Introduction to Public Health Policy

While medicine is concerned with the health of individuals, public health is about the well-being of entire communities. In this course we will discuss the philosophical, economic, and political drivers of domestic and international public health policy, as well as gain an introduction to the quantitative tools used in the field. Current events and examples in the media, as well as classic case studies, will provide the basis for discussions and readings. Specific public health topics include immunizations, access to medical care, environmental racism, risk perception, and bioterrorism. Quantitative tools include basic economics principles, decision science, and epidemiology.