This is an elective for students in graduate research programs who wish to gain a better understanding of performance measurement in health care and the methods available to develop performance measurement systems and specific indicators of performance. The course will provide an overview of different models for performance measurement, indicator development strategies and a discussion of issues specific to several stakeholder groups. Students working in other public sectors, such as education, may also find the course useful.

Objectives: To understand performance measurement frameworks and models that are currently available across the health care system (what to measure and why). To describe several different methods for identifying, selecting and validating specific types of performance measures (how to measure — soundness, relevance).

To become familiar with emerging issues in the calculation, reporting, and uptake of individual components of performance measurement frameworks by varying stakeholder groups (appropriateness, feasibility, and relevance of measures and frameworks).

Health Economics is concerned with the study of resource allocation within the health sector and between that sector and other sectors. This course is designed to introduce participants to an array of economic evaluation methods used to assess health care programs, services, technologies, and other interventions. Prior knowledge of economics is not required; however, participants are expected to possess quantitative skills (e.g., the ability to undertake statistical analyses). Upon completion, participants will not only have analytic skills that are applicable to economic evaluation, they will also know how economists approach important issues in health services research and decision-making.

Objectives: 1) To introduce learners to different types of economic evaluations. 2) To acquaint learners with the approaches and viewpoints that applied health economists bring to health services research. 3) To apply economic evaluation techniques to important contemporary issues in Canadian health services research and decision-making.

This course explores what it means to be a leader moving from personal mastery of leadership behaviours to change leadership at the organizational level. The course uses the four competencies of Goleman's Emotional Intelligence model as a framework, progressing from a focus on self-assessment and management to one of social awareness and skills. You cannot lead others until you know who you are, what you believe in, and why someone might want to follow you; and conversely, others will not follow you if do not understand their motivations, values, and concerns and are not able to manage your relationships with them. In other words, we must first understand and manage ourselves, before we can understand and successfully manage our relationships with others.

This course is designed to ensure that learners appreciate the vital role leadership plays, at all levels of the organizations, in managing and sustaining change for improved health outcomes and performance. Each course module is designed to provide a set of evidence-based learning experiences that will facilitate the learner's leadership development through reflection, practice, and the formation of action goals. Topics covered include the five practices of exemplary leadership; styles of conflict management; communication for engagement, collaboration and enhanced team performance; the role of influence in furthering change; and models of change leadership and management.

Objectives: upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to: 1) Indicate their leadership development needs and construct a set of goals that are challenging but achievable. 2) Exhibit responsibility for their own performance. 3) Identify and align actions to shared values. 4) Describe their image of the future and inspire others to share a common vision. 5) Recognize opportunities to challenge the status quo and improve performance. 6) Create a climate in which people are willing to innovate and learn from mistakes. 7) Identify actions that allow others to excel in their work. 8) Recognize the accomplishment of others in ways that are meaningful to them. 9) Build collaboration, teamwork, and trust. 10) Explain diverse points of view by actively listening to both emotion and content. 11) Develop critical approaches for constructive negotiation and conflict management strategies. 12) Diagnose issues and resolve same using influence strategies. 13) Plan and execute an organizational change.

Learner competencies: accountability; achievement orientation; change leadership; collaboration; impact and influence; information seeking; interpersonal understanding; organizational awareness; professionalism; self-development; talent development; team leadership.

This is the second in a two-course sequence intended to impart to generalist administrators a knowledge of finance and accounting necessary to manage health care organizations. The first course, HAD5723H, focuses on managerial accounting topics. This second course will concentrate on corporate finance topics. In addition, it will integrate corporate finance and accounting theories, institutional knowledge of health care finance, and applications to specific problems.

Objectives: the course will be taught in three major sections with the following objectives: 1) Investments (or capital expenditures): a) Achieving a conceptual understanding of valuation and the effects of project selection, asset acquisition, financing methods and the time value of money; b) Developing an ability to evaluate the desirability of a project, based on net present value calculations and considerations of non-cash values; c) Gaining a facility with the use of spreadsheet technology in conducting financial analyses. 2) Financing: a) Achieving an ability to estimate the cost of various sources of financing, based on projected cash flow; b) Gaining an ability to evaluate leasing versus buying of an asset. 3) Other topics: a) Gaining an understanding of how to develop a strategic long range financial plan; b) Gaining an understanding of capital and operations financial planning for a long-term care facility; c) Gaining an understanding of the financial aspects of public-private partnerships.

