Optional Module Descriptions
eGovernance
Pre-requisites
Modules 1 and 2 should be completed before taking other modules in the programme.
Aim
Governance is fundamental to the collection, storage and use of patient information. This module explores the potential benefits and risks of electronic data for patient confidentiality. It also introduces principles of effective governance of data for patient care, service management and research, as well as key approaches to risk management and assessment.
Learning Outcomes
- Critically analyse the use of technology to facilitate effective governance in healthcare activities
- Analyse the ethical challenges associated with the storage and sharing of patient data in health care and methods for ensuring appropriate access and use
- Describe legislation governing the use of patient information in healthcare delivery and research settings, and compare international perspectives
- Demonstrate the ability to apply principles of clinical governance in a range of contexts
- Provide advice on legislation relevant to the collection and use of patient information
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Global eHealth
Pre-requisites
Modules 1 and 2 should be completed before taking other modules in the programme.
Aim
This module is designed to set Health Informatics in its international context. Whilst taking a global view, it will pay particular attention to the challenges and opportunities presented by eHealth in supporting public health and patient care in developing and emerging economies.
Topics to be covered inclue those listed below:
- International trends in healthcare technology strategy and policy
- History and principles of the WHO eHealth strategy and programmes
- Health inequalities and disease patterns within and between nations
- Diversity in the maturity of healthcare IM&T across lower and middle income countries and the factors associated with progress
- Monitoring and management of health and illness through ICT
- Globalisation of the eHealth marketplace and implications for cross-border transactions
- eHealth as a reflection of the ‘digital society’ and an aspect of eGovernment
- Challenges to the implementation of international standards for eHealth technology, information and data governance.
- The role of culture in the implementation of eHealth innovations
Learning Outcomes
- Demonstrate understanding of global trends and issues for eHealth, to take a broad view of the field and recognise its variations
- Critically analyse the ways in which the structure and funding of healthcare services, as well as local languages and cultural norms, mediate the likely success of eHealth interventions and how to plan for these.
- Demonstrate understanding that different procurement decisions and strategies for implementation may be appropriate in different environments with different needs and drivers.
- Demonstrate understanding of the burden and pattern of disease in different parts of the world so that students can evaluate the applicability and potential value of different technologies in context
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Information Governance
Pre-requisites
Modules 1 and 2 should be completed before taking other modules in the programme.
Aim
This module explores in some depth the requirements for privacy, confidentiality, Freedom of Information and Information Security as they relate to Health Information Systems.
Learning Outcomes
- Examine and analyse the impact of privacy and confidentiality on healthcare delivery, in particular patient rights in relation to consent, information sharing and the wider implications of ethics
- Demonstrate an understanding of legislation relevant to the concept of “freedom of information” and its impact on patient rights and knowledge management in organisations
- Provide evidence-based advice to individuals or organisations regarding the effects and management of information security factors in a variety of clinical and management contexts
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Healthcare Systems Design/Specification using UML (Unified Modelling Language)
Pre-requisites
Modules 1, 2 and 4.
Aim
This module provides both the knowledge and skills to allow graduates to undertake the role of domain experts liaising between end users and IT developers to create successful Healthcare Information Systems. Both a national and international perspective is taken in examining the influence UML has had on system development. On completion of the module, by way of assessment, the course students will have developed, and critically evaluated a high level design document using UML (Use case, class, sequence, and state diagrams) with the aid of a UML CASE (Computer-Aided Software Engineering) tool.
Learning Outcomes
- Demonstrate knowledge of ERD modelling techniques
- Demonstrate an understanding of the principles of data storage, by considering ERD and UML data modelling techniques
- Demonstrate knowledge of a range UML modelling techniques
- Demonstrate understanding of publically available healthcare models specified using UML
- Demonstrate a basic understanding of XML and discuss its relationship to UML
- Demonstrate knowledge of User Interface modelling and standards with regard to the Computer Screen
- Demonstrate practical skills in using a CASE (Computer-Aided Software Engineering) tool to construct UML models
- Demonstrate knowledge of the different philosophical approaches to Systems Development.
