The Public Health Approach course is the first instalment of the wider Foundations of Public Health Practice specialisation from Imperial College London's Global Master of Public Health (MPH). The scope and content of this course has been developed from the ground up by a combined team of academics and practitioners drawing on decades of real-world public health experience as well as deep academic knowledge. Through short video lectures, practitioner interviews and a wide range of interactive activities, learners will be immersed in the world of public health practice.
This course is part of the Foundations of Public Health Practice Specialization
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Foundations of Public Health Practice SpecializationImperial College LondonAbout this Course
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Course 1 of 4 in the
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Beginner Level
Approx. 12 hours to complete
English
Subtitles: English
Shareable Certificate
Earn a Certificate upon completion
100% online
Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.
Course 1 of 4 in the
Flexible deadlines
Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.
Beginner Level
Approx. 12 hours to complete
English
Subtitles: English
Offered by
Imperial College London
Imperial College London is a world top ten university with an international reputation for excellence in science, engineering, medicine and business. located in the heart of London. Imperial is a multidisciplinary space for education, research, translation and commercialisation, harnessing science and innovation to tackle global challenges.
Start working towards your Master's degree
This course is part of the 100% online Global Master of Public Health from Imperial College London.
If you are admitted to the full program, your courses count towards your degree learning.
Syllabus - What you will learn from this course
4 hours to complete
Welcome to the course and Module 1: The public health approach
This first course, "The Public Health Approach", part of the wider Foundations of Public Health Practice specialisation, is designed to introduce learners to public health practice: whether new to the topic, or coming with a wealth of experience. This first module, entitled "Principles of Public Health Practice" introduces learners to the scope, origins and ethics of public health. The module begins reviewing different frameworks of public health that have been used, settling on a hybrid model comprising four domains: health improvement, health protection, healthcare public health and health intelligence. And this sets the scene and structure for the remainder of the specialisation. Learners are then taken through a very rapid and concise history of public health, before contrasting ideas of public health ethics with those of more traditional biomedicine.
4 hours to complete
22 videos (Total 94 min), 10 readings, 2 quizzes
22 videos
Meet the Team (Optional): Samantha Alvarez Madrazo3m
Meet the Team (Optional): Katharine Collet3m
Meet the Team (Optional): Talia Boshari3m
Meet the Team (Optional): Carolyn Sharpe3m
Welcome to the course: The Public Health Approach1m
Breaking down public health: conceptual frameworks and the four domain model6m
An introduction to health improvement (domain 1)5m
An introduction to health protection (domain 2)5m
An introduction to healthcare public health (domain 3)4m
An introduction to health intelligence (domain 4)2m
Practitioner interview: the domains of public health, why are they important?1m
A history of public health: origins and genesis4m
A history of public health: the modern world5m
A movement for global health6m
International governance5m
What is ethics?5m
Ethics in public health practice2m
Utilitarianism in public health5m
An introduction to social justice5m
The challenge of autonomy in public health practice6m
Conclusion1m
10 readings
About Imperial College London & the FPHP Team5m
How to be successful in this course5m
Grading policy5m
Glossary5m
Examples of health improvement activities10m
Examples of health protection activities10m
Examples of healthcare public health activities10m
Examples of health intelligence activities30m
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)15m
A public health approach to ethics10m
2 practice exercises
Categorising public health initiatives30m
Ethics in public health practice20m
3 hours to complete
Welcome to Module 2: The wider determinants of health
This first course, "The Public Health Approach", part of the wider Foundations of Public Health Practice specialisation, is designed to introduce learners to public health practice: whether new to the topic, or coming with a wealth of experience. This second module, entitled "The Wider Determinants of Health" introduces the wider determinants paradigm: a very different and much broader world-view that recognises much more of the socio-cultural, economic and environmental influences on population and individual health. We introduce learners to the differing ideas of equality and equity and the centrality of combating health inequalities.