Learner competencies: achievement orientation; analytical thinking; financial skills; initiative; innovative thinking; self-confidence; strategic orientation.

This course introduces quantitative methods and their applications to health care decision-making. The use of these methods has recently become an active and growing area of practice and research in contexts including wait list management, patient flow, population demand estimates, health human resource management, and the coordination of resources for elective and emergency services. This course is designed to provide health care decision makers with an introduction to several useful quantitative methods that can provide insight and support for complex decisions. We will cover the following topics: mathematical model formulation; linear programming and optimization; forecasting; queuing theory and simulation modeling; project management; introduction to decision analysis.

This class is not intended for learners who have a background in operations research.

Learner objectives: upon completion of this course, students will be able to: 1) Reconstruct management problems into mathematical models for optimization. 2) Graphically describe the mathematical models to understand the relationship of decision alternatives. 3) Develop Excel spreadsheets to solve mathematical optimization problems. 4) Appraise and justify the value of resource allocation decisions using sensitivity analysis. 5) Interpret retrospective data to predict future states. 6) Develop models using simulation and queuing theory that predict wait times, service demands, and resource utilization. 7) Manage project deadlines using quantitative tools. 8) Display confidence in using quantitative methods to make health care decisions and hold people accountable for making high quality recommendations. 9) Be willing to face quantitative facts even when they are counter-intuitive.

Learner competencies: accountability; achievement orientation; analytical thinking; initiative; innovative thinking; performance measurement; project management; self-confidence.

This course will provide learners with a comprehensive working knowledge of implementation science. Also known as knowledge translation, this subject focuses on the effectiveness and optimizing of approaches and strategies to enhance research utilization through understanding of the complex, interacting factors that can influence health care delivery and outcomes. This knowledge is relevant to health system leaders, continuing education planners, guideline implementers, practicing clinicians, health care managers, and health services researchers. The course will review how educational, social, patient, organizational, incentive, and embedded approaches and strategies can be applied to close the gap between best evidence and practice.

Objectives: at the completion of this course, participants will be able to: 1) Explain the meaning of implementation science/knowledge translation. 2) Identify and explain various theories underlying implementation science/knowledge translation. 3) Describe determinants that influence the utilization of knowledge, practice and technology. 4) Discuss the applicability and mechanism of action of various implementation strategies. 5) Understand the effectiveness of approaches/strategies and how they can be tailored/optimized. 6) Design a quality improvement program or research study involving implementation.

The course is about advanced methods for estimation and uncertainty of cost-effectiveness statistics. The focus is on techniques to create and explain economic information in person-level data (e.g., from a clinical trial or an administrative data set). Students must have taken HAD5730H and be familiar with statistical techniques like regression. Upon completing this course, participants will be able to create and explain the results of a cost-effectiveness analysis of person-level data.

Objectives: this course is designed to attain three general objectives as well as a series of specific competency objectives: 1) To introduce learners to regression as a technique for creating cost-effectiveness estimates. 2) To introduce learners to regression as a technique for handling uncertainty in cost-effectiveness analysis. 3) To acquaint learners with advanced techniques from regression that can be applied to cost-effectiveness analysis.

Upon completion of this course, learners will be able to: 1) Have a better understanding of economic evaluations and their potential roles. 2) Identify multiple ways of creating cost-effectiveness estimates and characterizing their uncertainty; understand their strengths and limitations. 3) Analyze person-level cost-and-effect data in a way that improves the chances of it being published. 4) Explain the results of their cost-effectiveness analysis in a way that improves the chances of it being understood. 5) Write the "economics" section of a grant proposal (e.g., CIHR) in a way that improves the chances of it being funded.

This course will provide intermediate level instruction in the use of qualitative methods in health services research, clinical research, policy, and medical education research. It is intended as part of a suite of qualitative methodology courses available to IHPME students. Students who are in the initial to mid stages of designing and conducting their thesis research will be exposed to intense instruction related to issues in field research, including: study design; data collection; analysis; and writing. Students will be expected to come to class prepared to actively engage in group discussions and to discuss their own thesis work. Students who complete this course will be able to begin conducting qualitative research.

