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Digital Health Information Services (HLTH90020)
Graduate courseworkPoints: 12.5Online
About this subject
- Overview
- Eligibility and requirements
- Assessment
- Dates and times
- Further information
- Timetable(opens in new window)
Contact information
Semester 2
Kathleen Gray
Overview
Availability | Semester 2 - Online |
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Fees | Look up fees |
This subject provides knowledge and skills to support the work of information service managers, educators and researchers in many health settings. It introduces influences on good practice in health library and information services in the era of digital health. These influences include health informatics, ehealth literacy, health research data management, trends in biomedical publishing, and the proliferation of information available in electronic formats, in bibliographic databases and on the Internet.
This subject offers an overview of the demand for information services in the health sciences and healthcare environment, and the diverse information resources used by health researchers, practitioners, patients and members of the public. It gives guidelines for working with medical search terminology, explores the landscape of biomedical literature and provides insights into the significance of evidence- based practice. It runs in partnership with Health Libraries Australia, for new and aspiring health librarians, and is recommended for Australian Library and Information Association members to specialise in this field.
The subject has four major topics and assessable activities:
- Understanding the Australian healthcare environment and clients’ information needs in this environment; the assignment is a structured interview with a practising health librarian, health information service manager, or consultant;
- Health information and data sources; availability of resources; searching and summarising; the assignment is a report that analyses and resolves a client’s need for these resources;
- Evidence-based practice and continuous quality improvement in healthcare and the health information professions; the assignment is a critical appraisal of two research articles;
- Health data and knowledge management technologies; the assignment is a desk assessment of a digital health data or knowledge management product or service.
Subject teaching and learning is designed to encourage both theoretical understanding and practical skills. Lectures, online learning resources and readings introduce concepts and stimulate thinking concerning principles and practice. Guest lecturers provide context by exploring practical applications and implications. Activities and assessment are designed to foster critical engagement with the content and opportunities to explore the practical applications of theory. Emphasis is placed on the concept of a community of learners, through group discussion and sharing of ideas. Lectures take place online in interactive webinars; recordings are available for later review online.
The online subject site is the platform for contact with lecturers, learning resources, assignments and marking, and peer-to-peer information exchange. Extracurricular resources to support learning at a postgraduate level are available as needed at: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/academicskills/grads
Intended learning outcomes
- Analyse ways that policies, issues and trends in health care and biomedical research influence stakeholders' information needs
- Apply core principles and good practices related to providing health information services that meet specific user needs
- Relate current research evidence from a range of disciplines to improving the performance of current health information services
- Reflect on the implications of specific digital health knowledge management technologies for the future of health information services
Generic skills
- Self-directed learning within a shared group timetable
- Information sharing in virtual classroom settings
- Preparation and presentation of professional reports
Last updated: 3 November 2022