Welcome to the 2017 offering of the Health Consumers Engagement Professional Certificate.   There are two courses in this Professional Certificate:

Course 1 (theory): Health Consumer Engagement – Best Evidence, Policy and Practice for Health

Course 2 (application): Health Consumer Engagement – Application of Best Evidence in Health.

 

This Professional Certificate is the result of a valued collaboration between the International Centre for Allied Health Evidence, University of South Australia, and Health Consumers Alliance SA.  It provides a rare opportunity for sharing knowledge and learning.  The course provides the opportunity for healthcare professionals to learn more about consumer engagement, where consumers can learn about engagement in healthcare, and for consumers who do not have formal health training can learn more about health consumer advocacy.  All students will learn more about research designs, how to read research critically and how to improve health literacy, consumer evidence production, evidence evaluation and application in shared decision-making.  

 

This Course Outline refers to Course 1 in the Professional Certificate.

 

Students should expect to spend approximately 160 hours during their enrollment in SCHLS 9008. This includes attendance at the face to face delivery components (scheduled for April 27-28), participation in online activities, completion of assessment tasks, and self-directed, independent course-related reading, research and reflection.  Students should aim to set aside 10-15 hours per week for this course, to allow sufficient time for reading and reflection, and to make full use of the Discussion Board.  Online learning requires students to engage with others in the class, and the course lecturing staff, mostly via the Discussion Boards.  The more posts that students put on the Discussion Board, and the more they respond to other students' posts, the greater their contribution will be to the class, and to their own learning.  Many students attempting an online course for the first time feel uncertain regarding posting questions or responses on the Discussion Board.  Think about this as if you were in class, asking a question, or volunteering an answer.  You may not be absolutely correct in your answer (or there may not be one right answer), but the Discussion Board provides you with a way of presenting your insights and thoughts that will help others, and yourself.   For many students who are unable to attend University campus for reasons of geography, health or family responsibilities, online learning offers the only way to interact with peers and lecturers.  Make the online environment work for you by engaging with it.  The only things we ask are that your posts are well written (please no abbreviated texting language), respectful to others and their views, focused in terms of contribution, and collaborative.  You will all bring important backgrounds and life experiences to this course.

 

Students are encouraged to develop 'buddy pairs' so that they can complete Assignments 2 and 3 with maximum learning outcomes. Ideally the buddies will be students from different backgrounds (eg a consumer and a healthcare provider / manager).  You might consider enrolling in the course with your buddy already identified (the buddies both have to be enrolled in the course) or you might find someone 'online' (sounds like dating??) when you first introduce yourself virtually to the rest of the class. 

 

If you wish, you do not have to undertake the assignments set for this course, and you will receive a Certificate of Participation on course completion.   However, there are many advantages to completing the assignments, and thus all students  are actively encouraged to do so.  By completing the assignments and receiving a Pass mark (or better), you will complete the course to the satisfaction of the University of South Australia.  Doing the assignments helps you to consolidate what you learnt in the course.  It also gives you a Certificate of Completion at course end, and it will give you 4.5 credit points towards the Professional Certificate, as well as to the overarching Masters of Health, University of South Australia.  If you complete the second course in this Professional Certificate, you will have 13.5 credit points in total towards this Masters degree.  We look forward to seeing you all continuing in study!  Good luck in the course and looking forward to being part of the learning journey.

 

Ms Janice Kooymans

International Centre for Allied Health Evidence 

University of South Australia

P4-18

janice.kooymans@unisa.edu.au

icahe@unisa.edu.au

 

Mr Heath Pillen

Course tutor

International Centre for Allied Health Evidence
University of South Australia
P4-18
heath.pillen@unisa.edu.au

There are no prerequisite courses to be completed before this course can be undertaken.

There are no corequisite courses to be completed in conjunction with this course.

The aim of this course is to provide students with the best research and frameworks for consumer engagement in health service governance, policy and practice and shared decision making in patient care.  Course participants will identify evidence-based consumer engagement policy and practice principles and  reflect on and challenge current practice using  best evidence, and policy and practice frameworks, to inform the design of consumer engagement  intervention to enhance health outcomes.

On completion of this course, students should be able to:

CO1. Understand the history and application of best research evidence for consumer engagement in health sector governance, policy and practice and in clinical patient care.

CO2. Identify evidence-informed principles for best practice health consumer engagement

CO3. Debate and advocate for best practice health consumer engagement in health services and clinical care.

CO4. Design and advocate for a workplace project that incorporates best practice health consumer engagement.

