Course Syllabus
HPA 101
Introduction to Health Services Organization
Contents
- • Instructor
- • Course Description
- • Objectives
- • Materials
- • Library Services
- • Assignments
- • Academic Integrity
- • Grading
- • Additional Links & Resources
Instructor
- Instructor: To Be Determined
- Email: To Be Determined
- Phone: To Be Determined
Please note that the specifics of this Course Syllabus are subject to change. Instructors will notify students of any changes and students will be responsible for abiding them. Even if you print this syllabus, please check the online version, especially the course summary (schedule), often.
Course Description
This course examines the social, political, historic, and scientific factors in the development and organization of the U.S. health care system. Through this process students will gain an understanding of the organization and financing of health care in the United States, the role of government in health care, and the social impact of health care.
- Prerequisites: None
- Number of credits: 3 credit hours
Objectives
- Demonstrate knowledge of the organization of the U.S. health services delivery system.
- Describe the major strengths and weaknesses of the U.S. health care system regarding access, cost, and quality of care.
- Demonstrate knowledge of major concepts of health care financing.
- Define major concepts of private insurance.
- Describe the differences between retrospective and prospective payment systems. Identify the major federal public insurance programs and the populations covered.
- Demonstrate knowledge of determinants of individual and population health and risk factors for illness, health behavior and its impact on the health care system
- Describe how demographic and epidemiologic transitions influence health care delivery in the U.S.
Materials
Optional Textbook
Shi, L. & Singh, D. (2022). Essentials of the U.S. Health Care System, (6th). Sudbury, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning. ISBN-13: 978-1284235104
Library Services
Penn State Libraries provides a wide variety of services and resources. To learn how to take advantage, refer to the Online Student Library Guide. This guide serves as your starting point for access to all that Penn State Libraries can offer you as an online student. Use this guide if you have questions on library services offered to you, how the library can help you, how to use the library, or what resources you can access via the library. The guide will connect you to important pages and resources within Penn State Libraries and save time from you searching for the information you need.
Assignments
Basic information about each assignment group is provided in this section. For detailed directions about an individual assignment, see the assignment information in the Modules tab. Additionally, this section will include information related to due dates and late work policies.
| Type of Assignment | How Many | Points for Each | Total Points Possible |
|---|---|---|---|
| Participation | 1 | 5 | 5 |
| Kick Start Discussions | 11 | 10 points each (lowest score dropped) | 100 |
| Ask Analyses | 3 | 50 points each | 150 |
| Quizzes | 11 | 10 points each (lowest score dropped) | 100 |
| Exams | 3 | 50 points each | 150 |
| Course Total | 505 points |
Academic Integrity Assignment
In order to proceed in the course, you must demonstrate an understanding of the fundamentals of academic integrity standards and expectations at The Pennsylvania State University and make a commitment to upholding academic integrity standards in your work in this course.
To do so, at the beginning of the course, you are required to complete the Penn State Academic Integrity Training Assignment. In order to access material in this course, you must complete this Penn State Academic Integrity Training Assignment. Additional information is provided in the Academic Integrity module.
If you do not succeed in completing this assignment/quiz, you must notify the instructor.
Academic Integrity
Academic integrity is the pursuit of scholarly activity in an open, honest, and responsible manner. Academic integrity is a basic guiding principle for all academic activity at The Pennsylvania State University, and all members of the University community are expected to act in accordance with this principle.
According to Penn State policy G-9: Academic Integrity, an academic integrity violation is “an intentional, unintentional, or attempted violation of course or assessment policies to gain an academic advantage or to advantage or disadvantage another student academically.” Unless your instructor tells you otherwise, you must complete all course work entirely on your own, using only sources that have been permitted by your instructor, and you may not assist other students with papers, quizzes, exams, or other assessments. If your instructor allows you to use ideas, images, or word phrases created by another person (e.g., from Course Hero or Chegg) or by generative technology, such as ChatGPT, you must identify their source. You may not submit false or fabricated information, use the same academic work for credit in multiple courses, or share instructional content. Students with questions about academic integrity should ask their instructor before submitting work.
Students facing allegations of academic misconduct may not drop/withdraw from the affected course unless they are cleared of wrongdoing. Attempted drops will be prevented or reversed, and students will be expected to complete course work and meet course deadlines. Students who are found responsible for academic integrity violations face academic outcomes, which can be severe, and put themselves at jeopardy for other outcomes which may include ineligibility for Dean’s List, pass/fail elections, and grade forgiveness. Students may also face consequences from their home/major program and/or The Schreyer Honors College.
Artificial Intelligence
Penn State University Statement on Artificial Intelligence Use in the Classroom: You must complete this work entirely on your own. You may not assist other students or use any online sites (e.g., Course Hero or Chegg), technologies (e.g., ChatGPT, language translators), tools, or sources that are prohibited. If your instructor permits the use of ideas, images, or word phrases created by another person or by generative technology, you must identify their source. You may not share any information with others. If you have questions about these instructions, you should discuss them with your instructor before you begin.
(update as needed per course/program) In this course, the use of moderate Generative Artificial Intelligence is required for the Ask Analyses. Limited Artificial Intelligence, such as basic spelling and grammar checks, are permitted on the Kick Start the Conversation activities however, the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence is prohibited within the course discussions. Finally, the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence is prohibited for all quizzes and exams. Please note that the specifics of the information is subject to change, considering rapid changes in technologies. Instructors will notify students of any changes and students will be responsible for abiding by them.
