MHA Course Highlight - Population Health Systems

Vulnerable Populations: Using PolicyMap for Population Health Analysis

Anne M. Hewitt, PhD, is Acting Chair and Professor of the Dept. of Interprofessional Helath Sciences and Health Administration at Seton Hall University, School of Health and Medical Sciences. She is also the faculty instructor for HCAD 7519: Population Health Management, a required 3 credit course for both online and on-campus students.

During the Fall 2016 semester, Dr. Hewitt integrated a new assignment, "Vulnerable Populations: Using PolicyMap for Population Health Analysis," into her graduate course to help students develop essential analytical skills applicable to real-time health industry decision-making.  The project required students to:

• identify populations at risk,
• develop risk segmentation characteristics and criteria, and
• complete a risk stratification to integrate care plans and management.

The map representation helped students assess risk factors and access to treatment options that would be crucial in planning, preventing and managing at-risk populations.

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The Vulnerable Populations PolicyMap Project helped prepare MHA students to identify populations at risk, develop risk segmentation characteristics, and to complete risk stratification decisions necessary for successful, population-health management strategies.

Project Mentors: Lisa DeLuca, MHA Library Liaison; Beth Bloom, MHA Library Liaison; and Riad Twal, TLTC Instructional Designer.

MHA students enrolled in Fall 2016 course – HCAD 7518 Community and Population Health Management (Online [N = 28] and On-campus [N = 28]).

Project Goals:

• MHA students (online and on-campus) will complete a vulnerable populations presentation (PowerPoint) focusing on the characteristics and identity of the particular sub-population group.
• MHA students will use their vulnerable population overview to identify an at-risk population and complete one PolicyMap per student to illustrate the relationship between an at-risk population and a social determinant or health-status impact factor.
• Each MHA group will develop a PowerPoint PolicyMap presentation and synthesize their findings.