Upon completion of this course, students will have achieved the following combination of Graduate Qualities and Course Objectives:

A graduate of UniSA:

GQ1. operates effectively with and upon a body of knowledge of sufficient depth to begin professional practice

GQ2. is prepared for life-long learning in pursuit of personal development and excellence in professional practice

GQ3. is an effective problem solver, capable of applying logical, critical, and creative thinking to a range of problems

GQ4. can work both autonomously and collaboratively as a professional

GQ5. is committed to ethical action and social responsibility as a professional and citizen

GQ6. communicates effectively in professional practice and as a member of the community

GQ7. demonstrates international perspectives as a professional and as a citizen

Health consumer engagement policy and best evidence: Safety and Quality Standards, consumer centred care, health literacy, co-design, co-delivery and co-evaluation in health service delivery; principles of effective consumer engagement in clinical patient care: what the evidence says, what consumers say, ethics, informed consent, informed financial consent and shared decision making; principles of consumer engagement in systems change; health system enablers of and barriers to consumer engagement; interactive session with consumer representatives working in public and private system governance in a range of communities including vulnerable communities; planning and advocacy for evidence-based consumer interventions; evidence based practice in consumer engagement in patient care; Evidence based practice in consumer engagement in systems change.

4.5 units

There are no additional assessment requirements identified for this course.

This course consists of fortnightly online lectures with readings, reflections and discussion board use in between; and an intensive face-to-face program held on 27th and 28th April at City West Campus, UniSA.  

 

Students should access the online lectures and readings, and the discussion boards, from the Course Home Page.  Students can complete the lecture and discussion requirements at any time throughout the course.  It is recommended however, that students stay up to date with the course timetable, as each lecture will add to knowledge from the last one.  

 

The intensive face-to-face course will be recorded, and students who cannot attend any section, or all of it, can access the lectures online.  It is recommended however, that for maximum learning opportunities, students try to attend.  

For reference, the room bookings for the face-to-face aspect of the course are: 

 

27th April 

9am-11am  P5-34

11am-3pm  P5-15

2pm-3pm  P3-33 and P3-34 (computer pools) booked if we need them

3pm-5pm     C7-08

 

28th April 

9am-5pm          BJ2-17

2pm-3pm P3-33 and P3-34 (computer pools) booked if we need them

 

P represents the Playford Building on the City East Campus.  BJ is the Bonython Jubilee Building on City East Campus.  As long as students navigate correctly to the first room on 27th April at 9am, the rest will be easy.  

 

We have booked computer pools for a number of reasons, but their use is optional. The librarian will be providing basic training in using library databases, so some students may want to practice searching for themselves for information in a topic area of interest.   Enrollment in this course gives you access to the library databases, and these can be accessed remotely from your home/ work computer.  Other students may want assistance with using MSWord or MSPowerpoint so they can complete their assignments.  

 

There are no textbooks listed for this course.

All materials for this course will be provided online. Additional material may be provided, as required, at the face-to-face intensive workshop. 

All other course related materials can be accessed through your learnonline course site which you will be able to access from the my Courses section in myUniSA.

All study related materials can be accessed through: https://my.unisa.edu.au

Details of assessment submission and return are listed under each assessment task. Assessment tasks will be returned to you within two to three weeks of submission.

If the Course Coordinator allows submissions in hard copy format, you will be required to attach an Assignment Cover Sheet which is available on the learnonline student help and in myUniSA.

This course will involve the production of audio and/or video recordings of UniSA students. To protect student privacy, you must not at any time disclose, reproduce or publish these recordings, or related material, in the public domain including online, unless the videoed students give consent for reproduction, disclosure or publication. This requirement is consistent with University statutes, by-laws, policies, rules and guidelines which you agreed to abide by when you signed the Student Enrolment Declaration.

The feedback proforma is available on your course site.

Assessment #1 – Reflection on Learning and Implications for Practice (Graded)

Students are encouraged to maintain a reflective journal throughout the course and to use this as background material to assist in writing this assignment.
This assignment is a reflective essay (i.e. follows a basic essay format that includes an introduction, body, and conclusion) that requires students to summarise and critically examine their own learnings from the course and relate these learnings to their role as a consumer advocate, project officer, healthcare practitioner, etc. Important points to consider within this assignment include:
What is your current role and how this relates to consumer engagement?
What did you learn from the course?
Why was this learning significant for you?
How did you relate to this learning before the course?
How will these learnings change your future conduct?
What do you think might prevent or help you in actioning these learnings?
What else is required in order to promote change?
What are your next steps in actioning these learnings?
You can choose how many key learnings you discuss, which could vary from one to five ideas or concepts that you found personally meaningful.
Total word length: 1000 words (+/- maximum of 10%), references or in-text citations not included in word count.