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Healthcare Systems Development and Evaluation
Pre-requisites
Modules 1,2,4 and Healthcare Systems Design/Specification using UML
Aim
This module provides both the knowledge and skills to allow graduates to undertake the role of domain experts liaising between end users and IT developers to manage both the development and evaluation of Healthcare Information Systems. A historical perspective is used in examining both the national and international research literature in this area, focusing on important factors affecting system success/failure along with the various techniques employed. On completion of the module, by way of assessment, the students will have developed, and critically evaluated an evaluation plan for a local healthcare (preferably clinical) system.
Learning Outcomes
- Discuss and measure the concept of computer anxiety
- Critically evaluate various systems development and evaluation methodologies
- Critically evaluate User Involvement in System development and evaluation
- Demonstrate knowledge of the different types of Healthcare Decision Support Systems (DSS)
- Demonstrate knowledge of the social issues affecting the implementation of Healthcare Decision Support Systems .
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Human Computer Interaction
Pre-requisites
Modules 1 and 2 should be completed before taking other modules in the programme.
Aim
This module introduces the key theoretical concepts of Human Computer Interaction and their relevance in the Health Informatics context. It also explores usability and the development and use of technologies to facilitate social and communication networks.
Learning Outcomes
- Define and discuss the significance of Human Computer Interaction in Health Informatics
- Evaluate and apply HCI principles, methodologies and guidelines.
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Knowledge Management
Pre-requisites
Modules 1 and 2 should be completed before taking other modules in the programme.
Aim
This module introduces and evaluates effective knowledge and information management and its implications for the organisational and governance issues within health and social care systems and organisations.
Learning Outcomes
- Demonstrate the complex interrelationship of information requirements in a healthcare organisation
- Critically evaluate governance issues in relation to collecting a wide range of information relevant to healthcare delivery
- Contrast the range of systems used to organise and make effective use of corporate knowledge
- Contribute to planning and deployment of knowledge management systems
- Provide professional advice on corporate and health-related governance issues.
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Learning and Teaching
Pre-requisites
Modules 1 and 2 should be completed before taking other modules in the programme
Aim
This module aims to equip students with the knowledge and skills necessary to implement learning and teaching activities within their professional role.
Learning Outcomes
- Describe philosophies of education and their relevance to learning in the healthcare context
- Describe education as a change process and reflect on its role in their specific context and organisation
- Critically evaluate processes of learning and models for facilitating learning and supporting learners with different characteristics
- Elucidate the components of an effective learning environment
- Evaluate different methods for assessment of practice and identify their appropriate use in different contexts
- Plan a programme of learning outcomes and actions for a topic or issue within their area of work
- Present a topic utilising a variety of learning and teaching methods
- Design an assessment plan for a programme and for evaluating the delivery of this programme.
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Medical Statistics – Uses and Abuses Part 1
Pre-requisites
Modules 1, 2 and 3.
Aim
This module aims to equip students with knowledge of the common quantitative methods (statistics) used in medical research, and develop a critical awareness of their use by themselves and others. Skills will be developed to enable students to use such techniques appropriately in their own research. The module will consider the usual parametric and non-parametric univariate statistical procedures and end by introducing multiple and logistic regression. All topics with be considered within the context of the published research literature and statistical validity.
Both knowledge and skills will be assessed, by critiquing an appropriate article and analysing a dataset.
Learning Outcomes
- Judge the appropriateness of a range of statistical techniques to diverse research questions
- Apply a range of statistical techniques appropriately to datasets
- Report results using agreed conventions
- Interpret results and communicate conclusions with due regard to the level of expertise of the target audience
- Appraise the assumptions underlying different statistical techniques and critically evaluate the regard given to them in the published literature.
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Medical Statistics - Uses and Abuses Part 2
Pre-requisites
Modules 1,2,3 and Medical Statistics Uses and Abuses – Part 1
Aim
This module aims to equip students with knowledge of advanced quantitative methods (statistics) used in medical research, and develop a critical awareness of their use by themselves and others. Skills will be developed to enable students to use such techniques appropriately in their own research.
