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University home | Catalogues for 2002/03 | for UGs | for PGs |
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Healthcare Informatics: Postgraduate Unit Catalogue, 2002/03 |
XX50144: Health informatics - an overview |
| Credits: 6 |
| Level: Masters |
| Modular: no specific semester |
| Assessment: ES100 |
| Requisites: |
| Aims & Learning Objectives: * Introduce the history and development of informatics as a specialty and its role and adoption in healthcare * Distinguish between data, information and knowledge and to promote an understanding of their hierarchical interrelationship * Set the scene for an electronic patient record that draws on all areas of healthcare informatics. On completion of this unit students will be able to: * Appraise the influences of history and policy on the current position of informatics as a specialty within healthcare * Describe the data-knowledge hierarchy and explain its relevance to healthcare issues * Analyse the concept of the electronic patient record as a linking structure between all areas of informatics. Content: This unit will introduce the student to the concept and history of informatics and explore its place in society and healthcare. This will include the following topics: * What is health informatics * The national and global context for healthcare informatics * The hierarchy of data, information, knowledge and its significance in healthcare * The development of the EPR and its relationship to all other aspects of healthcare informatics |
XX50145: Techniques for research, evaluation & information retreival & analysis |
| Credits: 6 |
| Level: Masters |
| Modular: no specific semester |
| Assessment: ES100 |
| Requisites: |
| Aims & Learning Objectives: * Introduce key research concepts applicable to healthcare informatics * Define key strategies for finding and evaluating information sources * Introduce the key statistical concepts and techniques relevant to healthcare informatics. On completion of this unit students will be able to: * Identify and critically appraise appropriate sources of research information * Demonstrate understanding of the use of different research techniques used in healthcare * Demonstrate an ability to apply fundamental statistical concepts used in healthcare audit and research. Content: This unit will introduce the student to the main tools that are used in information management and explore why they are of importance to the healthcare professional. This will include the following topics: * Searching for information and appraisal skills * Qualitative methods (questionnaire, focus groups, interviews (structured & unstructured), ethnographic analysis) * Quantitative assessment and questionnaire design * Needs assessment - and tools to achieve this * Requirements analysis * Modelling - testing hypothesis * Research statistics * Audit. The unit leads naturally into the Applied Research Methods Unit in which where students will focus in detail on the appropriate use and evidence for effectiveness of specific methods as applied to their research projects. |
XX50146: Knowledge, information & data |
| Credits: 6 |
| Level: Masters |
| Modular: no specific semester |
| Assessment: ES100 |
| Requisites: |
| Before taking this unit you must take XX50144 and take XX50145 |
| Aims & Learning Objectives: * Examine the coding, classification and storage of data with a study of the systems and quality assurance processes that are in place * Study the implications of storing personal and confidential data and the strategies required in healthcare. On completion of this unit students will be able to: * Explain the principles of data storage and data interpretation * Critically appraise systems for information management in healthcare including issues of quality assurance * Advise on the issues of data protection and confidentiality legislation in relation to the electronic healthcare environment. Content: In addition to exploring the philosophy of knowledge, this unit explores some of the practical issues encountered throughout healthcare and will enable the student to discuss strategies for the secure management of data. This will include the following topics: * Derivation and interpretation of information and knowledge * Data collection in healthcare * Data quality and Coding * Data protection, security and confidentiality. |
XX50147: Effective communication |
| Credits: 6 |
| Level: Masters |
| Modular: no specific semester |
| Assessment: ES100 |
| Requisites: |
| Before taking this unit you must take XX50144 and take XX50145 |
| Aims & Learning Objectives: * Provide an overview of the theoretical aspects of communication and the process of communication with patients and in healthcare organisations * Outline the effective use of technology in healthcare communication * Introduce the concept of data exchange and the importance of standards to facilitate data transfer. On completion of this unit students will be able to: * Distinguish between the main theories of communication and their relevance to communication with patients and colleagues in the healthcare environment * Analyse the uses of technology for communication in a healthcare environment * Explain the significance of, and main standards pertaining to, data exchange in healthcare informatics. Content: Communication in healthcare ranges from the professional - patient interaction to the silent exchange of data between two computers. This unit explores the full range and the role of communication within a modern healthcare system. This will include the following topics: * Communication theories and their application in healthcare communication * Effective use of technology and communication of information through different media * Data exchange and standards. |
XX50148: Remote healthcare |
| Credits: 6 |
| Level: Masters |
| Modular: no specific semester |
| Assessment: ES100 |
| Requisites: |