The assignment will be marked for clarity of thought (10 marks), logicality of presentation (10 marks), how you demonstrate the value of what you have learnt, (10 marks), how you could use this knowledge going forward (10 marks), and evidence of personal reflection (10 marks). Assessment is not based on the content of your essay per se, but rather on your ability to reflect on your experiences in a logical and productive way.

 

Assessment #2 – Self-Directed Investigation into Consumer Engagement Strategies (Graded)

There are several choices for this assignment. Although several options are listed, the intention is that this assignment will be used as an opportunity to explore issues or conduct work that is useful for yourself and/or your role. The only requirements is that it relates to at least some component of coursework, follows a basic essay format, and meets academic standards for writing and referencing.

 

Options include:
Review consumer engagement and governance arrangements in your work place, discuss strengths and weakness of these using what you have learned in the course and include suggested strategies to enhance these structures, linking with literature from the course. You may want to use Standard 2 of the ACSQHC National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards to guide this inquiry.

 

OR

Consider how the views of consumers could be sought about a health issue of your choosing. Explain:
- what research approach you would use (quantitative/qualitative/participatory inquiry);
- how you would sample and recruit study participants;
- what data collection tools you would use and how will the data be collected;
- how results would be analysed;
- who you would need to obtain ethics approval from; and,
- how you would promote a consumer voice throughout the research process and how will consumers benefit from the research.

   

OR

Conduct a review of 3-5 quantitative or qualitative studies that present consumer perspectives for a health issue of your choice. Within this review:
- Provide details of your research question according to a PICO (or similar) format;
- Provide details of how you went about your search (which databases you used, what search terms were used, dates of the searches, inclusion and exclusion criteria, etc);
- Summarise your results, alongside an appraisal of the quality of included studies;
- Provide an interpretation of your results, with references to course materials and other literature; and,
- Provide recommendations for required actions given these findings.

OR

 

As a consumer of healthcare, describe how you would go about communicating your needs to your healthcare provider, health services, and the broader State/Australian healthcare system, using consumer engagement frameworks as a guide to action. With reference to the literature and your own experiences, anticipate what barriers you might face, how you might overcome these, and what opportunities for action currently exist.

OR

 

Negotiate a self-directed assignment with the course coordinator (which meets the assignment requirements). This may be a piece of work that assists you to deal with a current (real-life) situation in your workplace.

Total word length: 3000 words (+/- maximum of 10%), references or in-text citations not included in word count.
The assignment will be marked for clarity of thought (10 marks), logicality of presentation (10 marks), reference to course materials and other literature, (10 marks), content accuracy (10 marks), and adherence to academic conventions of essay writing, spelling and grammar, and referencing (10 marks).

 

 

Write a MS Powerpoint presentation of 7-8 slides, outlining the methods, results and discussion of the work you undertook in Assignment 2.  Using a headset, 'voice over' your presentation and save it as a podcast.  The presentation should go no longer than 10 minutes in total (allowing 1-1.5 mins per slide).  Upload your presentation on the Discussion Board.  Review and comment on the podcasts posted by five other students.  Comments should be constructive and could address:

 

• Clarity of visual presentation
• Clarity of spoken presentation
• The perceived value of the assignment in improving knowledge, skills, behaviours and/ or uptake of practice more broadly in consumer health engagement
• Ways in which the assignment could be progressed into something bigger

 

Students who experience difficulties in completing the assignments are encouraged to speak to the course coordinator Prof Karen Grimmer, or the class tutor (Heath Pillen), to negotiate alternative ways of completing the assignments to everyone's satisfaction.  The assignments are designed to provide you with practical opportunities to apply your new knowledge and skills.  They are not designed to be academically intimidating or unachievable.  Students who are concerned regarding the course or the assignments are most welcome to telephone or email the teaching staff.  

N/A

Supplementary assessment or examination offers students an opportunity to gain a supplementary pass (SP) and is available to all students under the following conditions unless supplementary assessment or examination has not been approved for the course:

1. if the student has achieved a final grade between 45-49 per cent (F1) in a course
2. if a student who has successfully completed all of the courses within their program, with the exception of two courses in their final study period, a supplementary assessment or examination may be granted where the final grade in either or both of these courses, is less than 45 percent (F1 or F2)

More information about supplementary assessment is available in section 7.5 of the Assessment Policy and Procedures Manual.
http://w3.unisa.edu.au/policies/manual/default.asp

All students must adhere to the University of South Australia's policies about assessment:
http://w3.unisa.edu.au/policies/manual/default.asp.