Objectives: after completing this course, students will: 1) Be able to choose and apply the various philosophical foundations, traditions, and methods grouped under the rubric of "qualitative research" and appreciate the complexity of doing qualitative research. 2) Have experience with and able to apply the main techniques used for gathering qualitative data. 3) Have experience with and be able to apply the different analytic strategies used in qualitative research, including coding and development of themes. 4) Have experience with and be able to write up the results of a qualitative study.

A health administrator needs to understand the legal environment within which management decisions occur. The law is often seen as ambiguous and amorphous. This course will provide you with an overview of key legal and ethical concepts and their application to the health field. Among the topics to be addressed are an overview of the law and legal process, business organizations, both "profit" and "not-for-profit," litigation, consent and capacity, contracts, medical records, privacy, tenders, product liability, and research. Specific ethical concerns and situations will be woven throughout the course. This course is not intended to turn health administrators into lawyers.

In this course, students will engage in the theory and practice of mixed methods research. In the past several decades, Mixed Methods Research (MMR) has developed dramatically. Over this timeframe, it has been associated with several different definitions. The working definition we will use in this course involves the collection and analysis of both qualitative and quantitative data in a way that either merges the data, has one build off of the other, embeds one within the other or is developed around a mixed methodological philosophical or theoretical orientation that informs all aspects of the study. Throughout the course a range of mixed methods research designs will be discussed with examples that draw from applications in health research. Students will work through a MMR project that has been pre-designed for this class.

Objectives: 1) To identify key philosophical and theoretical issues in MMR and multiple examples of mixed method designs. 2) To contrast key features of quantitative and qualitative research as they relate to MMR. 3)To articulate and reflect on their own perceptions about the current state of MMR.4) To apply and demonstrate knowledge about collecting and analyzing data within an original MMR project.

The growing focus on learning and accountability in Canada and internationally has resulted in an increasing need for evaluation approaches to understand and assess if interventions/programs work, how they work, and what can be done in the planning and implementing phase to make them work. Given the complexity of some of the health interventions, the designs and approaches required to evaluate need to go beyond standard clinical trials and often will involve the evaluator working with the policymakers and program planners right at the formulation of the intervention/program. This class will focus on development, implementation and evaluation of a variety of complex policy and programmatic interventions, which aim to improve outcomes at the patient, provider, population and system level.

Topics to be covered in this class include: the role of program theory and why we need to think theoretically about complex interventions; the relationships between program theory, threats to validity and evaluation design; stakeholder engagement, needs and evaluability assessment, types of evaluation (process and outcome evaluation) with different approaches and how they respond to complexity (approaches will include realist evaluation and developmental evaluation); varieties of evaluation design including experimental and quasi-experimental designs, economic evaluation.

Objective: at the end of the course, for a given intervention, students will be able to design and execute an evaluation plan that includes consideration of key evaluation questions; is appropriate to the program theory of the intervention; addresses key threats to design validity; and addresses policymaker and practitioner perspectives.

This course is designed to provide an introduction to econometric methods; that is, the basic principles of regression model development and testing that underlie much of applied health economics and health services research. The starting point is the fact that a great number of possible data generating processes yield very similar looking data series. The course deals with how to determine which data generating process, from among the range of possible ones, has actually generated the data you are working with. To that end, the course deals with application of statistical tests and procedures in the context of distinguishing between potential regression models. Students will learn about important methodological considerations when working with both survey and administrative datasets. It is assumed that students have a basic training in statistics.

The goal of this course is to provide students with the necessary tools to address issues that involve the empirical analysis of observational (i.e., non-experimental) data. The focus of the course is on estimating treatment effects and we will review several different approaches that can be helpful in doing so. Theory will be presented and, whenever possible, applied examples will also be presented.

Objectives: at the end of this course, students will be able to use these tools to: 1) Choose the right research question. 2) Use appropriate data and statistical methods to address the question. 3) Interpret results.

