The goal of this course is to build on basic understandings of the structure, financing, and regulation of the American health care system to explore the everyday implications to the clinical practice of medicine and provision of health care. The course will look to explain the effects of current policies on clinical practice as well as examine the future implications presented by the newly enacted health care reform legislation. The course will take a practical perspective on the opportunities and constraints placed on providers and health care systems as they attempt to balance cost, quality, and access. Specific areas of current practice to be discussed are the payment of physicians (including fee-for-service, capitation, pay for performance, and the promoted promise of accountable care organizations), medical malpractice and patient safety, cost-effectiveness analysis, end-of-life care, and patient behavior modification. Prior exposure to health policy via other coursework in the policy school, law school, social service administration, or medical school is helpful but not necessarily required.
