Midterm learning objectives

These flashcards cover essential concepts from the lecture on policy, ethics, and public health, providing a comprehensive review for exam preparation.

What is the policy process chain?

The policy is an intent-and-process chain shaped by stakeholders, evidence, and worldviews across the full cycle: agenda → design → implementation → evaluation.

What influences the definition of a policy problem?

Values and beliefs influence what gets defined as a 'problem,' prioritizes goals, and legitimizes instruments.

What are the components of the policy cycle?

Issue identification, goal setting, analysis & options, consultation, decision, implementation/delivery, monitoring/review, evaluation.

What characterizes consensus vs. critical policy approaches?

Consensus approaches focus on shared goals within existing structures; critical approaches foreground conflict, power, and inequity.

Define epistemology in policy making.

Epistemology refers to how we know (methods/evidence standards) in the context of policy making.

What does ontology concern in policy making?

Ontology relates to what exists/what counts in policy making, such as what is included as 'health'.

How do worldview and ideology differ?

Worldview is a broad lens on society, while ideology is a coherent political value set.

What is bias in decision making?

Bias is a systematic cognitive tilt that affects decision making.

What is decision theory?

Decision theory involves formal rules for choosing under risk or uncertainty.

Name a method of normative ethics.

Utilitarianism, which aims to maximize net good, is one method of normative ethics.

What are key ethical principles in health policy?

Beneficence/non-maleficence, autonomy, justice, proportionality, and reciprocity.

What does it mean to scrutinize influences on decisions?

It involves examining framing, data quality, stakeholder incentives, and context, including what evidence is absent.

Summarize the Toronto TB case in 1999.

In 1999, ~200 Tibetan refugee claimants had 5 with active, contagious MDR-TB, raising questions on screening and immigration.

Define intergovernmental relationships in public health.

Public health powers are primarily provincial/local, while the federal government handles immigration/borders.

What types of screening exist in public health?

Types include universal screening, risk-targeted screening, and contact tracing, depending on various factors.

What role does media play in public health?

Media amplifies perceived risk, shapes public pressure, and influences policy options.

Differentiate between incidence and prevalence.

Incidence refers to new cases over time, while prevalence refers to total existing cases.

What is the Policy Analysis Triangle?

It analyzes policy through Content, Process, Context, and Actors while assessing feasibility, acceptability, and costs.

How can obesity be perceived in public health?

As an individual-behavioural issue, biomedical issue, population-health issue, or through built-environment perspectives.

What factors contribute to the obesity problem?

Obesity is a health problem influenced by social, environmental, and economic determinants.

Define food deserts and food swamps.

Food deserts lack healthy options, while food swamps have high densities of unhealthy, processed foods.

What is opportunity cost?

Opportunity cost is the best forgone alternative in decision making.

Explain the precautionary principle in policy.

Act proportionately when plausible harm exists and evidence is incomplete, prioritizing public protection.

What is the significance of the Krever Commission?

It emphasized blood safety and regulatory improvements, leading to the creation of Canadian Blood Services.

How does framing affect policy instruments?

Framing can guide the choice of stringent screening/testing measures based on perceptions of risk.

Summarize the O’Connor Inquiry findings in Ontario.

It led to a multi-barrier approach for drinking water safety, emphasizing source protection and monitoring.

What distinguishes public goods from services good for the public?

Public goods are non-excludable/non-rival at the point of protection, while not all health services share these characteristics.

Explain risk management in Ontario’s drinking-water policy.

Incorporates a multi-barrier approach and layered defenses to manage risks associated with water safety.

Differentiate cost-effectiveness from cost-utility analysis.

Cost-effectiveness analysis uses natural units; cost-utility analysis uses QALYs to evaluate health interventions.