Research in Health Informatics (HI) is generally applied in nature. However, as the field grows and matures, there is a growing need to develop its theoretical foundation. The body of knowledge and theory in HI stems from diverse disciplines as Information Science, Computer Science, Cognitive Sciences and Human Computer Interaction, Communication, Management Information Systems, Social Psychology, and Sociology. The purpose of this course is to expose students to theories from the above disciplines that have informed, or could possibly inform, research in HI. The course will be delivered as a graduate seminar and students will select theories, present them to the class, and discuss their potential use in health informatics research.

Objectives: at the end of this course, students will be able to: 1) Describe and explain in-depth, a number of theories from cognitive, social, and information sciences. 2) Explain and discuss how these theories may inform research in Health Informatics, as well as the limitations of these theories and their applicability to Health Informatics. 3) Incorporate theory from cognitive, social, or information sciences into their own HI research as demonstrated, for example, through a theory-informed research proposal.

This course will provide an introduction to the principles of surveying and the use of psychometrics to support appropriate tool design. Topics covered will allow one to assess if a survey will provide the data it intends to collect and if the data accurately reflects reality. The approach will be a pragmatic one, balancing appreciation for rigorous technique with practical constraints. The course will cover steps needed to create, assess, and utilize a valid survey and describe the intersection of qualitative and quantitative techniques required to successfully execute a survey. It provides relevant content to those who may wish to develop their own survey tool, use and/or adapt a tool found in the literature or develop skills in critical appraisal of survey related literature.

Objectives: 1) Understand when and how to use surveys. 2) Acquire and apply skills in survey development. 3) Understand what testing is appropriate to ensure validity of a survey. 4) Appreciate diverse data analysis techniques and reporting considerations. 5) Develop critical skills in assessing surveys. 6) Understand the importance and roles of qualitative and quantitative approaches in surveying.

This course is designed to support master's and doctoral students' understanding of concepts in the knowledge to action continuum: obtaining the necessary evidence, disseminating it and implementing it. It will be delivered online through a mixture of asynchronous methods, i.e., modules, podcasts, and periodic synchronous methods (i.e., lectures and discussions).

Objectives: the objective of this course is to enhance students' critical assessment of evidence and practices in the context of knowledge transfer and exchange, and implementation science fields and how to practically apply their acquired knowledge to action.

The purpose of this seminar is for doctoral students to gain an understanding of the fundamental issues of organizational behaviour (OB) — the study of individual behaviour in organizations. Drawing on theory and research in psychology, social psychology, and organizational behaviour, we shall explore individual, interpersonal, and group processes in work organizations. We will examine both classic and contemporary theories, enduring controversies, and emerging research on a range of topics in OB. The course is designed to provide an overview and introduction to the field and an understanding of its central concepts.

Objectives: 1) Enable a better understanding of the OB field. 2) Provide the skills to critically analyze and evaluate academic research. 3) Enable the integration into research of approaches and insights from OB.

Despite promises that Artificial Intelligence (AI) will transform health care, the development and adoption of AI in health care has lagged behind other industries. Some of the causes for this lag include restrictions on the use of health care data, resistance from the clinical community, the gap between hype and reality of AI, ethical concerns, regulation of health technologies, and difficulties bridging the cultures of health care and engineering. Yet despite spectacular failures such as Watson Health, AI is slowly beginning to appear in health care settings, most often in the context of research, but increasingly in the form of FDA and Health Canada-approved products. The aim of this course is to build a critical understanding of end-to-end lifecycle of AI in health care, from working with raw health care data, to integration of AI with clinical workflow, through to regulatory approval. This course will be of particular interest to translational AI researchers looking to apply their work to health care, as well as health care practitioners and informaticians seeking to understand how to leverage AI in their industry.

Objectives: upon completion of the course, students will be able to: 1) Describe the opportunities for AI to provide value in health care and how to engage with health care providers to identify real clinical problems that AI can address. 2) Explain the regulatory and ethical frameworks that govern AI development in health care, including a working understanding of the governance of personal health information, the regulation of software as a medical device, and fairness in AI. 3) Develop roadmaps for how AI can be integrated into the health care environment, including clinical decision support design, health care interoperability paradigms, and clinically relevant model explanations. 4) Develop practical knowledge of the idiosyncrasies of health care data types, how to define AI research questions in health care, how to interface with hospital information systems, how to satisfy privacy and security requirements during AI development, and how to transition AI research projects into production.

