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Teaching Prevention: An Interdisciplinary Approach to Improving Population Health through Law and Policy

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2021

Elizabeth Tobin Tyler
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Abstract

This interdisciplinary course, which included students from medicine, public health, law, and public policy, explored the concept of “prevention” and the role of law and public policy preventing disease and injury and improving population health. In addition to interdisciplinary course content, students worked in interdisciplinary teams on public health law and policy projects at community organizations and agencies.

Type
Symposium Articles
Information
Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics , Volume 44 , Issue S1: Transforming the Future of Public Health Law Education through a Faculty Fellowship Program , Spring 2016 , pp. 62 - 68
Copyright
Copyright © American Society of Law, Medicine and Ethics 2016

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References

Institute of Medicine, Primary Care and Public Health: Exploring Integration to Improve Population Health (2012), available at <http://iom.nationalacademies.org/Activities/PublicHealth/PrimaryCarePublicHealth.aspx> (last visited January 19, 2016).+(last+visited+January+19,+2016).>Google Scholar
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See, for example, Institute of Medicine, Interprofessional Education for Collaboration: Learning How to Improve Health from Interprofessional Models Across the Continuum of Education to Practice (2013), available at <https://iom.nation-alacademies.org/Reports/2013/Interprofessional-Education-for-Collaboration.aspx> (last visited January 20, 2016).+(last+visited+January+20,+2016).>Google Scholar
The increase in the number of joint J.D.-M.P.H. programs in the past decade indicates a growing trend toward joint public health and law content. See The Network for Public Health Law, Findings from the Network for Public Health Law J.D/M.P.H Survey, available at <https://www.networkforphl.org/_asset/rcxb6w/> (last visited January 20, 2016).+(last+visited+January+20,+2016).>Google Scholar
See Polsky, C., Stagg, K., Gakh, M., and Bozlak, C. T., “The Health in All Policies (HiAP) Approach and the Law: Preliminary Lessons from California and Chicago,” Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics 43, no. 1 Supp. (2015): 52–55.Google Scholar
See generally Scott, C., “Transforming the Future of Public Health Law Education through a Faculty Fellowship Program,” Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics 44, no. 1, Supp. (2016): 6–17.Google Scholar
The final course enrollment consisted of: three Brown University master’s in public health students; three Brown University upper-level public health law undergraduate students (at Brown upper-level undergraduate students may receive permission to take graduate level courses); three Brown University master’s in public policy students; one Brown University fourth-year medical student; and two Roger Williams University law students.Google Scholar
For the syllabus for this course, see Network for Public Health Law, “Public Health Law Faculty Teaching Resources,” available at <https://www.networkforphl.org/faculty_teaching_resources/> (last visited January 20, 2016) (this site is password protected; faculty may request a password from the Network on the site) (see “Prevention: Medicine, Public Health, Law and Policy” in the Syllabi section of this website).+(last+visited+January+20,+2016)+(this+site+is+password+protected;+faculty+may+request+a+password+from+the+Network+on+the+site)+(see+“Prevention:+Medicine,+Public+Health,+Law+and+Policy”+in+the+Syllabi+section+of+this+website).>Google Scholar
For examples of case studies, see Network for Public Health Law, supra note 9, in the Case Studies section of this website at “SNAP Benefits: Policy Options for Improving Nutrition and Reducing Obesity”; “Healthy Housing Case Study”; and “Gun Violence, Public Health, and Mental Illness.”Google Scholar
The agencies and organizations were: (1) the Division of Community and Family Health and Equity at the Rhode Island Department of Health; (2) the Rhode Island Alliance for Healthy Homes; (3) the Center for Prisoner Health and Human Rights; and (4) the City of Providence Healthy Communities Office.Google Scholar
For the “Project Template,” see Network for Public Health Law, supra note 9, at “Initial and Final Assessments, Team Charter, Mid-Semester Review, Project Template, and Final Course Evaluation” in the Other section of this website.Google Scholar
Id. (see “Initial Assessment”).Google Scholar
Id. (see “Team Charter” and “Mid-semester Team Review”). I am indebted to Professor Linda Morton from California Western School of Law for sharing resources she has developed for interdisciplinary teaching and team projects. I relied heavily on these resources in designing materials for this course.Google Scholar
Students were assigned a particular role to play in drafting and presenting their testimony to a state legislative committee. These included a range of roles such as a pharmaceutical company representative, a parent, a women’s health physician, and a civil liberties organization representative, among others.Google Scholar
See the course syllabus, supra note 9.Google Scholar
The student evaluations from which the quotes in this essay are excerpted are on file with the author. Permission has been granted to reproduce them in this essay.Google Scholar
See “Initial Assessment,” supra note 13.Google Scholar
See “Final Assessment,” supra note 12.Google Scholar
These questions were designed in collaboration with other fellows: Heather McCabe, Jennifer Herbst, and Sarah Davis.Google Scholar
See “Final Course Evaluation,” supra note 12.Google Scholar
The Healthy Communities Transformation Initiative (HCTI) is a project, funded by HUD’s Office of Healthy Homes and Lead Hazard Control, to improve the health systems and the physical, social, and economic service structures that support healthy living and healthy behaviors in our communities. Healthy Housing Solutions, Inc. is leading a team of partners in developing this initiative. Two key elements of the HCTI are the development of a Healthy Communities Index (HCI) and a Healthy Communities Assessment Tool (HCAT). See HUD Healthy Communities Transformation Initiative, available at <http://healthyhousingsolutions.com/service/applied-field-research/hud-healthy-communities-transformation-initiative/> (last visited January 20, 2016).+(last+visited+January+20,+2016).>Google Scholar
See id. (“Applied Field Research”). The Healthy Communities Assessment Tool (HCAT) will help communities evaluate neighborhood level health factors, build partnerships, and engage diverse stakeholders in efforts to improve community health. The HCAT is an electronic web-based tool being pilot tested by three cities: Minneapolis, Minnesota; San Diego, California; and Providence, Rhode Island.Google Scholar
In addition to this new “Prevention” course, I teach “Health Systems and Policy” courses to first- and second-year medical students, “Public Health Law and Ethics” to public health students, and an elective, “Poverty, Health and Law: Interprofessional Advocacy for Vulnerable Populations,” to medical, law, social work, and nursing students.Google Scholar
See Institute of Medicine, supra note 4.Google Scholar