Courses Taught by Minal Patel

HBHEQ641: Materials And Methods In Health Education Programs

  • Graduate level
  • Residential
  • Winter term(s) for residential students;
  • 3 credit hour(s) for residential students;
  • Instructor(s): Minal Patel (Residential);
  • Offered every year
  • Prerequisites: Perm. Instr.
  • Description: This course provides a hands-on experiential learning process to build understanding of effective design and use of health communication materials through both individual assignments and a team-based project conducted in cooperation with community-based organizations in the Southeast Michigan area. Students will learn how to identify and choose among different goals for health communication materials, to systematically analyze the target audience, and to develop personas to represent the audience during the development process. Students will also develop practical writing skills, learn how to involve the target audience in the material development process, and consider how best to evaluate the effectiveness of health communication materials. In the process, the course introduces students to the issues of health literacy, numeracy, and cultural humility as related to the design of public health communication strategies.

PUBHLTH319: 360-degree Perspective On The Experience Of Chronic Illness In America

  • Undergraduate level
  • Residential
  • Winter term(s) for residential students;
  • 3 credit hour(s) for residential students;
  • Instructor(s): Minal Patel (Residential);
  • Prerequisites: NA
  • Advisory Prerequisites: NA
  • Description: This experiential service learning course partners with Lori's Hands to provide hands-on community engagement with chronic illness patients. Students develop patient advocacy skills, learn disease management complexities, explore social determinants of health, and provide in-home assistance while gaining cultural humility and understanding of healthcare delivery systems.
  • Learning Objectives: -Demonstrate comprehensive understanding of self-management modalities, and psychosocial impacts of major chronic illnesses -Demonstrate competency in developing educational, mutually respectful partnerships with clients that transcend differences in age, health, or socioeconomic status. -Analyze the roles and challenges of formal and informal caregivers in chronic disease management and identify strategies to support caregiver well-being. -Evaluate the concrete realities and abstract identity changes that accompany chronic illness diagnosis and management for both patients and their families. -Assess the diverse roles and responsibilities of healthcare providers within the American healthcare delivery system. -Assess/understand the role of community resources in supporting patients and in the healthcare system -Critically examine the concept of "home" as it relates to healthcare delivery, aging in place, and quality of life for individuals with chronic conditions