Public Health Policy: Issues, Theories, and Advocacy offers students an engaging and innovative introduction to public health policy: its purpose, how it is originated, and how it is implemented. The book describes the underlying theories and frameworks as well as practical analytical tools needed for effective advocacy and communication. Drawing on the multidisciplinary nature of public health, the book uses concepts and examples from epidemiology, law, economics, political science, and ethics to examine the policymaking process, explain positions pro or con, and develop materials for various audiences to further a public health policy intervention. In addition, Public Health Policy shows how policymaking is a complex and integrated top-down and bottoms-up process that embraces a myriad of public and private stakeholders.

Written by a highly experienced health policy researcher and teacher, the book is rich in resources that will enhance teaching and learning. Each chapter begins with an overview of the chapter, including core terms and concepts, and includes illustrative examples of how the highlighted component (law, ethics, economics, politics, epidemiology, and medicine) intersects with public health. Discussion questions at the end of every chapter, along with an interview from an expert from each of the component fields, give real-world perspectives on how that particular subject relates to the overall topic. The book also contains 13 case studies that illustrate the framework discussed in the first part of the book, and show how the different components link to create, sustain, evaluate, or obstruct the development of public health policy. Also included are primers on two essential policy tools: how to write research policy briefs, and how to craft effective letters to an editor, including examples of both drawn from the author's publications in journals and newspapers.

Dhrubajyoti (Dru) Bhattacharya, JD, MPH, LLM, is an assistant professor of health policy in the Department of Public Health Sciences at the Stritch School of Medicine, Loyola University Chicago, and a visiting professor of law at the Loyola School of Law.

Author Bio

Introduction

Part I: Building a Framework for Conducting a Multi-Disciplinary Analysis

1. THE ROLE OF LAW: AGENCIES, LEGISLATORS, COURTS, AND THE CONSTITUTION

2. THE ROLE OF EPIDEMIOLOGY AND MEDICINE: DIAGNOSIS, PREVENTION, CONTROL, AND EVALUATION

3. THE ROLE OF ECONOMICS: THEORIES, MODELING, AND EVALUATION

4. THE ROLE OF POLITICS: PLAYERS, PROCESSES, AND POWER

5. THE ROLE OF ETHICS: Historical, Contemporary, and Future Perspectives

Part II: Case Studies on Select Topics and Strategies

6. HIV Criminalization

7. Clean Water and Mosquito Control

8. HPV Vaccination

9. SCHIP and Children With Special Healthcare Needs (CSHCN)

10. Overweight and Obesity

11. Breast-cancer screening

12. Medical transportation – local research focus

13. Medical transportation – local practice focus

14. TAXES, POLITICS, AND PUBLIC HEALTH POLICY—A LOOK BACK AT THE 2008 PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN

15. SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM AND MODIFYING BEHAVIOR CHANGE

16. Medical readmissions and the Affordable Care Act

17. Tobacco control AND CESSATION PROGRAMS

18. Emergency preparedness and infectious diseases

Part III: Advocacy

19. Primer on Research Policy Brief

20. Primer on Writing Effective Letters to an Editor

Index