Topic 1: Health Policy: Choose one Social Determinant of Health (some examples: income, housing, education, geographic location, etc.) and discuss how policy in this area helps or hinders the health of Canadians. Consider the following questions: How do Canada’s policies influence health? How do current political and economic systems shape public policies? How can policies be improved to ensure people experience the social determinants of health equitably?
Topic 2: Health Management: Identify one main issue that needs to be addressed in Canada’s health care system (some examples: wait times, drug costs, access to service, long-term care needs, etc.). How did this issue develop? What historical and political conditions contributed to its development? Why is this issue important? According to the academic literature, what are some proposed solutions?
Topic 3: Health Informatics: Discuss the essential features of an electronic health record system. Discuss Canada’s current progress in developing such a system. What are some
barriers to instituting an electronic health record approach in Canada? How can these barriers be addressed?
Conduct a literature search of academic journal articles and government and agency reports pertaining to the topic that you have chosen. Identify 4-5 relevant, current articles and additional resources which discuss the topic.
Prepare a draft of your paper using the following format:
- Cover Page: Includes a working title, course details, due date, your name and student number, name of your tutorial leader, and tutorial group number. The cover page does not count in the total page count.
- Section 1: Introduction: Identify the topic or issue that will be discussed. Explain briefly why this topic warrants discussion. Make a clear thesis statement indicating precisely what you intend to discuss in your paper. (e.g. problem, dilemma, concern).
- Section 2: Background and context: Provide some history and background to your topic. Why is this an issue and how did it evolve? Are there specific policies or historical moments that have contributed to the issue’s development?
- Sections 3 – 5: Discussion: Discuss specific facets of the issue. Areas of discussion include, but are not limited to: Who does the issue involve (e.g. key stakeholders such as the public, government and healthcare organizations)? What has already been done to try and address this issue? What are obstacles to its resolution? Are there any success stories in this area? In which direction are policy-makers moving to address this issue in an ongoing way? What are the implications for the public and policy makers? Etc.
Sample Solution