Student with disabilities or medical conditions or students who are carers may be entitled to a variation or modification to standard assessment arrangements.  See Section 7 of the Assessment Policy and Procedures Manual (APPM) at:  http://w3.unisa.edu.au/policies/manual/default.asp

Students can register for an Access Plan with UniSA Disability Service. It is important to make contact early to ensure that appropriate support can be implemented or arranged in a timely manner. See the Disability Hub for more information:  http://www.unisa.edu.au/Disability/Current-students

Students are advised there is a deadline to finalise Access Plan arrangements for examinations. Further information is available at:  http://i.unisa.edu.au/campus-central/Exams_R/Before-the-Exam/Alternative-exam-arrangements/

Delete all bold text and the statement below which is not applicable to your course 

STATEMENT 1

 

Deferred assessment or examination is available for the course

 

 

 

Delete all bold text and either statement 1 or 2 below (the one not applicable to your course). One statement MUST remain and no extra text is to be added. 

STATEMENT 1 

 

Special consideration is available for this course. Note: Special consideration cannot be granted for a deferred assessment or examination, or a supplementary assessment or examination. APPM 7.7.6

 

Variation to assessment methods, tasks and timelines may be provided in:

Unexpected or exceptional circumstances, for example bereavement, unexpected illness (details of unexpected or exceptional circumstances for which variation may be considered are discussed in clauses 7.8 - 7.10 of the Assessment Policy and Procedures Manual). Variation to assessment in unexpected or exceptional circumstances should be discussed with your course coordinator as soon as possible.

Special circumstances, for example religious observance grounds, or community services (details of special circumstances for which variation can be considered are discussed in clause 7.11 of the Assessment Policy and Procedures Manual). Variations to assessment in expected circumstances must be requested within the first two weeks of the course (or equivalent for accelerated or intensive teaching).

 

  

Extra time in exams (ENTEXT) and the use of a dictionary may be available to some students (for example, Indigenous Australian students and those of non-English speaking background) as follows:

• extra time for reading or writing. This will be an extra ten minutes per hour for every hour of standard examination time, and
• the use of an English language or bilingual print dictionary (without annotations). (APPM 7.2.2)

More information about variation to assessment is available in section 7.2 of the Assessment Policy and Procedures Manual. http://w3.unisa.edu.au/policies/manual/default.asp (section 7)

Marked assignments will be sent back to students as soon as possible (aiming for 10 days after assignment completion), so that students have feedback to assist them to complete the course.

Academic integrity is the foundation of university life and is fundamental to the reputation of UniSA and its staff and students. Academic integrity means a commitment by all staff and students to act with honesty, trustworthiness, fairness, respect and responsibility in all academic work.

An important part of practising integrity in academic work is showing respect for other people's ideas, and being honest about how they have contributed to your work. This means taking care not to represent the work of others as your own. Using another person's work without proper acknowledgement is considered Academic Misconduct, and the University takes this very seriously.

The University of South Australia expects students to demonstrate the highest standards of academic integrity so that its degrees are earned honestly and are trusted and valued by its students and their employers. To ensure this happens, the University has policies and procedures in place to promote academic integrity and manage academic misconduct. For example, work submitted electronically by students for assessment will be examined for copied and un-referenced text using the text comparison software Turnitin http://www.turnitin.com.

More information about academic integrity and what constitutes academic misconduct can be found in Section 9 of the Assessment Policies and Procedures Manual (APPM): http://w3.unisa.edu.au/policies/manual/default.asp. The Academic Integrity Module explains in more detail how students can work with integrity at the University: https://lo.unisa.edu.au/mod/book/view.php?id=252142

See above under Assessment details.

Marks are given in all assignments for effort, logic, application of knowledge to real life situations, clear thinking and a commitment to communicating ideas to others.  Students are encouraged to present the assignments in well written, clear English, and to minimise spelling mistakes.   In Assignment 2, where a buddy pair is used, please acknowledge the role your buddy played, particularly when he/she provided an opposing point of view which assisted you to extend your own thinking, and reading, in order to provide answers. 

The information below show the suggested alterations/considerations for assessment items and exam dependent on the duration of the unplanned  outage

 

less than 1 hour outage. No impact on assessment