| Before taking this unit you must take XX50144 and take XX50145 |
| Aims & Learning Objectives: Provide a grounding in the technology used in telemedicine and possible future developments Demonstrate the use of a defined question set to analyse the requirements and planning for a telemedicine service. On completion of this unit students will be able to: Critically analyse the requirements for a remote healthcare service using a structured methodology for resource planning and strategy * Describe current and analyse possible developments for telemedicine technology. Content: Access to healthcare has been highly dependant on distance from a major conurbation, but with the advent of technology and the potential for rapid dissemination of data and information, this dependency is changing. This unit examines the strategy and planning required for the implementation of telemedicine and remote healthcare systems and explores the many issues, political and practical. This will include the following topics: * Communication systems and networks * Telemedicine systems and technology * Virtual consultations * Resource planning and strategy |
XX50149: Clinical systems |
| Credits: 6 |
| Level: Masters |
| Modular: no specific semester |
| Assessment: ES100 |
| Requisites: |
| Before taking this unit you must take XX50144 and take XX50145 |
| Aims & Learning Objectives: * Define key techniques and modelling methodologies for system analysis and design * Explore the application of decision support systems in patient care * Outline the development and issues relating to implementation of the EHR. On completion of this unit students will be able to: * Develop, analyse and evaluate a system using modelling techniques * Evaluate the role and application of decision support in clinical systems to improve patient care * Discuss the significance of and issues relating to the implementation of the EHR. Content: The design and management of systems and processes has led to debate since the beginning of time. Any healthcare environment brings its own unique challenges to the systems designer, and this unit explores how systems in healthcare may be modelled and how systems can be built in to enhance the healthcare process. This will include the following topics: * System development and analysis using modelling techniques * Decision support systems * EHR - longitudinal health record |
XX50150: Governance & organisational change |
| Credits: 6 |
| Level: Masters |
| Modular: no specific semester |
| Assessment: ES100 |
| Requisites: |
| Before taking this unit you must take XX50144 and take XX50145 |
| Aims & Learning Objectives: * Define the term governance and explore the history of the process * Explore the ways in which the healthcare organisation develops and changes and what factors influence this process. On completion of this unit students will be able to: * Define the role of governance in a modern healthcare system * Analyse the role of audit in the implementation of organisational change * Develop the concept of healthcare as a "learning organisation". Content: Healthcare is provided by a wide range of highly skilled independent healthcare professionals, but of supreme importance is the maintenance of standards, not only within a healthcare unit, but also between units. This unit explores the issues of regulation, risk management and change in practice. This will include the following topics: * Introduction to clinical governance * Implications of clinical governance on HI and vice-versa * Changing practice * Organisational change * Risk analysis * Health process re-engineering * How informatics enables learning organisation |
XX50151: Patient informatics |
| Credits: 6 |
| Level: Masters |
| Modular: no specific semester |
| Assessment: ES100 |
| Requisites: |
| Before taking this unit you must take XX50144 and take XX50145 |
| Aims & Learning Objectives: * Define the concept of the "informed patient" and its relationship to the development of patient informatics * Define the fundamental aspects of Evidence Based Practice and its contribution to patient care * Outline the possibilities and issues for using technology to facilitate patient access to information. On completion of this unit students will be able to: * Explain and discuss the elements contributing to the "informed patient" * Explain the significance of critical appraisal and evaluation of information for evidence based practice * Analyse the issues related to using technology to integrate information into practice for patient access. Content: Patients have increasing access to information from a growing range of sources. How healthcare professionals make their voice heard above the clamour of quackery and how professionals may work with patients to inform them is the main theme of this unit. Moving beyond that, the unit also explores how patients' experiences of healthcare may be improved with better management systems and a greater access to quality information. This will include the following topics: * Concept of informed patient * Models of illness * Access to information * Assessment of quality * Patient information systems * Self help groups * Compliance to treatment |
XX50152: Human computer interaction |
| Credits: 6 |
| Level: Masters |
| Modular: no specific semester |
| Assessment: ES100 |
| Requisites: |
| Before taking this unit you must take XX50144 and take XX50145 |
| Aims & Learning Objectives: * Introduce aspects of human-computer interaction in healthcare * Identify HCI aspects of user requirements and systematic processes for their analysis * Introduce an HCI evaluation approach. On completion of this unit students will be able to: * Define and discuss the significance of human-computer interaction * Evaluate usability and define user interface requirements using a systematic approach * Demonstrate understanding of user system requirements and techniques for ensuring user participation in system design. Content: HCI theory and methods for: * User requirements analysis * User interface design * Usability evaluation |
