Health Services and Policy, PhD

Learning Outcomes

Students will be able to:

  • demonstrate breadth of health services research theoretical and conceptual knowledge by applying alternative models from a range of relevant disciplines;
  • apply in-depth disciplinary knowledge and skills relevant to health services research;
  • apply knowledge of the structures, performance, quality, policy, and environmental context of health and health care to formulate solutions for health policy problems;
  • pose innovative and important health service research questions, informed by systematic reviews of the literature, stakeholder needs, and relevant theoretical and conceptual models;
  • select appropriate interventional, observational, or qualitative study designs to address specific health services research questions;
  • know how to collect primary health and health care data obtained by survey, qualitative, or mixed methods;
  • know how to assemble secondary data from existing public and private sources;
  • use conceptual models and operational measures to specify study constructs for a health services research question and develop variables that reliably and validly measure these constructs;
  • implement research protocols with standardized procedures that ensure reproducibility of the science;
  • use appropriate analytical methods to clarify associations between variables and to delineate causal inferences;
  • ensure the ethical and responsible conduct of research in the design, implementation, and dissemination of health services research;
  • work collaboratively in multidisciplinary teams;
  • effectively communicate the findings and implications of health services research through multiple modalities to technical and lay audiences;
  • understand the importance of collaborating with stakeholders, such as policymakers, organizations, and communities to plan, conduct, and translate health services research into policy and practice; and
  • demonstrate hands-on teaching experience.