The course will introduce the field of knowledge translation (KT) and implementation science. With an increased demand for evidence-based health practices, researchers, and practitioners have become aware of the complexities involved in optimizing the uptake of knowledge from research and transferring research findings into practice and policy. To do this effectively requires tailor made approaches well aligned to the complexities of health systems and their wider environments. This increased emphasis has also led to explorations of approaches that are likely to work and the evolution of the KT and implementation science field. It is important for researchers and practitioners alike to develop understanding and insight into KT and implementation science so they can incorporate these in their work, and contribute towards enhancing the quality and effectiveness of their health systems.

The course will delineate the main features of KT and implementation science and provide students with the opportunity to develop insight into the wider environment that has shaped this field. The course consists of core components where the main KT and implementation science concepts are defined; it discusses the history of the field and the different foci that have shaped the evolution of the field; it presents perspectives, theories and frameworks used in KT and implementation science; and it introduces the main research approaches and methodological challenges for the practice of KT and implementation science.

These introductory components will provide a basic foundation for the students to start to explore a few topics in more detail, including the social network perspective of KT and implementation science; the sustainability of the interventions; the need and challenges for de-implementation; the complexity science approaches to implementation science; implementation science in global health; and different approaches to scaling the health interventions.

The course will provide a general overview of KT and implementation science so in future courses students can start to build their capacity to incorporate KT and implementation components in their research. The course will be taught by the two course directors, other IHPME faculty and other leading scholars in this field. Emphasis will be placed on active student participation to deepen students understanding of the field.

Objectives: at the end of the course students should be able to: 1) Demonstrate an understanding of the core concepts of the KT and implementation science field and explain what factors and conditions have shaped its evolution. 2) Outline the main theories and frameworks used in KT and implementation science and be able to critically apply them. 3) Describe main challenges for KT and implementation science and compare and contrast approaches that have been used to address them.

Leadership skills are essential to make a positive contribution to health and societal well-being in a range of career paths. The challenges confronting health systems are increasingly complex and it is recognized that research skills alone are insufficient to catalyze change. The growing emphasis on learning health systems requires a skill set that encompasses research and leadership and an ability to work in collaborative partnerships within complex systems. The COVID-19 pandemic and the weaknesses and inequities it has emphasized in health and health care systems require sophisticated research expertise coupled with inclusive leadership skills to build forward stronger and more equitably. However, leadership training is under-emphasized in most health services and policy (HSP) and population and public health (PPH) PhD programs. Complementing the PhD student's research tool kit with leadership skills that emphasize equity, diversity, and inclusion and opportunities to develop mentorship relationships with health system leaders will elevate the student's ability to lead, inspire change and apply innovative solutions to complex challenges in a diversity of career pathways. This course aligns with The Canadian Health Services and Policy Research Alliance (CHSPRA) pan-Canadian Training Modernization Strategy and its aims to prepare a new cadre of PhD graduates for embedded research and leadership roles within health system organizations and learning health systems.

Using a combination of interactive seminars, small-group dialogue and mentorship with health system leaders, and applying an equity, diversity, and inclusion lens throughout the course, this specialized IHPME and PHS full-year 0.5 FCE course (Credit/No Credit) will elevate students' leadership readiness by introducing the art and science of inclusive leadership and how to apply leadership skills to make a difference in health systems. The course is primarily delivered virtually, comprising 2.5 hour online interactive sessions held approximately every three weeks, with several in-person sessions (with virtual options) to foster relationship building.

The leadership domain areas this class covers include: leading self, collaborative leadership, working with policy and decision makers, change leadership, influence and impact, communicating for impact, project management, cultures of inclusive leadership, leadership skills for sustainable health systems, and career preparedness. Students will receive unconscious bias training at the outset of the course.

Please note: This course is led by Drs. McMahon and Essue and introduces students to a range of academic and health system leaders with expertise in key areas of health system leadership. Each session provides an opportunity for students to meet, engage with, and learn from academic and system experts in the subject domain area (e.g., Rob Reid, Laura Desveaux, Nakia Lee-Foon, Kate Mulligan, Andrew Boozary, Tina Smith, Christine Shea, Steini Brown, Samuel Oduneye, Mimi Lowi-Young, Wendy Nelson, Robert Steiner, Seema Marwaha, Alison Paprica, Akwatu Khenti, Fiona Miller, and more). Additionally, students have an opportunity to interact and engage with Senior Fellows and health system mentors throughout the duration of the course. Learn more.

