PH-151 Intro Pacific Health Care Systems & Traditional Medicine

Course Description: This course presents various health care systems in the Pacific and the special contexts under which these systems operate.  It provides an overview of health service organization, traditional medicine, western medicine, utilization of health services and other contemporary issues related to health.  The course offers an insight into management theories, management of the environment and organizational cultures.  The fundamentals of traditional medicine are discussed and reviewed with particular emphasis on the Micronesian traditions and practice, wherever applicable.

A. PROGRAM LEARNING OUTCOMES (PLOs):

The student will be able to:

1. Recognize, describe and discuss the basic public health science facts and principles;
2. List and discuss the essential public health functions and their interrelationships at community and district level;
3. Describe and discuss adult, children and family health issues;
4. Discuss and demonstrate an understanding and practice of some generic public health competencies;
5. Demonstrate proper public health skills for public health practice in the community as a state or local public health officer;
6. Discuss and demonstrate community and cultural sensitivity in the health care environment;
7. Describe and discuss the health determinants and problems of adults, children and families;
8. Demonstrate proper cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and first aid techniques;
9. Demonstrate the ability and discuss how to make a community diagnosis based on the determinants of health;
10. Identify and demonstrate good public health practice; and
11. Have had work experience at a public health facility at community and district levels.

B. STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES (SLOs)- GENERAL:

The student will be able to:

1. Explain the basic concepts and principles of health and health care systems
2. Identify the components and the types of health care systems in the Pacific
3. Explain the role of traditional medicine and its contribution to contemporary health care in Micronesia and in the Pacific
4. Demonstrate understanding of the practice of PHC in Pacific communities and the importance of community participation in the delivery of health services
5. Explain the interrelationship between food, health and development in the Pacific

 

SLO	PLO1	PLO2	PLO3	PLO4	PLO5	PLO6	PLO7	PLO8	PLO9	PLO10	PLO11
SLO1	ID	ID
SLO2	ID	ID
SLO3	ID	ID		ID	ID	ID
SLO4	ID	ID
SLO5	ID	ID		ID	ID	ID

C. STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES (SLOs) – SPECIFIC:

The student will be able to:

General SLO 1. Explain the basic concepts and principles of health and health care systems.

Student Learning Outcome

Assessment Strategies

1.1. Define and explain the following terms: illness, disease, health, determinants, health care systems, and community health workers. 1.2. List and describe different states of well-being. 1.3. List the limitations of the measurements of health. 1.4. Describe the purposes of a health care system. 1.5. Describe the relationship between poverty and health;   between health, development and environment. 1.6. Identify the important health issues in the pacific. 1.7. Explain the factors contributing to the utilization of health care systems. 1.8. List the characteristics of disasters and their effects on health care systems.

Group discussions and oral reports to be graded according to a specified rubric Individual assignment Direct and multiple choice questions in examinations and quizzes

General SLO 2. Identify the components and the types of health care systems in the Pacific.

Student Learning Outcome

Assessment Strategies

2.1. List the components and the determinants of a health care system. 2.2. List and describe the different types of national health care systems. 2.3. Describe the relationship between health care systems and the physical and social environments. 2.4. Explain how health determinants may affect the types of national health care systems. 2.5. Describe the role of Western medicine in the Pacific health care systems. 2.6. Identify the types of health care systems in Micronesia and the Pacific.

Group discussions and oral reports to be graded according to a specified rubric Direct and multiple choice questions in examinations and quizzes

General SLO 3. Explain the role of traditional medicine and its contribution to contemporary health care in Micronesia and in the Pacific.

Student Learning Outcome

Assessment Strategies

3.1. Define traditional medicine and list the different synonyms. 3.2. Identify the important concepts in the practice of traditional medicine. 3.3. Explain why traditional medicine has been discouraged, at times. 3.4. Identify some possible reservations for accepting traditional medicine in a scientific society. 3.5. Give examples of traditional medicine practice in Micronesia and in the Pacific.

Group discussions and oral reports to be graded according to a specified rubric Individual assignment Direct and multiple choice questions in examinations and quizes

General SLO 4. Demonstrate understanding of the practice of PHC in Pacific communities and the importance of community participation in the delivery of health services.

Student Learning Outcome	Assessment Strategies
4.1. Describe PHC practices. 4.2. Identify the significance of and the issues related to community participation.	Groups discussions and oral reports to be graded according to a specified rubric Direct and multiple choice questions in examinations and quizzes

General SLO 5. Explain the interrelationship between food, health and development in the Pacific.

Student Learning Outcome

Assessment Strategies

5.1.   List the food-related factors that affect health. 5.2.   Explain what is post-harvest food loss. 5.3.   List the food policy options for a community. 5.4.   Explain the relationship between health and productivity. 5.5.   Explain the economic fallacy of development that is not oriented to health. 5.6.   Identify the illnesses due to food problems. 5.7.   Suggest ways to avoid premature deaths and disabilities. 5.8.   List ways of improving access to traditional food. 5.9.   Suggest a dietary guideline appropriate to a given village or community.

Group discussions and oral reports to be graded according to a specified rubric Individual assignments Direct and multiple choice questions in examinations and quizzes

D. COURSE CONTENTS

1. Health, Illness and Disease
2. Overview of Health Care Systems
3. Traditional Medicine – A Part of the Health System
4. Western Medicine and the Pacific Health Care Systems
5. The Organization of Health Services
6. Food, Health and Development
7. Disasters and the Health Care System
8. Primary Health Care in the Pacific
9. Community Participation and the Health Care System

E. MEATHODS OF INSTRUCTIONAL

1. Lectures: in-class lectures, followed by group discussions and activities relevant to the topics presented.
2. Group presentations: students’ presentations on selected readings and group discussion/ activities.
3. Field trip: to visit at least one community project on Pohnpei.

F. REQUIRED TEXT(S) AND COURSE MATERIALS

None

G. REFERENCE MATERIALS

1. Read M. (2003) Culture, health and disease., Routledge. (or most recent edition)
2. Bates E. (1983) Health systems and public scrutiny. Sydney, Australia: Croom Helm. (or most recent edition)
3. Parsons CD. (1995) Healing practices in the south pacific Honolulu, Hawaii: Institute for Polynesian Studies, Hawaii. (or most recent edition)
4. Roemer MI. (1977) Comparative national policies on health care. New York, NY:  Marcel Dekker, Inc. (or most recent edition)
5. The World Health Organization (1998).  Traditional medicine.  Geneva: WHO. (or most recent edition)

H. INSTRUCTIONAL COST

None

I. EVALUATION

None

J. CREDIT-BY-EXAMINATION

None