Foundations of Public Health Practice: The Public Health Approach (Coursera)

Designed for those new to the discipline, over four modules (intended for four weeks of learning), learners will become familiar with the scope, origins, ethics, principles and paradigms of public health practice. But there is also important foundational content for those coming from more experienced practitioner backgrounds. The 'Public Health Approach' is a phrase that is used widely to describe an up-stream, preventive, values-driven and evidence-based approach to improving population health. By the end of this course, learners will be confident with identifying and describing a wide range of public health challenges using the language and reference points of the public health profession.

The subsequent courses require the knowledge from this course, as learners will be introduced to the public health toolkit of health needs assessment and evaluation, before taking deeper dives into behaviour change and health protection.

Course 1 of 4 in the Foundations of Public Health Practice Specialization.

Syllabus

WEEK 1

Welcome to the course and Module 1: The public health approach

This first course, "The Public Health Approach", part of the wider Foundations of Public Health Practice specialisation, is designed to introduce learners to public health practice: whether new to the topic, or coming with a wealth of experience. This first module, entitled "Principles of Public Health Practice" introduces learners to the scope, origins and ethics of public health. The module begins reviewing different frameworks of public health that have been used, settling on a hybrid model comprising four domains: health improvement, health protection, healthcare public health and health intelligence. And this sets the scene and structure for the remainder of the specialisation. Learners are then taken through a very rapid and concise history of public health, before contrasting ideas of public health ethics with those of more traditional biomedicine.

WEEK 2

Welcome to Module 2: The wider determinants of health

This first course, "The Public Health Approach", part of the wider Foundations of Public Health Practice specialisation, is designed to introduce learners to public health practice: whether new to the topic, or coming with a wealth of experience. This second module, entitled "The Wider Determinants of Health" introduces the wider determinants paradigm: a very different and much broader world-view that recognises much more of the socio-cultural, economic and environmental influences on population and individual health. We introduce learners to the differing ideas of equality and equity and the centrality of combating health inequalities.

WEEK 3

Welcome to Module 3: Prevention and early identification

This first course, "The Public Health Approach", part of the wider Foundations of Public Health Practice specialisation, is designed to introduce learners to public health practice: whether new to the topic, or coming with a wealth of experience. This third module, entitled "Prevention and Early Identification" formalises understanding of prevention, early identification, resilience and screening. We also begin to explore ideas of strategy and policy and the skills needed for the aspiring professional.

WEEK 4

Welcome to Module 4: Politics and policy in public health

This first course, "The Public Health Approach", part of the wider Foundations of Public Health Practice specialisation, is designed to introduce learners to public health practice: whether new to the topic, or coming with a wealth of experience. This fourth and final module builds on the knowledge and understanding established in the prior three modules. This module focuses on the art of public health: examining how we work in political environments, with stakeholders and where a myriad of external influences and personal ideology combine.