XX50153: The internet & health |
| Credits: 6 |
| Level: Masters |
| Modular: no specific semester |
| Assessment: ES100 |
| Requisites: |
| Before taking this unit you must take XX50144 and take XX50145 |
| Aims & Learning Objectives: * Identify the key factors that influence e-Commerce in the healthcare environment * Explore the future directions of e-Health * Use a theoretical framework for e-learning to explore the process of learning in this context. On completion of this unit students will be able to: * Differentiate the key drivers for the use and development of e-Commerce and it's application to e-Health * Critically evaluate the usefulness and possible outcome of future developments in e-Health * Demonstrate understanding of the theoretical aspects of education and their application to e-learning. Content: Use of the Internet and access to it are growing throughout the world. How does this link in, what are the effects and what are the benefits to healthcare? How e-commerce is relevant to healthcare and the lessons learned are also discussed in this unit. This will include the following topics: * E-learning - online, teaching and assessment - the application of theory to online learning * E-commerce * E-health |
XX50154: Applied research methods |
| Credits: 6 |
| Level: Masters |
| Modular: no specific semester |
| Assessment: ES100 |
| Requisites: |
| Before taking this unit you must take XX50144, XX50145, XX50146, XX50147, XX50148, XX50149, XX50150, XX50151, and (XX50152 or XX50153) |
| Aims & Learning Objectives: To acquire the skills of planning independent research. Students will be able to complete a literature review and write a research proposal. To explore in depth the tools for research, focusing specifically on the project chosen for the project phase of the MSc. On completion of this unit students will be able to: * Define the most appropriate tools for a given research situation and perform a detailed appraisal * Critically appraise questionnaire design and structure * Discuss the merits of qualitative vs quantitative research as tools in healthcare studies. Content: It builds on the techniques covered in Unit 2, and linked in with the residential component ensures that the student has the necessary tools and knowledge of their appropriate uses to progress with their research project. This will include the following topics: * Project management * Define specific tools according to project that is being created * Qualitative methods * Quantitative methods. Students will undertake an original piece of work which will comprise a literature/conceptual review and project or research proposal that may comprise theoretical, empirical or design components. Students completing the Diploma will be assessed on this report. Students progressing to the Masters degree will be assessed and will use this work as the basis for the study in either the Research Dissertation unit or the Work-related Project unit. |
XX50155: Research project |
| Credits: 30 |
| Level: Masters |
| Modular: no specific semester |
| Assessment: DS100 |
| Requisites: |
| Before taking this unit you must take XX50154 |
| Aims & Learning Objectives: To provide students with the opportunity to carry out an independent research project by putting into practice some of the methods, theories and skills that they have learned. On completion of the Unit students should be able to survey the literature related to a broadly specified area of informatics and present an orderly written survey that places an individual project undertaking in a healthcare context. They should be able to identify the tasks to be completed, plan a scheme of work, and complete the project to the standard expected of a professional in a healthcare function. They should be able to identify the appropriate research methodology, collect data and information as appropriate and critically evaluate this against their research question. They should be able to demonstrate the successful completion of these tasks in a well structured and coherently written dissertation. Content: The student will carry out a substantial research project of their own design, in healthcare informatics, under the joint supervision of a practitioner in healthcare informatics and an academic supervisor. |
XX50156: Work-based project |
| Credits: 30 |
| Level: Masters |
| Modular: no specific semester |
| Assessment: ES100 |
| Requisites: |
| Before taking this unit you must take XX50154 |
| Aims & Learning Objectives: To provide students with the opportunity to carry out an independent project of direct relevance to their role within a healthcare organisation by putting into practice some of the methods, theories and skills that they have learned. Content: The student will carry out a substantial work-related project of their own design, in healthcare informatics, under the joint supervision of a practitioner in healthcare informatics and an academic supervisor. On completion of the Unit students should be able to survey the knowledge base related to a specified area of informatics within a healthcare context and present an orderly written proposal for an individual project to be undertaken in a healthcare workplace. They should be able to identify the tasks to be completed, plan a scheme of work, and complete the project to the standard expected of a professional in a healthcare function. They should be able to identify the appropriate investigative/research methodology, collect data and information as appropriate and critically evaluate this against their project objectives. They should be able to demonstrate the successful completion of these tasks in a well structured and coherently written project report. |
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University home | Catalogues for 2002/03 | for UGs | for PGs |
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