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There are 4 modules in this course
The Public Health Approach course is the first instalment of the wider Foundations of Public Health Practice specialisation from Imperial College London's Global Master of Public Health (MPH). The scope and content of this course has been developed from the ground up by a combined team of academics and practitioners drawing on decades of real-world public health experience as well as deep academic knowledge. Through short video lectures, practitioner interviews and a wide range of interactive activities, learners will be immersed in the world of public health practice.
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.
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.
Meet the Team (Optional): Richard Pinder•3 minutes
Meet the Team (Optional): Samantha Alvarez Madrazo•4 minutes
Meet the Team (Optional): Katharine Collet•3 minutes
Meet the Team (Optional): Talia Boshari•4 minutes
Meet the Team (Optional): Carolyn Sharpe•3 minutes
Welcome to the course: The Public Health Approach•2 minutes
Breaking down public health: conceptual frameworks and the four domain model•7 minutes
An introduction to health improvement (domain 1)•6 minutes
An introduction to health protection (domain 2)•5 minutes
An introduction to healthcare public health (domain 3)•4 minutes
An introduction to health intelligence (domain 4)•2 minutes
Practitioner interview: the domains of public health, why are they important?•2 minutes
A history of public health: origins and genesis•5 minutes
A history of public health: the modern world•6 minutes
A movement for global health•7 minutes
International governance•5 minutes
What is ethics?•6 minutes
Ethics in public health practice•3 minutes
Utilitarianism in public health•6 minutes
An introduction to social justice•6 minutes
The challenge of autonomy in public health practice•6 minutes
Conclusion•1 minute
10 readings•Total 105 minutes
About Imperial College London & the FPHP Team•5 minutes
How to be successful in this course•5 minutes
Grading policy•5 minutes
Glossary•5 minutes
Examples of health improvement activities•10 minutes
Examples of health protection activities•10 minutes
Examples of healthcare public health activities•10 minutes
Examples of health intelligence activities•30 minutes
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)•15 minutes
A public health approach to ethics•10 minutes
2 assignments•Total 50 minutes
Ethics in public health practice•20 minutes
Categorising public health initiatives•30 minutes
3 discussion prompts•Total 30 minutes
Nice to meet you!•10 minutes
What is public health?•10 minutes
SDGs: Where are we now?•10 minutes
Welcome to Module 2: The wider determinants of health
Module 2•3 hours to complete
Module details
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.
Introducing the wider determinants of health•6 minutes
Socio-economic status (SES)•7 minutes
Deprivation - a spatial measure•4 minutes
Equity and equality•4 minutes
Examples and implications of inequality•7 minutes
Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)•6 minutes
Conclusions•2 minutes
5 readings•Total 60 minutes
The Marmot Report and the social determinants of health•10 minutes
Causal pathways and complexity in public health practice•10 minutes
International comparisons of SES•15 minutes
How deprivation is quantified•10 minutes
Deprivation: masking and the limitations of inference•15 minutes
3 assignments•Total 65 minutes
Socioeconomic Status•15 minutes
Deprivation•20 minutes
The wider determinants•30 minutes
3 discussion prompts•Total 40 minutes
What influences your health and wellbeing?•10 minutes
Understanding deprivation•10 minutes
Identifying inequalities•20 minutes
2 plugins•Total 5 minutes
Poll: What determines your health?•3 minutes
Results: What determines your health?•2 minutes
Welcome to Module 3: Prevention and early identification
Module 3•2 hours to complete
Module details
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.
What's included
8 videos2 readings1 assignment1 discussion prompt
Show info about module content
8 videos•Total 38 minutes
Prevention and early intervention•5 minutes
Resilience•3 minutes
Introducing screening: definition and approaches•5 minutes
The epidemiological implications of screening•5 minutes
Risks, bias and consequences of screening•6 minutes
The Wilson-Jungner Criteria for screening programmes•7 minutes
Practitioner interview: Screening in practice•4 minutes
The Prevention Paradox & Conclusion•2 minutes
2 readings•Total 40 minutes
Prevention and early intervention•10 minutes
Improving awareness and uptake of screening programmes•30 minutes
1 assignment•Total 20 minutes
Screening•20 minutes
1 discussion prompt•Total 15 minutes
Example of a screening programme•15 minutes
Welcome to Module 4: Politics and policy in public health
Module 4•3 hours to complete
Module details
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.
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Learner reviews
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SW
5·
Reviewed on Mar 25, 2021
Excellent introduction to Public Health, content well presented and laid out. I find it very easy to follow and the concepts well explained.
O
OA
4·
Reviewed on Sep 24, 2020
Great course.Very good organisation of study materials. However, certain topics were not adequately explained to my understanding. Wonderful teachers, thumbs up.
D
DS
5·
Reviewed on Apr 16, 2020
This course was very informative and very interesting. I really enjoyed learning about Public Health and thought the instructors did a great job!
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To access the course materials, assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience when you enroll in a course. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid. The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.
What will I get if I subscribe to this Specialization?
When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. Your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile.
Is financial aid available?
Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.