The module will consider: Power, effect size, and confidence intervals; the general linear model and ANOVA; ANCOVA; latent variable methods: exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis; factor rotation, path and structural models (sem); multilevel modelling; meta analysis: measures of effect size, the combination of effect sizes and the file drawer problem; survival analysis: life tables, Kaplan-Meier survival curves, Logrank test, hazard ratio, Cox proportional hazard analysis; re-sampling techniques; Bayesian approaches.
All topics with be considered within the context of the published research literature and statistical validity. Both knowledge and skills will be assessed, by critiquing an appropriate article and analysing a dataset.
Learning Outcomes
- Judge the appropriateness of a range of advanced statistical techniques to diverse research questions
- Apply a range of advance statistical techniques
- Report results using agreed conventions
- Interpret results and communicate conclusions with due regard to the level of expertise of the target audience
- Appraise the assumptions underlying different statistical techniques and critically evaluate the regard given to them in the published literature.
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Organisational Change
Pre-requisites
Modules 1 and 2 should be completed before taking other modules in the programme.
Aim
The aim of this module is to explore the interrelationships between leadership, management and organisational change in healthcare delivery and the impact of these on service design, redesign and operation.
Learning Outcomes
- Critically evaluate the key elements of leadership, management and organisational change and their impact on effective healthcare delivery
- Critically discuss organisational change theory and practice
- Examine documented examples of theory-driven change management in the context of health informatics implementation and reflect on challenges associated with professional resistance and organisational complexity
- Use knowledge of leadership management and organisational change to promote and develop health informatics practice
- Plan and execute a strategy for changing work practices.
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Patient Informatics
Pre-requisites
Modules 1 and 2 should be completed before taking other modules in the programme.
Aim
The aim of this module is to explore how providing patients with better information management systems and access to quality information can contribute to improved healthcare delivery and outcomes.
Learning Outcomes
- Critically examine trends towards growing patient participation in their own healthcare and more widely in the design of healthcare systems and policies
- Critically explore the role of information in supporting public health and patient self-care, the challenges for ensuring quality and appropriate interpretation
- Examine the implications of greater patient access to medical evidence and healthcare data for the doctor-patient relationship
- Compare and contrast different types of patient focused health informatics technologies
- Contribute to patient Health Informatics activities and provide appropriate advice relevant to their area of practice.
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Patient Safety and Risk
Pre-requisites
Modules 1 and 2 should be completed before taking other modules in the programme.
Aim
Details to follow
Learning Outcomes
Details to follow
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Procurement and Project Management
Pre-requisites
Modules 1 and 2 should be completed before taking other modules in the programme.
Aim
This module provides a systematic overview to the procurement process and project management to implement a system. It introduces key concepts and methodologies used to undertake these tasks.
Learning Outcomes
- Critically analyse and specify system requirements and potential benefits to develop or source a system
- Demonstrate understanding of methodologies used for project management and factors that impact on successful project completion
- Demonstrate awareness of the importance of collaborative team work for the project team, users and stakeholders.
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Tele-Health and Tele-care
Pre-requisites
Modules 1 and 2 should be completed before taking other modules in the programme.
Aim
The aim of this module is to provide an in-depth exploration of the use of technology to deliver health and social care at a distance and the associated planning and implementation issues.
Learning Outcomes
- Critically analyse distinctions between tele-medicine, tele-monitoring and tele-care
- Evaluate care modalities and settings in which tele-health and tele-care may be beneficial
- Identify and evaluate the range of information and communication technologies potentially involved in tele-health and tele-care
- Investigate changes to multi-disciplinary teams and working practices required to implement tele-health services
- Critically review the literature for evidence of success and failure in remote delivery and areas requiring further R&D.
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Tele-Surgery and Robotics
Pre-requisites
Modules 1 and 2 should be completed before taking other modules in the programme.
Aim
Details to follow
Learning Outcomes
Details to follow
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