Unit name | Essentials of Public Health and Health Improvement |
---|---|
Unit code | BRMSM0010 |
Credit points | 20 |
Level of study | M/7 |
Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
Unit director | Dr. Kidger |
Open unit status | Not open |
Pre-requisites |
None |
Co-requisites |
None |
School/department | Bristol Medical School |
Faculty | Faculty of Health Sciences |
This unit aims to introduce students to the ideas and principles underpinning public health and health improvement, including concepts of measuring disease burden, health inequalities, appropriate use of data to inform public health policy and practice, an introduction to screening programmes and the role of national and international public health organisations. The underpinning theories of health improvement, and the key models and interventions utilised at both the individual and population level with be studied, including behaviour change interventions, community development programmes and the use of mass and social media. It will outline the different levels of disease prevention, and will consider the relative merits of both universal and targeted interventions.
Throughout the unit students will be reminded of the wider determinants of health and encouraged to think about the application of public health practice in other (health and non-health) disciplines. Further, the unit will give students an understanding of relevant ethical concepts in relation to health inequalities, public health and health improvement. Students will explore the developments and challenges facing the global public health community in order that they appreciate the immediate relevance of public health issues. Research-led teaching will use case studies in cancer, coronary heart disease and ageing to illustrate the ideas and principles. In-depth knowledge will be developed around particularly pertinent health improvement areas, such as mental health, obesity and substance use, including consideration of life-course approaches to prevention. This unit will provide essential context to the skills and knowledge gained throughout the rest of the course.
10 weeks of campus-based lectures and workshops, plus an additional reading week and revision week. Where appropriate experts will be involved in lecture delivery, to provide expertise on key approaches or health topics. Workshops will provide the opportunity for students to explore lecture themes in more detail, and to apply them to examples through discussion and activities. Students will be expected to undertake self-directed learning alongside contact time. Self-directed study may include reading, accessing supplementary materials, critical analysis and completion of assignments.
Assessment for learning:
Ongoing checks on students’ understanding (e.g. using quizzes, peer-based question and answer, or e-voting using TurningPoint), will be incorporated into the teaching and learning material, to provide a means of testing progress as students advance through the unit (ILOs 1-10).
Summative Assessment:
Coursework: A written assignment will form 60% of the overall unit mark. It will be a 3,000 word essay. Students will be required to choose from a list of health improvement interventions (addressing key topics covered on the course) and write a critique of the intervention. (ILOs 1-10).
Closed book, unseen exam: The 1-hour exam will contribute 40% of the total unit mark. The exam will consist of short answer questions. (ILOs 1-10)
An overall score of 50% will be required to pass the unit.
Reading and References*
There is no compulsory unit text book.
Recommended Reading:
Further Reading