Syllabus for HCM-5010

Organization of the Healthcare Value Chain

Course Description

Organization of the Healthcare Value Chain, Students identify and describe components of the system, including patients, healthcare professionals, public and private third-party payers, regulators, reimbursement methods, and information technology. The roles of patients, physicians, hospitals, insurers, and pharmaceutical companies through the lens of the healthcare value chain. The interaction between the government and these different groups will also be covered using the most contemporary healthcare legislation as the backdrop.

Topics

• The healthcare value chain (HCVC).
• The role of producers: pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, medical devices, IT firms.
• The role of providers: hospitals, physicians, service providers.
• The role of payers: employers, government, consumers.
• The role of the major intermediaries that connect these segments: insurance companies, pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), and wholesalers.

Course Objectives

After completing this course, you should be able to:

CO 1        Examine the major participants in the U.S. healthcare system, including both their synergistic and divergent incentives.

CO 2        Analyze the major problems confronting the U.S. healthcare system using the iron triangle of healthcare (access, quality, cost) as a focal point.

CO 3        Evaluate the impact of legislation and subsequent regulations on each U.S. healthcare segment. 

CO 4        Synthesize information about the expected impact of the most recent healthcare legislation.

CO 5        Compare and contrast technology utilization among the major segments of U.S. healthcare.

Study Materials

You will need the following materials to complete your coursework. Some course materials may be free, open source, or available from other providers. You can access free or open-source materials by clicking the links provided below or in the module details documents. Please visit the following website to purchase course materials: University's textbook supplier.

Required Textbook(s)

• Burns, L. R., & Wharton School Colleagues. (2002). The health care value chain: Producers, purchasers, and providers. San Francisco: Wiley/Jossey Bass.

ISBN: 978-0787960216.

Additional Materials

• Additional articles, videos, and podcasts are linked within individual modules.
• You may find that the journal Health Affairs (www.healthaffairs.org) is a helpful resource.

Optional Text (used in HCM-5000)

• Shi, L., & Singh, D. A. (2019). Delivering health care in America: A systems approach (7th ed.). Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.

ISBN-13: 978-1284124491.

Course Structure

Organization of the Healthcare Value Chain is a 3-credit, 8-week online course consisting of 4 modules. The course includes four discussion forums, four written assignments, a synchronous event involving a team presentation (including an ungraded but required outline), and a final paper. Modules include an overview, topics, learning objectives, study materials, and activities. Module titles are listed below.

• Module 1: Overview of the U.S. Healthcare System.
  Course objectives covered in this module: CO 1, CO 2, CO 3, CO 4.
  
• Module 2: Analysis of Healthcare Intermediaries.
  Course objectives covered in this module: CO 1, CO 2, CO 3, CO 4.
  
• Module 3: Analysis of Healthcare Manufacturers.
  Course objectives covered in this module: CO 1, CO 2, CO 3, CO 4.
  
• Module 4: Analysis of Healthcare Providers.
  Course objectives covered in this module: CO 1, CO 2, CO 3, CO 4.

Assessment Methods

You are required to participate in the following for formal work in the course:

• Write online discussion forum posts.
• Complete written assignments.
• Complete a synchronous event.
• Finish a final project.

See below for details.

Consult the Course Calendar for due dates.

Promoting Originality

One or more of your course activities may utilize a tool designed to promote original work and evaluate your submissions for plagiarism. More information about this tool is available in this Plagiarism Detection Tool Google document.

Discussion Forums

This course requires you to participate in 4 graded discussion forums. There is also one ungraded but required Introductions Forum in Module 1.

You should follow the guidelines for discussion forums below.

1. You are to work to make these as much like an in-class discussion as possible in our online environment.

2. Make your initial posting before you read what others have posted and make your initial posting early.

3. Your comments on the postings of others should be substantive and should move the discussion forward. Comments like “great post” or “I agree” do neither. Your comments should do things like ask or answer questions or provide additional information or examples.

4. Do be positive. Feel free to disagree with each other but not disagreeably.

5. Don’t feel you must have the absolutely correct answer before you can comment. Your job is to be a learner and you are not expected to be an expert.

6. Please proofread before posting.

Written Assignments

You are required to complete 4 written assignments. The written assignments are on a variety of topics associated with the course modules.  

