Participatory Approaches in Public Health Specialization

Participatory Approaches in Public Health Specialization

Applying Participatory Approaches in Public Health. Evaluate different participatory tools, critique the role of social-cultural factors in health contexts, and design an approach to public health challenges which is participatory in nature.

Instructors: Helen Ward

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3 course series

Get in-depth knowledge of a subject

4.4

(22 reviews)

Beginner level

Recommended experience

2 months

at 10 hours a week

Flexible schedule

Learn at your own pace

3 course series

Get in-depth knowledge of a subject

4.4

(22 reviews)

Beginner level

Recommended experience

2 months

at 10 hours a week

Flexible schedule

Learn at your own pace

Skills you'll gain

Details to know

Shareable certificate

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Taught in English

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Specialization - 3 course series

This specialisation guides learners through the process of designing an appropriate participatory approach to a given public health challenge, focusing on the history, theory and practice of participatory approaches to public health. You'll gain an understanding of the impact of social and cultural contexts in which public health programmes exist, as well as, why participatory approaches could better assist in meeting the population’s needs and solving certain health-related challenges.

Applied Learning Project

Learners will develop a proposal for a Participatory Action Research (PAR) project, conduct a stakeholder analysis, provide a rationale of why some voices can be left out, and engage in a test which assesses their comprehension of public involvement in research.

Introduction to Participatory Approaches in Public Health

Course 118 hours4.5 (12 ratings)

What you'll learn

This course will introduce you to participatory approaches to public health. You will learn about the history of participatory health research and why it is essential to solving contemporary public health challenges. The course will help you to understand the social and cultural context of public health, before introducing you to essential concepts for working with communities: knowledge and power. Finally, you will engage with critical analyses of participatory approaches, to help you to determine if and when such strategies are appropriate. Throughout the course you will analyse real-world case studies of community-based health projects, including historical HIV social movements, public health projects with sex workers, and participatory approaches to the COVID-19 pandemic. The course will equip you to practice public health in partnership with local communities. It is followed by a second course, Applying Participatory Approaches in Public Health Settings, which builds upon the theoretical foundations of this introductory course.

Skills you'll gain

Category: Collaboration

Applying Participatory Approaches in Public Health Settings

Course 225 hours

What you'll learn

This course specifically explores approaches and tools and how to apply them in public health settings. Students will learn how to critically analyse the power dynamics present between multidisciplinary stakeholders and appreciate the need for reciprocity between those delivering and those receiving health care; between both those conducting and those participating in research. They will also learn how to select and evaluate different participatory approaches to apply these to public health programmes and/or research. Tools with which to do this include undertaking a stakeholder-mapping exercise and needs assessment, including a critical and reasoned narrative to justify the approach.

While this course, as with the rest of the specialisation, focuses on public health and ways of involving citizens and patients in programmes and research, these concepts apply to other disciplines too. So, you don't have to be a public health specialist or work in healthcare to gain insight from this course. If you would like to learn more about the theories and core principles of participation within a public health context, we suggest taking Introduction to Participatory Approaches in Public Health. If you're planning a research project and want to learn more about participation in resaerchs, explore our course Public Involvement in Research.

Public Involvement in Research

Course 316 hours4.6 (18 ratings)

What you'll learn

This course focuses on participatory approaches in research, known as 'public involvement' in the UK. You'll specifically, consider why citizens and patients would be involved in research and explore participatory approaches across and within the research cycle in more detail, diving into questions such as:

- what kinds of participation can be undertaken at each of the 7 stages of the cycle? - how can you utilise participation in research? - what examples of using participatory approaches exist in research? While this course, as with the rest of the specialisation, focuses on public health and ways of involving citizens and patients across and within the research cycle, these concepts apply to other disciplines and kinds of research too. So, you don't have to be a public health specialist or work in healthcare to gain insight from this course. If you would like to learn more about the theories and core principles of participation within a public health context, we suggest taking Introduction to Participatory Approaches in Public Health. If you're planning a research project and want to include participatory approaches, explore our course Applying Participatory Approaches in Public Health Settings.

Instructors

Helen Ward

Imperial College London

9 Courses161,955 learners

Offered by

Imperial College London

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Frequently asked questions

You do not have to take these courses in a specific order, however, we would recommend studying them in sequence (1-3). This is in order that you first gain a deeper understanding of the theories and core principles behind participatory approaches in healthcare.

We do not assume a prior knowledge of Participatory Approaches for any of the courses in this Specialization. However, as a learner, we would expect students to be able to understand and apply the concepts and methodologies which are core to each course.

The three courses within this Specialization require the learner to be able to read widely on various topics, critically analyse, and contextualise the material in the learning experience.

This course is completely online, so there’s no need to show up to a classroom in person. You can access your lectures, readings and assignments anytime and anywhere via the web or your mobile device.

Yes! To get started, click the course card that interests you and enroll. You can enroll and complete the course to earn a shareable certificate, or you can audit it to view the course materials for free. When you subscribe to a course that is part of a Specialization, you’re automatically subscribed to the full Specialization. Visit your learner dashboard to track your progress.