American Health Care System for Health Communicators MET CM 750

Overview: A vital component of the Health Communication curriculum, this course explores the health care system in terms of 1) communication within organizations, resources, and processes that constitute structure and operations; 2) relationships among stakeholders that shape it; and 3) resulting policies that impact system performance and influence the future of health care. Given the complexity and dynamics of the health care environment, an understanding of related issues at all levels is essential for effective communication and prevention of error within health care organizations. Without it, organizations must react defensively to environmental and political threats, often at the expense of patient safety and well-being; with it, organizations can act strategically to maximize growth opportunities and anticipate those forces that influence policy. The course draws upon multiple perspectives, including health communication in medicine and public health, health management (access, quality, and cost), politics, healthcare ethics, law, and the complexities of cross-cultural and psychosocial considerations within today’s healthcare system. (4 cr.)

Course Benefits:
Students enrolled in the American Health Care System for Health Communicators will:

  • Attain an appreciation of both the traditional and evolving roles of communications specialists and the needs of contemporary health care providers in serving today’s health care consumer;
  • Participate in online discussion groups and a virtual town hall meeting in which they will share professional and personal experiences with faculty, facilitators, and invited experts;
  • Observe the field of health care management, systems, and operations from different vantage points;
  • Explore the challenges faced by the Obama administration and Health Care Reform in today’s complex and diverse health care environments;
  • Differentiate between traditional primary care and hospital-based paradigms and  more preventive, out-patient and retail business models found in today’s rapidly changing health care system;
  • Identify the expanding role and impact of health information technology and informatics on the public in areas of prevention, intervention, patient safety, and evaluation.
  • Understand the important relationship between effective health communication and the prevention of medical errors;
  • recognize the growing trends and implications of transparency, mandatory reporting, and the electronic medical record in the American health care system.
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