An undergraduate course.

This course will appeal to anyone – lay or professional – who has an interest in health issues such as childbirth, the influence of stress, housing and employment on health, the role of complementary medicine, the debate about the relative importance of individual lifestyles and wider public health concerns, and the implication of changes in the NHS. You will explore everyday aspects of health in different cultural, historical and policy settings; consider some radical ways of enhancing health and health care; appreciate different models of health; and review your own and alternative standpoints.

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What you will study

Health is increasingly ‘everybody’s business’. K203 will provide you with insight into the debates that surround human health, and:

• encourage you to develop knowledge and understanding of medical, psychological, sociological, political and cultural perspectives on health
• help you to explore and review your own and alternative standpoints and values in health work
• enable you to reflect on your own practice, or other health-related activities, in the light of different models of health
• develop your ability to make critical analyses of health policy and practice in relation to different models of health
• encourage you to reflect on the risks and tensions that appear as health moves onto wider public agendas.

There are five blocks of study.

Visions and values of health work introduces the idea that health is everywhere, and examines different accounts of health. The rise and dominance of the medical model of health is explored, and challenges to it are analysed. We debate the coexistence of different health accounts, and explore the implication of different visions of health for knowledge and practice. The block concludes with a study of childbirth that contextualises and debates the visions and values of health already discussed.

Working for health in everyday life explores the relationships between everyday experiences and health. The block begins by examining body image and maintenance, and goes on to look at the role of positive and negative life events, and in particular stress, in promoting and maintaining health, and at ways in which relationships determine health and well-being. The conditions of life (such as housing, employment) and their effects on health are considered, and the block concludes by critically examining ways in which individual lifestyles are a focus for promoting health and well-being.

Exploring health and illness care extends the discussion of structural and theoretical concepts of health by looking at their relationship to the practice of health and illness care within a social model of health. Ways in which individuals take care of themselves are examined, as well as concepts of caring, curing and prevention. We draw on examples from a wide range of acute and chronic illness to explore issues of gender, class, culture and age-sensitive care in professional practice. The block ends by reviewing the themes of self-health, caring, curing and prevention in a framework of mental health.

Towards a social model of health policy and provision looks at health care systems in the NHS, particularly primary and secondary care and the interface with the ‘new’ public health. We ask how the participation of users affects policymaking and the provision of health care, and we explore public health initiatives (health action zones, health improvement programmes, healthy living centres) and their role in wider social policy agendas. After analysing the unequal distribution of health, health care and social exclusion, we assess the strategies to tackle inequality in health. Finally, transport serves as a means for examining the health implications of public policy decision making, and debating the need for inter-sectoral and inter-agency working for health.

Health on wider agendas begins by analysing the role of complementary and alternative medicine and its relationship to the NHS. Global issues in the wider international community are also explored, and the course concludes by looking forward to future health work, examining some recent developments, including technological innovations, that challenge traditional health care practice.

Entry

K203 is a Level 2 course and you need to have knowledge of the subject area, obtained either through Level 1 study (our Level 1 course An introduction to health and social care (K101) would be ideal preparation) or by doing equivalent work at another university.  

If you have any doubt about the suitability of the course, please contact our Student Registration & Enquiry Service.

Preparatory work

You will receive guidance of how to get started online in your first course mailing. This will provide you with information on using your computer for OU study and working with the Computing Guide. If you have time before the course starts, you can work through this and explore all the online services available to you.

Regulations

As a student of The Open University, you should be aware of the content of the Module Regulations and the Student Regulations which are available on our Essential documents website.

If you have a disability

Written transcripts of any audio components and Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) versions of printed material are available. Some Adobe PDF components may not be available or fully accessible using a screen reader. The printed study materials are available in the DAISY Digital Talking Book format. Other alternative formats of the study materials may be available in the future. Our Services for disabled students website has the latest information about availability.

Study materials

What's included

Course books, other printed materials, audio CDs and DVD. You will have access to a website through which teaching and library resources are available. Electronic versions of most of the printed study materials are also provided on the website.

You will need

A CD player, a DVD player.

The audio-visual components of this course are delivered on a DVD that will play on a standard DVD player and television. If you want to view this on a computer, it will need a DVD-ROM drive and software for viewing DVDs.

Computing requirements

You will need a computer with internet access to study this course as it includes online activities, which you can access using a web browser.

• If you have purchased a new desktop or laptop computer since 2007 you should have no problems completing the online activities.
• If you’ve got a netbook, tablet or other mobile computing device check our Technical requirements section.
• If you use an Apple Mac you will need OS X 10.6 or later.

You can also visit the Technical requirements section for further computing information including the details of the support we provide.

Teaching and assessment

Support from your tutor

You will have a tutor who will help you with the study material and mark and comment on your written work, and whom you can ask for advice and guidance. We may also be able to offer group tutorials or day schools that you are encouraged to attend. Where your tutorials are held will depend on the distribution of students taking the course.  

Contact our Student Registration & Enquiry Service if you want to know more about study with The Open University before you register.

Assessment

The assessment details for this course can be found in the facts box above.

You will be expected to submit your tutor-marked assignments (TMAs) online through the eTMA system unless there are some difficulties which prevent you from doing so. In these circumstances, you must negotiate with your tutor to get their agreement to submit your assignment on paper.

Professional recognition

This course can make a significant contribution to the continuing professional development of nursing practitioners and will be mapped against the NHS Knowledge and Skills Framework.

Future availability

The details given here are for the course that starts in October 2012 when it will be available for the last time. It will be replaced by Health and illness (K213) in October 2013.

Students also studied

Students who studied this course also studied at some time:

• An introduction to health and social care (K101)
• Adult health, social care and wellbeing (K217)
• Challenging ideas in mental health (K272)
• Human biology (SK277)
• Death and dying (K260)

How to register

We regret that we are currently unable to accept registrations for this course. Where the course is to be presented again in the future, relevant registration information will be displayed on this page as soon as it becomes available.

Student Reviews

Distance learning

The Open University is the world’s leading provider of flexible, high quality distance learning. Unlike other universities we are not campus based. You will study in a flexible way that works for you whether you’re at home, at work or on the move. As an OU student you’ll be supported throughout your studies – your tutor or study adviser will guide and advise you, offer detailed feedback on your assignments, and help with any study issues. Tuition might be in face-to-face groups, via online tutorials, or by phone.

For more information read Distance learning explained.

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