Objectives: the intention of the course is to broaden students' exposure, knowledge, and skills in various areas of health system leadership, with emphasis on leadership that promotes equity, diversity, and inclusion. Upon successful completion of this reading course, students will have: 1) Knowledge related to health system leadership, awareness of unconscious bias in the health system, and strategies to lead and foster cultures of inclusive leadership.2) Capability to integrate research and leadership skills to address complex health system challenges. 3) Identified personal leadership strengths and development needs, and constructed goals and strategies for growth. 4) Ability to identify and describe the leadership competency skills they were introduced to. 5) Developed new relationships and an extended professional network involving peer, emerging, and established health system leaders.

This highly interactive course analyzes macro- and meso- health system level issues related to quality of care in health systems globally, with a focus on low- and middle-income countries: the state of quality of care globally; key findings and recommendations from global reports on quality of care (2018); key interventions to improve quality of care at scale in health systems (evidence and limitations); innovation in service delivery and its impact on quality of care; better measurement of quality of care; approaches to develop national policies and strategies to improve quality of care at scale. The course builds on scientific literature in the health sector and direct experience from the World Bank, OECD and the World Health Organization to support countries in developing, financing, and implementing quality of care strategies and policies at scale. The course includes direct exposure to leading voices in global health (policy practitioners and world-class academics) through student-led virtual interviews with guest lecturers, as well as discussion during synchronous lectures.

Objectives: 1) Understand the concepts related to quality of care and articulate the determining characteristics of quality of care and importance in health systems. Analyze and discuss current trends in quality of care globally. Identify and understand key interventions to improve quality of care at scale in health systems and be able to discuss their evidence and limitations. 2) Be familiar with and discuss methods for measuring quality of care within and across health systems. 3) Expand thinking and engage in discourse on the implications of quality of care for health systems globally. 4) Develop a national quality strategy.

The focus of this seminar series is on the practicalities of doing research in health economics. It is open to all IHPME graduate students. The students will gain experience in the application of the methodological and theoretical tools of economics to their own work. The aim in part of the seminar is to reinforce concepts covered in IHPME graduate courses. The seminar also aims to expose students to emerging issues in the field of health economics. There will be invited speakers who will discuss particular issues in research in health economics theory and methods as they are encountered in actual ongoing research projects. Thesis stage students will be required to present their own research and to actively participate in discussions of each other's presentations and presentations of invited speakers. The seminar series takes place over 2 terms (September to April) and students are expected to attend 75% of all sessions.

Objectives: 1) Learn how to present a scientific paper. 2) Learn about a range of econometric (regression) methods that can be applied to health and health care data.

Economic models of human and institutional behaviour are employed in this course to analyse the workings of the medical market. Specific attention is paid to the behaviour of both health care providers (e.g., physicians and hospitals) and health care clients. In analysing the behaviour of these participants in the health care industry, attention is paid to the socio-economic dimensions of health, health reform, physician supply management and payment reform, and health system restructuring.

Objectives: 1) To introduce participants to theoretical and empirical research conducted internationally in health economics. 2) To acquaint participants with major public policy issues in the field of health that have attracted the attention of health economists. 3) To develop analytic skills so that participants will be able to read and critically evaluate theoretical and policy research in health economics.

This course provides students with a basic understanding of Information Systems theory. The primary focus is on the development and management of information systems and computer applications. It should be stressed that this is not a course on computers per se — but rather a course that applies computer technology as a means to an end. This end is, hopefully, the competent management of information and decision support systems.

Objectives: upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to: 1) Describe the critical success factors that can facilitate the development and implementation of better Information, Information Management Technology and Information Technology systems. 2) Analyze strategies for creating innovative solutions and their successful implementation. 3) Apply basic continual improvement methods and tools for analyzing work processes for improving IS processes. 4) Analyze and describe the strengths and weaknesses of systems and communicate that to the technology community. 5) Compare the efficiency and effectiveness of different information systems or platforms to the point of being able to define optimal strategies in health care. 6) Measure the status of information systems in place today.