Please note that the specifics of the information is subject to change, considering rapid changes in technologies. Instructors will notify students of any changes and students will be responsible for abiding by them.
See the University Policies document in the Additional Links and Resources section of this syllabus for more information about Academic Integrity and Artificial Intelligence.
Participation
Participation points will be awarded for the completion of the Orientation Quiz. This activity will be done during the course Orientation in the first week of the semester.
Kick Start the Conversation Discussions
This course has weekly Kick Start the Conversations which are discussions intended to get you thinking about some of the ideas and concepts we will cover in each lesson. The assignment offers an opportunity for you to review articles, videos, blogs, interactive graphs, etc. and discuss your initial impressions while considering your prior knowledge, assumptions and/or personal and professional experiences related to a topic area before tackling the lesson's content. The lowest Kick Start the Conversation score will be dropped from your overall score.
Ask Analyses
Written Ask Analyses are an opportunity for you to demonstrate your understanding of the course content, applying what you have learned in the lesson to support your thoughts. Within these assignments, you will be expected to integrate personal and professional examples and assess the validity and robustness of Generative Artificial Intelligence tool responses.
You are required to complete one Ask Analysis assignment for each course unit, totaling three papers over the semester. Check the Ask Analysis Assignment Schedule, linked within Ask Analysis assignments, to view the lessons to which you are designated to complete the assignment.
Quizzes
Each lesson has a quiz to evaluate your mastery of the topics discussed. The lowest quiz score will be dropped from your overall grade.
Exams
Each unit will have a comprehensive exam corresponding to the content of the unit.
Due Dates
All assignments are due by 11:59 PM Eastern Time on the date indicated on the Calendar unless noted otherwise. (Due dates can also be viewed under the Syllabus tab.) Please be aware that Canvas follows the Eastern Time (ET) time zone. Assignment due dates adhere to this time zone, and it is your responsibility to submit assignments accordingly. If you are outside of the ET time zone, you can set your Canvas account to sync to it. Refer to the Set a Time Zone article in the Canvas Guide.
Veterans and currently serving military personnel and/or spouses with unique circumstances (e.g. upcoming deployments, drill/duty requirements, disabilities, VA appointments, etc.) are welcome and encouraged to communicate these, in advance if possible, to the instructor in the case that special arrangements need to be made.
Late Work Policy
As a general rule, you will NOT be able to go back and make-up missed assignments. It is your responsibility to keep up with your assignments. No assignments will be accepted late for full credit unless there is a valid reason (e.g. hospitalization, jury duty, family emergency, military service, natural disaster). In these instances, you must contact the instructor in advance of the due date to request and receive approval for an extension. Students may be asked to produce proper documentation in order to make-up graded work. All make-up work is at the discretion of the instructor.
Any quiz, exam, discussion, or Ask Analysis submitted after the due date will result in a zero score unless you have received prior approval from the instructor for an extension. In this case, you must submit your assignment by the agreed-upon deadline or your score on the activity will revert to zero. Any assignment turned in after the end of the semester (as defined by the due date for the final assignment) will receive a zero score.
Repeat Assignments
Once an assignment has been graded, students are not permitted to revise and resubmit the activity for a new score. Please review the assignment guidelines and any applicable grading rubrics, and reach out to me with questions prior to submitting your work.
Extra Credit
The Student Educational Experience Questionnaire (SEEQ) is a valuable tool that increases my awareness about your educational experience and provides me with meaningful suggestions on ways in which the course can be improved for future students. The SEEQ is one of the best ways for me to gain your direct feedback on how you've engaged with the course material throughout the semester. In order to encourage participation in this important process, five extra credit points will be awarded to all students if the combined SEEQ response rate for HPA 101 reaches 80% or higher. Please note that NO additional extra credit opportunities are given in this course.
Grading
Final grades will be assigned based on the following grading scheme:
| Grade | Percentage |
|---|---|
| A | 95-100% |
| A- | 90-94.99% |
| B+ | 87-89.99% |
| B | 84-86.99% |
| B- | 80-83.99% |
| C+ | 77-79.99% |
| C | 70-76.99% |
| D | 65-69% |
| F | <65% |
Final grades will NOT be rounded up in light of the fact that Penn State uses ½ steps (pluses and minuses) in its grading scale. Please do not ask the instructor to make an exception to this policy. HPA 101 is a required course for the HPA major and “C” letter grade or higher is required for all prescribed courses within the major. Students obtaining a grade lower than a “C” will be required to repeat the course (and achieve a grade of “C” or better) in order to be eligible to graduate.
Additional Links and Resources
Review information related to technical requirements, Penn State policies, and student resources.
- Technical Requirements
- This document provides guidance on the technology and software required to successfully complete this online course. Students should familiarize themselves with the various technologies used to enhance learning and participation in this course.
- University Policies
- This document includes university policies about copyright, nondiscrimination and equity, disability accommodations, military accommodations, counseling, artificial intelligence, and academic integrity.
- Digital Learning Tools
- This document provides an overview of the common technology tools used at Penn State and includes helpful guides, tutorials, and videos to get started.
- Student Health, Well-Being, Career, and Financial Resources
- This document provides helpful student health and well-being resources including links and contact information for crisis, general health, disability services, sexual misconduct, college and career services, and campus life.
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Course Summary:
| Date | Details | Due |
|---|---|---|