11Mar

Case Studies: What are they? Why use them? How to write and teach them?

Although case studies are used in health policy and systems teaching, some educators are not comfortable with case study teaching, while others remain unaware of cases' value in achieving important educational objectives. Even educators who buy into their value and are already using them could benefit from reflection in order to improve their practice.

For these reasons, we have developed an accessible and easy-to-navigate guidance document that summarises the educational approach underpinning case studies, defines and describes different types of case studies, makes the case for using them, and gives advice on how to teach and write case studies to achieve good results.

Featured Resources

Reference Materials

Report: Strengthening health policy and systems courses to support health leadership and management development

This report covers a joint RESYST-CHEPSAA workshop that was held in Johannesburg, South Africa, from 4-6 April 2018. It provides a record of the meeting, which can be useful to others who are thinking about developing their courses to make them more relevant to leaders and managers. It also contains other resources such as useful readings about leadership and management, and descriptions of some of the more interesting facilitation techniques used during the meeting.

Adaptations to Introduction to Health Policy and Systems Research module

Adaptations to CHEPSAA's course Introduction to Health Policy and Systems Research, plus the associated teaching materials. Based on a short course by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and West China Research Centre for Rural Health Development.

Promoting equitable access to health care for households

The case studies present participants with an equity ‘lens’ through which to view the challenges of promoting health system access, focussing attention on households’ experience of illness and health service access with facilitator notes.