Learner competencies: achievement orientation; analytical thinking; change leadership; communication skills; impact and influence; information seeking; information technology management; innovative thinking; organizational awareness; project management.

This course covers conceptual and methodological issues relevant to health services research (HSR). Topics covered include principles of HSR and epidemiological methods, methodological issues in defining study populations using secondary data sources in HSR, quality measures in HSR, methodological consideration in evaluating relationships between measures, comparative effectiveness research in HSR, implementation science and quality improvement evaluation in HSR, analytic approaches and methodological issues addressing measured and unmeasured confounding in HSR, and analytic approaches in evaluating longitudinal health data in HSR.

Objectives: 1) To provide students with an understanding of the design and conduct of a range of experimental and non-experimental quantitative research designs applied to HSR. 2) To further develop an understanding of research methodologies, introducing more complex forms of study design and higher-level methods applicable to HSR.

By the end of the course: students will possess a sound understanding of the fundamental principles and methodological aspects of the conduct and critical appraisal of HSR that can support them in assessing the quality of existing studies, developing their own research proposals, and ultimately conducting more rigorous research.

To dispel a common misunderstanding: Marketing is NOT selling, and it is NOT advertising per se. Rather, Marketing can be best described as: The process by which companies/organizations engage customers, build strong customer relationships, and create customer value in order to capture value from customers in return. In other words, Marketing does not revolve around "selling" the product or service to a customer but rather causing the customer to "buy" that product or service, thus benefitting both the marketer and the customer.

Every single product/service we choose to buy or use involves the marketing process. We evaluate choices and make our decision based on the best fit possible of the benefits offered.

Now we must explore why Health Services offerings are unique from the perspective of Marketing. Rather than singular customer points of decision, we have multiple stakeholders to the purchase or usage decision — the patient, their family, the physician, the place of service delivery and in the publicly funded sector, the government. All these stakeholders must be carefully considered and uniquely marketed to. Overlay upon this, the evolving nature of health care consumers in Canada — they are wiser, more discerning, better educated about their health issues, and far more demanding than ever before. More and more, they are recognizing that they do in fact have choice in terms of health resolution, point of delivery, and physician delivery.

The harsh reality, as well, is the ever increasing financial burden being placed upon The Canada Health Act, which bears out within provincial budgets and product/service choices. The answer is not so easily stated that more publicly funded services should be privatized, but rather that health care in Canada must be delivered in the future better, more efficiently and safer — with the backbone of this being innovation, engagement, research, sound strategy, positioning, positive mutual impact — i.e., HEALTH SERVICES MARKETING.

Learner objectives: upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to: 1) Understand and create a Marketing Roadmap. 2) Company Vision/Mission/Values. 3) Current product/service portfolio analysis and assessment. 4) New product/service assessment and introduction stages. 5) Market research, segmentation, targeting, product/service differentiation, value proposition; product/service market positioning. 6) Marketing Plan (build, execute, measure, and adjust). 7) Build a detailed marketing plan based on a real-world new product or service.

Learner competencies (competencies refer to the National Centre for Healthcare Leadership Competency Model): Relationship and Network Development; Achievement Orientation; Communication Skills; Analytical Thinking; Initiative; Collaboration; Impact and Influence; Interpersonal Understanding; Innovation; Information Seeking.

The overall objective of this course is to increase learners' appreciation for and skills in managing a diverse workforce in health care. The focus is on creating high-quality health care workplaces through strengthening the employment relationship (including union-management relations) taking into account the social, economic and regulatory context within which that relationship is defined. As health care organizations have decentralized decision-making, many of the traditional HRM functions have become the domain of the manager. In some organizations the human resources management processes are well integrated with overall organizational strategy while in others they are limited to the technical component. Students will be introduced to the basic human resources management functions including selection, training, performance management, and management of the collective agreement but, it is not the intent that they will become specialists in these areas. The principal strategic issues which will be addressed include what it means to be a high quality workplace, the changing nature of work and workplace organization including employee engagement as a human resource strategy, the concern with productivity and the measurement of that productivity through performance indicators in a rapidly restructuring system, the impact of new working arrangements on the employer-employee relationship and the creation of learning organizations. Cases, course readings, role playing, and guest lecturers are the approaches used to give learners an opportunity to critically analyze the complexity of the employment relationship.

