096337 Foundations of Healthcare Systems

Warning: The information on this page is indicative. The subject outline for a particular session, location and mode of offering is the authoritative source of all information about the subject for that offering. Required texts, recommended texts and references in particular are likely to change. Students will be provided with a subject outline once they enrol in the subject.

Subject handbook information prior to 2025 is available in the Archives.

Description

In this subject, students will explore the key components and workings of healthcare systems, focusing on the Australian healthcare system. The course will cover how health systems are built, how they change over time, and how they operate. Students will gain the skills needed to lead and make a difference in the healthcare sector.

Key areas of study include:

1. Structure and Function: Understanding the organization and roles within the Australian health and social care systems.

2. Service Delivery: Learning how health and social services are provided and the challenges faced.

3. Policy and Governance: Examining how policies and governance impact healthcare delivery and outcomes.

4. Health Inequities: Investigating how the structure, policies, and delivery of health services contribute to unequal health outcomes for different groups, especially Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

5. Equity and Access: Reflecting on the barriers to and enablers of equitable access to health and social care.

6. Intersectionality: Understanding how various social categories like age, disability, mental health, location, socioeconomic status, refugee status, and migrant status intersect to influence health outcomes.

By the end of the subject, students will be able to critically assess healthcare systems and suggest meaningful ways to address health inequities.