Topics in the course include the measurement of access and examination indicators of access over time and across states and constituent groups. The determinants of access including age, race, ethnicity, income, insurance and health risk are presented. Current topics in access are integrated into the course. These include racial disparities, immigrant status, geographic variation, the uninsured and access under Medicaid.

Prerequisites: HPM 501, HPM 510, HPM 521, HPM 522, HPM 523, HPM 561 or 557 and HPM 576. This class will teach students how to conduct public health policy analyses that examine options to address emerging issues, conduct analysis of the options and communicate recommendations.

Description Prerequisites: HPM 501, HPM 510, HPM 521, HPM 522, HPM 523, HPM 561 or 557. Students will learn how to use the tools of economics, statistics, and decision analysis to predict the impact of yet-to-be enacted state and federal policy changes. Topics covered include market failures, cost-benefit analysis, interpretation of results from observational studies, discounting, inflation adjustment, measurement of willingness-to-pay, and writing for non-technical audiences. During the course of the semester, students will develop a policy analysis on a topic of their choosing. Some examples of topics covered in students' analyses include: caps on non-economic damages in malpractice suits, mandated coverage of contraceptives by insurance plans, abortion bans, and increases in tobacco excise taxes.

This course provides an overview of mental health services and policy by exploring the complex and dynamic relationship between general health, mental health, and public health in the United States. Students taking the class will learn how to apply a systems perspective to understanding both mental health and general health care delivery in the United States.

The seminar introduces the health services research process, research design issues, ethical problems faced by researchers and the development of the MSPH thesis. Enrollment is limited to students admitted to the MSPH in health policy and health services research.

Prerequisite: HPM 581, 730. The seminar provides HPM MSPH students with the guidance necessary for developing a quantitatively-based thesis using large secondary data sets. It begins with development of a researchable health policy question and the selection of appropriate databases and operational definitions. Enrollment is limited to students admitted to the MSPH in health policy research.

The course is an introduction to SAS software with a focus on organizing and merging large databases for purposes applying statistical analysis. The course complements the introduction to SAS in the BIOS 500 lab. Enrollment is limited to students in the HPM MSPH program.

Prerequisite: HPM 585 and BIOS 500. This course introduces student the STATA software with a focus on using the software for statistical analysis for data which has been organized using the SAS software. The course builds on the concepts intro in BIOS 500 and concludes with regression analysis. Enrollment is limited to students admitted to the HPM MSPH program or permission of the instructor is required.

Prerequisite: HPM 730, 586. The course provides the opportunity for students to explore in depth the major research methods used in health policy research. The emphasis is on employing methods which are consistent with the limitations of study data and study assumptions. Enrollment is limited to students admitted to the MSPH in health policy research or the HPM doctoral program.

The purpose of this seminar is to a) enhance students' skills in critical analysis and evaluation of public mental health research; b) advance students' foundational knowledge of current mental health problems and potential solutions using a multi-disciplinary approach; c) improve students' presentation and group facilitation skills; and d) provide a forum for interaction between students, faculty and professionals with interest and expertise in public mental health. This course is the core course for the Certificate in Mental Health. Offered each spring, any current first year student enrolled in the MPH or MSPH program at RSPH that plans to pursue the Certificate in Mental Health must enroll in BSHE 592/HPM 592. Participating certificate students will be identified based on their enrollment in this course.