Health Sciences 3400A/B Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Health Policy, School Hygiene, Childhood Obesity

• School: Western University
• Department: Health Sciences
• Course: Health Sciences 3400A/B
• Professor: Kathleen Gamble

Document Summary

Numerous definitions policy, public policy, health policy . Public policy a course of action or inaction chosen by public authorities [government] Medical, social, political, and transport policy to address a given problem or interrelated set of problems (pal, 2010, p. 2) We"re going to look at health policy and public policy. Health policy is assumed to embrace courses of action (or inaction) that affect the set of institutions, organizations, service, and funding arrangements of the health and health care system. It includes policy made by the public sector (government) as well as policies in the private sector. But because health is influenced by many determinants outside the health system, we are also interested in the actions and intended actions of organizations external to the health system that impact on health (p. 6-7) Health policy refers to decisions, plans, and actions that are undertaken to achieve specific health care goals within a society.