INTHE4119 – Evidence Informed Health Policy

Course content

This course explores health policy making as a process from an analytical point of view and from a normative perspective; how can we understand public policy processes, how can and should research findings be utilised to inform policies?

A normative framework for evidence informed health policy will be explored. Its strengths and weaknesses will be examined and related to debates about the role of research, what evidence is and how research and researchers can inform policies.

The course will focus on policies related to governance, financial and delivery arrangements within health systems, and implementation of these. The course will through examples and case based group work introduce an approach to making policy briefs based on research evidence.

Learning outcome

Knowledge

You will:

  • understand and critically reflect on framework for public policy making and evidence informed health policy
  • understand and discuss evaluation methods and methods for analyzing the effectiveness and impact of interventions

Skills

You will be able to:

  • systematically search for, identify and assess systematic reviews of the effectiveness of health system interventions
  • critically analyze systematic reviews and policy briefs that address strategies to improve health systems
  • analyze and describe options for addressing a health policy relevant issue
  • develop policy briefs where a health policy problem and options for addressing it are informed by evidence from research

General Competence

  • You will be able to reflect on and critically assess how health policies and reform are developed and informed by research findings and reflect on the ethical implications of how interests and stakeholders are involved

Admission

Students enrolled at the M.Phil in International Community Health programme will get first priority to the course, as long as they register before 10 January. The deadline for register in Studentweb and apply for courses is February 1.

Students enrolled in other Master's degree programmes at the UIO can, on application to helsam-studentinfo@helsam.uio.no, be admitted to the course if this is cleared by their own study programme. We prioritize students at other programmes at the Institute and Faculty. You will get an answer latest 20 January.

External applicants, not already enrolled as a student at UIO, are welcome to apply. Please fill out the form at /english/studies/programmes/ichealth-master/admission/ to check if you meet the requirements and which documents to you need to provide. In short you need to provide:

  • A completed Bachelor’s degree or a period of study comparable with a Norwegian Bachelor's degree from a recognised institution.
  • A minimum grade point average (GPA) of C (in Norwegian scale) or equivalent from the specialization in your degree.
  • A English language test of a certain level.
  • The applicants must have a specialization either within health sciences or social sciences.

To apply, please email helsam-studentinfo@helsam.uio.no before 10 January with all the relevant documents (see the link above). Applicants who have not attached all the nessecary documents will not get admission. 

Note: all documents must be official certified copies

Read more about admission for international applicants

You will get an answer latest 20 January.