Utilizing Systems Thinking in Public Health

Catalog description

The purpose of this course is to introduce MPH students to concepts of systems thinking and demonstrate how it may be used in public health policy with applications to community health, environmental health, and healthcare administration. Many health problems are intertwined and connected in a series of complex relationships. Failure to understand these relationships may lead to unintended consequences. The process of developing a system model far outweighs the actual model itself. In this process, professionals and lay people reach across discipline boundaries and each make contributions to understanding the nature of the problem and its system components, which will present opportunities for policies and interventions. The model development process engages a multitude of skills, perspectives, and tacit knowledge that incorporates the reality of socioeconomic relationships, political structure, and social institutions.