Learner objectives: upon completion of this course, students will be able to: 1) Analyze strategies to link human resources practices to the overall formation and implementation of strategies in health service organizations. 2) Based on the evidence, demonstrate how managers can create healthy workplaces. 3) Apply the regulatory framework which affects human resources management practices to a number of cases. Understand the relationship of work design to the changing skill mix of the health care workforce. 4) Determine the manager's role in human resources management and the role of the HR specialist in advising management. Demonstrate how health care managers can work within a Collective Agreement. 5) Compare the differing perspectives managers and employees have of the employment relationship. 6) Increase own understanding of the different perspectives individuals have about diversity. 7) Develop strategies for addressing the challenges faced by health care managers in managing the performance of a diverse workforce. 8) Examine one's perspective related to the concept of justice (fairness) and how it can be reflected in HRM practices. 9) Differentiate different approaches to compensation practices and their challenges. 10) Describe the relationship of competency development to job analysis, recruitment, selection, and retention. 11) Evaluate effectiveness of different approaches in the management of employee performance. 12) Conduct effective performance management interviews. 13) Distinguish between different approaches to the management of knowledge within the organization. 14) Become more familiar with the types of employee health-related problems in the health care workplace and management practices used to address these issues. 15) Present research findings before an audience of experienced administrators and scientists.

Learner Competencies (referring to the National Center for Healthcare Leadership Competency Model): analytical thinking; communication skills; human resources management; impact and influence; information seeking; organizational awareness; process management and organizational design; performance management; self-development.

This course will provide an overview of the current status of program planning and evaluation. Its purpose is to give participants an understanding of the planning and evaluation process, to familiarize them with current program planning and evaluation techniques and to have them develop the skills to apply these techniques to the health and social services sector.

The objectives of the course include: 1) Reviewing the role of program planning and evaluation within broader management and policy processes, and discussing the characteristics and nature of these activities. 2) Discussing the different types of evaluation, including needs assessments, process and outcome evaluations, from the perspectives of different stakeholders. 3) Developing the skills to apply planning and evaluation concepts to the health and social services sector. 4) A secondary objective of the course is to provide an opportunity for students to develop expertise in working in groups in an online environment.

Learner Competencies: Accountability; Analytical Thinking; Change Leadership; Collaboration; Impact & Influence; Information Seeking; Initiative; Organizational Awareness; Process Management and Organizational Design.

This course will introduce students to key topics in priority setting (resource allocation) from both theoretical and practical viewpoints. The goal is for students to develop a better understanding of priority setting (resource allocation) in health care institutions and health systems from an interdisciplinary perspective. We will explore the contributions and interaction of ethics, economics, political science, and management science approaches to priority setting. Case studies will be a constitutive component of each session.

Objectives: 1) To introduce priority setting (resource allocation) and different approaches and perspectives to priority setting, including traditional disciplinary perspectives. 2) To examine different ethical issues in priority setting and introduce 'accountability for reasonableness' as a priority setting framework for health care institutions. 3) To examine the most recent cutting-edge research and/or practice improvements. 4) To develop and present a case study of priority setting in learner's own context.

This course is designed to prepare students in the following areas: correlation; regression; analysis of variance (including factorial, repeated-measures, mixed-design, multivariate); analysis of covariance; regression; logistic regression and factor analysis. Note: Students are required to bring a laptop to each class (including session 1) with SPSS installed. This software is available from the University at a reduced rate for students. Data sets will be provided. Students are expected to conduct analyses prior to each class. Enrolment is limited. Priority is given to IHPME students.

Objectives: at the end of this course, students should be able to: 1) Demonstrate an understanding (both conceptual and practical) of the analysis approaches covered in this course. 2) Identify appropriate analysis approach(es) to address specific research questions. 3) Identify appropriate analysis approach(es) to use with data that has already been collected. 4) Use of the computer program SPSS for data management, statistical exploration and analysis, and understanding and explaining results. 5) Present analysis results in APA format.