Synchronous Event

You are required to participate in a synchronous event during Week 8 of the semester. You will conduct a team presentation on current proposals for decreasing the cost of prescription drugs and the potential effects of these proposals on all sectors of the HCVC. The synchronous event will be held in Edison Live! , our virtual meeting space. To access the event, click the Collaboration Space link in the Edison Live! section of the course site a few minutes before the designated time. Use the following link for directions and helpful videos about how to use the Edison Live! tool in Moodle. Please review the whole document, but pay particular attention to the section “Transferring Presenter Tools Between Users,” as you will need to use this feature for your team presentation. Your mentor will work with the class to propose a time that works best and accommodates the majority. See the Module 4 section of the course website for further details.

Prior to your group presentation, you will submit a group presentation outline. The presentation outline is not graded but is required.

Final Project

For the Final Project, you will write a 2,000- to 2,750-word paper (8 to 10 pages) exploring the current state of the HCVC, focusing on how increased use of technology has impacted each sector of the U.S. healthcare system. You will consider the benefits and the unintended consequences of current technology trends and summarize how current federal healthcare law and proposed changes will impact (both positively and negatively) each sector. You will relate your findings to the competitive healthcare environment with suggestions to develop and execute healthcare strategy.

Grading and Evaluation

Your grade in the course will be determined as follows:

• 4 online discussions are worth 20% of your final grade.
• 4 written assignments are worth 30% of your final grade.
• A synchronous event is worth 20% of your final grade.
• The final project is worth 30% of your final grade.

All activities will receive a numerical grade of 0–100. You will receive a score of 0 for any work not submitted. Your final grade in the course will be a letter grade. Letter grade equivalents for numerical grades are as follows:

• A is 93 to 100. 
• A minus is 90 to 92.
• B plus is 88 to 89.
• B is 83 to 87.
• C is 73 to 82.
• F is any grade below a 73.

To receive credit for the course, you must earn a letter grade of C or higher on the weighted average of all assigned course work (e.g., assignments, discussion postings, projects). Graduate students must maintain a B average overall to remain in good academic standing.

Strategies for Success

First Steps to Success

To succeed in this course, take the following first steps:

• Read carefully the entire syllabus, making sure that all aspects of the course are clear to you and that you have all the materials required for the course.

• Take time to read the entire Student Handbook. The Handbook answers many questions about how to proceed through the course, how to schedule exams, and how to get the most from your educational experience at Thomas Edison State University.

• Arrange to take your examination(s) by following the instructions in this Syllabus and the Student Handbook.

• Familiarize yourself with the learning management systems environment—how to navigate it and what the various course areas contain. If you know what to expect as you navigate the course, you can better pace yourself and complete the work on time.

• If you are not familiar with web-based learning, be sure to review the processes for posting responses online and submitting assignments before class begins.

Study Tips

Consider the following study tips for success:

• To stay on track throughout the course, begin each week by consulting the Course Calendar. The Course Calendar provides an overview of the course and indicates due dates for submitting assignments, posting discussions, and submitting the final project.

• Check Announcements regularly for new course information.

Using AI Ethically: A Guide for TESU Students

TESU's Academic Code of Conduct permits student AI use in support of their writing and research process—not as a replacement for original writing.

Document AI use with an acknowledgment statement at the end of each assignment, noting the tools and prompts used. Cite any AI-generated content on the References page.

Please review Using AI Ethically: A Guide for TESU Students for more detailed information.

Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Thomas Edison State University recognizes, values, and relies upon the diversity of our community. We strive to provide equitable, inclusive learning experiences that embrace our students’ backgrounds, identities, experiences, abilities, and expertise.

Accessibility and Accomodations

Thomas Edison State University adheres to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA, 1990 and ADAAA, 2008) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.  

The Office of Student Accessibility Services (OSAS) oversees requests for academic accommodations related to disabilities, including:

• A student who is pregnant, postpartum, or parenting a newborn who is not the birth parent [as covered under NJSA18A].
• Students requesting academic accommodation for a short-term or temporary illness.
• TESU students requesting academic accommodation for an injury.

Information can be found on the Office of Student Accessibility Services webpage.

Questions can be sent to ADA@tesu.edu. 

Academic Policies

Familiarize yourself with all administrative and academic policies, including those related to the following list, to ensure success in all your academic endeavors and coursework at Thomas Edison State University:

• Academic integrity.
• Course late submissions. 
• Extensions for the course.
• Grading policies.

For more, see:

• University-wide policies.
• Undergraduate academic policies.
• Undergraduate course policies.
• Graduate academic policies.
• Graduate course policies.
• Nursing student policies.
• Nursing graduate student policies.
• International student policies.
• Academic code of conduct.