appropriate penalties will take effect. Class attendance will score as a percentage and final score converted to constitute to grading.
3. A student is allowed to consult on prior arrangements. Before the start of every session, 10-15 minutes will be allocated for updates on class work and assignments. Project presentations will be at the end of the sessions as allotted. Each student will have the opportunity to discuss his/her project with peers and collect their views and opinions.
4. Any work and assignments must be submitted on the day agreed. Only one extension is allowable in such a case that the student is not able to complete the work in time. Such extension shall fall within 24 hours or as discussed with the student.
5. Each work must follow the Harvard or APA styles, typed in visible fonts (Times Roman font 12 – for normal text). Details are available upon request.
6. Each student should conduct own work and should not express the opinion of another person in such work or present work similar to another student. Such acts attract huge penalty and may result in expulsion from the course and consequently the University.

Course Assessment

            The course will be assessed through class attendance, class participation, presentations, assignments, research, mid-session exams and end session examination. All these will constitute the final grade for the course. Only those who attend 70% of the course qualify for grading.

Grading

Course Activities

            There are no particular events or materials for this course. The projects and discussions must be taken seriously and will be allocated sufficient time to be communicated to the peers. Common sense, commitment and mutual trust in both parties will prevail in an effort to meeting the course objectives. Looking forward to a successful session

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