3 hours to complete
7 videos (Total 35 min), 5 readings, 3 quizzes
7 videos
Socio-economic status (SES)6m
Deprivation - a spatial measure4m
Equity and equality4m
Examples and implications of inequality6m
Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)5m
Conclusions2m
5 readings
The Marmot Report and the social determinants of health10m
Causal pathways and complexity in public health practice10m
International comparisons of SES10m
How deprivation is quantified10m
Deprivation: masking and the limitations of inference10m
3 practice exercises
The wider determinants30m
Socioeconomic Status15m
Deprivation20m
2 hours to complete
Welcome to Module 3: Prevention and early identification
This first course, "The Public Health Approach", part of the wider Foundations of Public Health Practice specialisation, is designed to introduce learners to public health practice: whether new to the topic, or coming with a wealth of experience. This third module, entitled "Prevention and Early Identification" formalises understanding of prevention, early identification, resilience and screening. We also begin to explore ideas of strategy and policy and the skills needed for the aspiring professional.
2 hours to complete
8 videos (Total 38 min), 2 readings, 1 quiz
8 videos
Resilience3m
Introducing screening: definition and approaches4m
The epidemiological implications of screening5m
Risks, bias and consequences of screening6m
The Wilson-Jungner Criteria for screening programmes7m
Practitioner interview: Screening in practice4m
Conclusion2m
2 readings
Prevention and early intervention10m
Improving awareness and uptake of screening programmes30m
1 practice exercise
Screening20m
3 hours to complete
Welcome to Module 4: Politics and policy in public health
This first course, "The Public Health Approach", part of the wider Foundations of Public Health Practice specialisation, is designed to introduce learners to public health practice: whether new to the topic, or coming with a wealth of experience. This fourth and final module builds on the knowledge and understanding established in the prior three modules. This module focuses on the art of public health: examining how we work in political environments, with stakeholders and where a myriad of external influences and personal ideology combine.
3 hours to complete
8 videos (Total 30 min), 2 readings, 1 quiz
8 videos
Practitioner interview: Power and politics4m
Sources of power and types of authority in public health practice4m
Approaches to influencing effectively3m
Stakeholder mapping and influencing4m
Stakeholder mapping and influencing3m
Practitioner interview: Working with stakeholders2m
Conclusion to the course1m
2 readings
Where do you stand politically?15m
Collaborating in public health: the example of climate change10m
About the Foundations of Public Health Practice Specialization
This specialisation will enable you to reflect on and cultivate the behaviours you require to become an effective public health professional –whether as an academic, practitioner, clinician, manager or leader.The specialisation is shaped into four courses covering the origins of public health, health improvement, behaviour change, and health protection. The specialisation will draw upon learning from the Statistics for Public Health and Epidemiology for Public Health specialisations, and builds the foundations of public health knowledge.
By the end of this specialisation, you will be able to:
1.Use the principles which underpin public health as a discipline in order to articulate public health objectives;
2.Critically analyse public health challenges using data and health intelligence in order to characterise need and prioritise actions for key stakeholders
3.Devise effective interventions using behaviour change theory and other public health approaches in order to improve population health outcomes;
4.Assess both operational and strategic health protection threats in order to recommend appropriate management actions to relevant parties;
5.Reflect upon one's own professional skills, attitudes, and behaviours in order to improve leadership capability and personal effectiveness in public healthpractice;
6.Apply appropriate health protection, health improvement and disease prevention interventions in order to improve public health programmes.
Frequently Asked Questions
When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?
Once you enroll for a Certificate, you’ll have access to all videos, quizzes, and programming assignments (if applicable). Peer review assignments can only be submitted and reviewed once your session has begun. If you choose to explore the course without purchasing, you may not be able to access certain assignments.
What will I get if I subscribe to this Specialization?
When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. Your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free.
What is the refund policy?
If you subscribed, you get a 7-day free trial during which you can cancel at no penalty. After that, we don’t give refunds, but you can cancel your subscription at any time. See our full refund policy.
Is financial aid available?
Yes, Coursera provides financial aid to learners who cannot afford the fee. Apply for it by clicking on the Financial Aid link beneath the "Enroll" button on the left. You'll be prompted to complete an application and will be notified if you are approved. You'll need to complete this step for each course in the Specialization, including the Capstone Project. Learn more.
More questions? Visit the Learner Help Center.