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Health Law: Patient Protection (LAWS70348)
Graduate coursework level 7Points: 12.5Not available in 2022
From 2023 most subjects will be taught on campus only with flexible options limited to a select number of postgraduate programs and individual subjects.
To learn more, visit COVID-19 course and subject delivery.
Overview
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This subject will examine patients’ expectations and legal rights when receiving health care, their avenues for complaint and compensation, and accountability mechanisms (including professional discipline) for protecting the public in the event of health, performance or conduct problems involving a health practitioner. The focus will be on patients and health practitioners in Australia and New Zealand.
Principal topics include:
- Patient safety
- Patients’ needs and rights following an adverse event
- Open disclosure
- Defensive medicine
- Health practitioner regulation (including the Australian Health Practitioner Regulatory Scheme)
- Health complaint systems in Australia and New Zealand.
Intended learning outcomes
A student who has successfully completed this subject will:
- Have an advanced and integrated understanding of the significance of patient safety as a health policy issue
- Be aware of the needs of patients following an adverse event
- Have critically examined the meaning of ‘open disclosure’, what it means and why it matters; and be able to provide a detailed critique of the concept and its practical operation.
- Be a well informed and engaged participant in debate regarding barriers to patient safety, including medical litigation
- Have a detailed understanding of the legal responsibilities of clinicians, managers and boards
- Be able to critically examine, analyse, interpret and assess the regulation of health professionals in Australia and New Zealand
- Have an advanced understanding of the use of regulatory levers to improve patient safety
- Have a sophisticated appreciation of health complaint systems in Australia and New Zealand
- Be able to demonstrate autonomy, expert judgment and responsibility as a practitioner and learner in the field of patients’ rights and public protection.
Last updated: 12 November 2022
Eligibility and requirements
Prerequisites
None
Corequisites
None
Non-allowed subjects
None
Recommended background knowledge
Applicants without legal qualifications should note that subjects are offered in the discipline of law at an advanced graduate level. While every effort will be made to meet the needs of students trained in other fields, concessions will not be made in the general level of instruction or assessment. Most subjects assume the knowledge usually acquired in a degree in law (LLB, JD or equivalent). Applicants should note that admission to some subjects in the Melbourne Law Masters will be dependent upon the individual applicant’s educational background and professional experience.
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: 12 November 2022
Assessment
Description | Timing | Percentage |
---|---|---|
Research paper on a topic approved by the subject coordinator
| 17 February 2021 | 100% |
Hurdle requirement: A minimum of 75% attendance | Throughout the teaching period | N/A |
Last updated: 12 November 2022
Quotas apply to this subject
Dates & times
Not available in 2022
Additional delivery details
This subject has a quota of 30 students.
Enrolment is on a first come, first served basis. Waitlists are maintained for subjects that are fully subscribed.
Students should note priority of places in subjects will be given as follows:
- To currently enrolled Graduate Diploma and Masters students with a satisfactory record in their degree
- To other students enrolling on a single subject basis, eg Community Access Program (CAP) students, cross-institutional study and cross-faculty study.
Please refer to the Melbourne Law Masters website for further information about the management of subject quotas and waitlists.
Last updated: 12 November 2022
Further information
- Texts
Prescribed texts
Specialist materials will be made available free of charge from Melbourne Law School prior to the pre-teaching period.
- Related Handbook entries
This subject contributes to the following:
Type Name Course Master of Laws Course Master of Health and Medical Law Course Graduate Diploma in Health and Medical Law Course Graduate Diploma in Legal Studies - Links to additional information
- 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.
Additional information for this subject
If required, please contact law-admissions@unimelb.edu.au for subject coordinator approval.
- 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: 12 November 2022