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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
Eligibility and requirements
Prerequisites
None
Corequisites
None
Non-allowed subjects
None
Recommended background knowledge
Inherent requirements (core participation requirements)
The University of Melbourne is committed to providing students with reasonable adjustments to assessment and participation under the Disability Standards for Education (2005), and the Assessment and Results Policy (MPF1326). Students are expected to meet the core participation requirements for their course. These can be viewed under Entry and Participation Requirements for the course outlines in the Handbook.
Further details on how to seek academic adjustments can be found on the Student Equity and Disability Support website: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/student-equity/home
Last updated: 3 November 2022
Assessment
Description | Timing | Percentage |
---|---|---|
Individual report of findings from a structured one-to-one interview with a practising health information service manager (interview questions will be assigned; interview subject will be assigned or can be negotiated)
| Week 3 | 25% |
Individual report on interpretation, approach and findings in response to a specific request for health information (request for information will be assigned)
| Week 6 | 25% |
Individual report on critical appraisal of two research articles (articles may be chosen from a list provided)
| Week 9 | 25% |
Individual report on structured review of a digital health knowledge management product or service (systems for review may be chosen from a list provided or can be negotiated)
| Week 12 | 25% |
Last updated: 3 November 2022
Dates & times
- Semester 2 - Online
Mode of delivery Online Contact hours No on-campus contact hours are required. Approximately 6-8 hours per week of online interaction with learning materials. Work can be done asynchronously. Sequentially over a 12 week period, students engage in at least 20 hours of structured online interaction in the Learning Management System about each of the 4 major topics, i.e. 20 hours x 4), including webinars, discussion forums and online polling; PLUS 120 hours independent learning: Sequentially over a 12 week period, students undertake at least 10 hours of independent learning beyond the Learning Management System, about each of the four major topics, including recommended readings, formulating questions and comments, gathering and synthesising information for assigned work. Total time commitment 200 hours Teaching period 29 July 2019 to 27 October 2019 Last self-enrol date 9 August 2019 Census date 31 August 2019 Last date to withdraw without fail 27 September 2019 Assessment period ends 22 November 2019 Semester 2 contact information
Kathleen Gray
Time commitment details
200 hours
Last updated: 3 November 2022
Further information
- Texts
Prescribed texts
There are no specifically prescribed or recommended texts for this subject.
- Available through the Community Access Program
About the Community Access Program (CAP)
This subject is available through the Community Access Program (also called Single Subject Studies) which allows you to enrol in single subjects offered by the University of Melbourne, without the commitment required to complete a whole degree.
Entry requirements including prerequisites may apply. Please refer to the CAP applications page for further information.
- Available to Study Abroad and/or Study Exchange Students
This subject is available to students studying at the University from eligible overseas institutions on exchange and study abroad. Students are required to satisfy any listed requirements, such as pre- and co-requisites, for enrolment in the subject.
Last updated: 3 November 2022