96328 Systems and Service Innovation

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Subject handbook information prior to 2024 is available in the Archives.

UTS: Health
Credit points: 6 cp
Result type: Grade and marks

There are course requisites for this subject. See access conditions.

Description

This subject is designed to assist students to develop, deliver, and critically appraise patient-centred innovations that improve the safety and quality of health and social care. Innovation is an oft-mentioned goal in healthcare, but it is not always clear what this entails, nor how to achieve it.

As the healthcare landscape evolves and emerging technologies change the way patients and healthcare professionals interact with (and within) the health care system, there is a need to embrace and implement new ways of thinking, and working, particularly in supporting quality and safety activities. This subject introduces students to different perspectives on innovation, and the intersections between innovative mindsets and methods, and the organisational structures, systems and strategies that support innovation in practice. There is a particular focus on human-centred design – not only in the development of innovation, but also in its spread, diffusion and ongoing evaluation.

This subject helps students build their knowledge and skills to drive and manage innovation at individual and organisational levels, through a complex systems approach that values lifelong learning, creativity, critical thinking and collaboration. These are now essential skills for healthcare professionals, who wish to be effective in ensuring and improving the quality and safety of healthcare in a rapidly-changing and increasingly complex world.

Subject learning objectives (SLOs)

Upon successful completion of this subject students should be able to:

A.	Critically analyse contemporary examples of innovation in healthcare, using a range of conceptual frameworks, regarding the purpose and impact of innovations.
B.	Determine and apply human-centred design thinking principles, tools and techniques for the design of innovative technologies, services and ways of working.
C.	Describe the factors that impact on the development, adoption, and spread of innovations in healthcare systems, from micro to macro perspectives.
D.	Critically appraise current and future digital health innovations for their positive impacts on individual and population health and the safety, quality and cost-effectiveness of healthcare services, as well as challenges relating to privacy, equity, accountability and ethics.
E.	Critically appraise innovation as a strategy for meeting the needs of a complex and changing healthcare system, in the context of contemporary perspectives on safety and quality.
F.	Effectively communicate complex issues in a variety of ways for different target audiences.

Teaching and learning strategies

This subject is taught using a variety of teaching and learning strategies that encourage critical thinking and reflection. The strategies used emphasise active self-directed learning and engagement with the content, with the support and guidance of facilitators. Subject activities include, but are not limited to: thought provoking online resources, including mini lectures, videos, podcasts, interactive activities and opportunities to engage in discussion with facilitators and fellow students. Learning is also supported by case studies of real world examples, including classic and cutting-edge research and practice.

Assessment Range
Students will be given the opportunity to undertake a variety of assessments. Formative and summative feedback will be provided throughout the subject.

Early low-stakes feedback will be provided in weeks 1 and 2, in the form of interactive online activities, and facilitator responses in online discussions.
Formal feedback will be provided through progressive assessment tasks, worth 25%, 35% and 40%

Content (topics)

Theories and models of innovation
Problem-framing analysis
Human-centred design principles, techniques and tools
Organisational characteristics that support innovation
The landscape of contemporary digital health innovations
Sociotechnical and complex systems frameworks of innovation implementation, adoption and diffusion
Alternatives to innovation

Assessment

Assessment task 1: What's the problem?

Intent:	Innovation is almost universally presented as a solution to problems, known and emerging, in healthcare. One of the challenges facing healthcare decision-makers, is knowing how to critically appraise any given innovation, to look beyond its promises, for a fuller picture of its potential impacts. This assessment guides students through a process of critically analysing a current innovation in health or social care. In particular, the task gives students an opportunity to practice and apply an established method to evaluate ‘the problem’ that the innovation is designed to solve, recognising that any particular solution implies particular assumptions about the causes of the problem, and what is needed to fix it. This approach also recognises that such solutions may therefore perpetuate some assumptions about the problem, while ignoring alternative perspectives and explanations. With this task, students will gain a more sophisticated understanding of problem-framing, and problem-solving, and become more adept at recognising the breadth of impacts that any given innovation may result in.
Objective(s):	This assessment task addresses subject learning objective(s): A, D, E and F
Type:	Essay
Groupwork:	Individual
Weight:	25%
Length:	1500 words (reference list not included in word count)
Criteria:	20% Accurately identifies the relevant problem representations associated with the chosen innovation, and some of its potential impacts 20% Accurately identifies stakeholders relevant to the problem-representation and the innovation, and their roles (or lack thereof) in the support (or criticism) of the innovation. 20% Adequately describes alternative perspectives on the problem, and alternative solutions to the problem. 10% Reflects on the task of completing this analysis, demonstrating coherence with the answers provided to each of the question, and a depth of insight into the issues described. 20% Validates perspectives through correct interpretation and explicit linkage of relevant and current literature to the assessment focus 10% Produces correct grammar, spelling, formatting, style [short-answer essay] and referencing

Assessment task 2: A toolkit for human-centred design

Intent:	This assessment asks students to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of human-centred design (HCD) principles and techniques, by applying this knowledge to the particular context of one health and/or social care organisation. Healthcare professionals in senior or management positions are often required to persuade and educate their colleagues on various issues, and this task gives students an opportunity to apply those skills, in the role of a consultant, who is asked to present a persuasive package of educational resources on HCD for the given organisation.
Objective(s):	This assessment task addresses subject learning objective(s): B, E and F
Type:	Presentation
Groupwork:	Individual
Weight:	30%
Length:	Part A: 9-12 Powerpoint slides in PDF form. References are not required. Part B: A 1500 word ‘script’ in a Microsoft Word document, to accompany the slides. In-text citations and a reference list are required for the script. The reference list is not included in the word count.
Criteria:	25% Clearly articulates and justifies the importance of human-centred design for innovation in healthcare, and the key principles of human-centred design 20% Identifies and justifies four appropriate methods or techniques to assist in HCD for staff in the given organisation 40% Clearly describes and demonstrates the application of two methods to identify the needs of stakeholders, and to prototype and test solutions. 5% Tailors the presentation to the given organisation and project brief, demonstrating an understanding of the needs and challenges faced by the particular sector. 10% Produces correct grammar, spelling, style (professional presentation slides and script), word count, and referencing

Assessment task 3: An organisational guide to innovation

Intent:	In order for an organisation to realise the benefits of innovation, innovative mindsets, capabilities and practices must be developed, embedded and supported throughout the organisation. This assessment asks students to apply their understanding of the organisational factors that support a human-centred approach to innovation, by giving professional advice in the form of a report to the same health and/or social care organisation from Assessment 2.
Objective(s):	This assessment task addresses subject learning objective(s): B, C, D and F
Type:	Report
Groupwork:	Individual
Weight:	45%
Length:	2000 word report. A reference list is necessary, and not included in the word count.
Criteria:	15% Clearly articulates the rationales for innovation and human-centred design principles, in relation to the given organisation. 45% Identifies and justifies the organisational characteristics that support the development and spread of innovation in the given organisation. 15% Identifies and justifies relevant regulatory frameworks, standards and issues that impact on innovation in the relevant industry sector. 10% Validates perspectives through correct interpretation and explicit linkage of relevant and current literature to the assessment focus 5% Formulates a clear, coherent and logical approach within a professional report structure 10% Produces correct grammar, spelling, formatting, style [report], word count, and referencing

References

Refer to Canvas for access to up to date references for this subject.

Other resources

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