96331 Planning for Health and Social Services
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particular session, location and mode of offering is the authoritative source
of all information about the subject for that offering. Required texts, recommended texts and references in particular are likely to change. Students will be provided with a subject outline once they enrol in the subject.
Subject handbook information prior to 2024 is available in the Archives.
Credit points: 6 cp
Result type: Grade and marks
There are course requisites for this subject. See access conditions.
Anti-requisite(s): 92847 Planning and Evaluating Health Services
Description
This subject provides students with a foundation in the major concepts involved in health and social care planning and evaluation. Topics covered include: defining the goal of health planning and the core principles that guide it; comparing population health and service-based planning approaches; evidence needed to support planning decisions; the concept of health needs assessment; the complexity of the health planning process; the relationship between evaluation and planning; and future trends and challenges. Case studies highlight the complexities of health services planning in different contexts: crisis and emergency planning; the COVID-19 vaccine rollout; and aged care services. These scenarios provide students the opportunity to apply the concepts learned in earlier modules and evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of current planning approaches. An emphasis is placed on the importance planning to improve health that incorporates physical, mental and social wellbeing, and on drawing on a range of methodological, patient and stakeholder perspectives.
Subject learning objectives (SLOs)
| A. | Evaluate local circumstances and use evidence-based health planning principles, frameworks and processes |
|---|---|
| B. | Identify and assess community health status, demographics and social conditions that impact health |
| C. | Determine the issues impacting health planning and health plan evaluation, including enabling and impeding factors |
| D. | Effectively communicate complex health service planning issues |
Course intended learning outcomes (CILOs)
This subject also contributes specifically to the following graduate attributes:
- Are reflective, critical thinkers who influence practice, policy and research to achieve clinical excellence and transform healthcare services (1.0)
- Critique, interpret and synthesise data and research findings to develop safe, effective and evidence-based solutions to healthcare challenges (1.1)
- Justify and demonstrate appropriate leadership styles and skills necessary to manage, evaluate and innovate healthcare services utilising contemporary local, national and international perspectives (2.1)
- Create and lead social and ethical accountability to enable efficient use of resources and equity of access to optimal and safe health care (3.1)
- Validate the importance of integrating stakeholder partnerships in all healthcare decision-making activities (3.2)
- Communicate effectively and appropriately in challenging, complex and diverse situations (4.0)
- Value and choose highly effective and sensitive communication with diverse populations to enable positive and sustainable change in healthcare practice, policy and research (4.1)
- Determine and recommend modes of communication necessary to optimise outcomes across differing audiences, purposes and contexts within healthcare practice (4.2)
Contribution to the development of graduate attributes
This course also contributes specifically to the following graduate attributes:
1. Advocacy and Social Justice:
Advocate for and engage with individuals and communities to reduce health inequities and promote social justice in a global context: 1.1; 1.2; 1.3
2. Adaptability:
Demonstrate creative and adaptive thinking within a changeable social, political and technological environment: 2.2
4. Ethics and diversity:
Are ethical and responsible professionals who value the diversity of people and communities: 4.1; 4.3
5. Critical thinking and practice:
Translate research and evaluation into social and professional practice through critical thinking and knowledge integration: 5.1; 5.2; 5.3
Teaching and learning strategies
This subject is taught using a variety of teaching and learning strategies. The strategies used emphasise active and applied approaches to developing students’ ability to understand management in health services and organisations, and apply this knowledge to generate effective, practical solutions to health system challenges.
Students will be guided in accessing and utilising online learning resources including podcasts, videos, professional and grey literature and other activities. Engaging with online resources and completing online activities enables students to clarify complex and new concepts and terminology at their own pace. Online activities are then discussed in zoom sessions and discussion board activities. to share learning, experiences and reflections.
Case studies and stories from practice depict available technologies and implementation histories locally, nationally and internationally. Students use these scenarios to learn concepts, appreciate how selected digital health interactions have been embedded in practice, apply these technologies to their own clinical specialty or area of the health sector, and interpret the value of the technologies to health service efficiency and effectiveness and patient-centred healthcare. Critical thinking is developed through analysis, interpretation and application of existing evidence and application of data and knowledge management principles.
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 via online discussion boards and activities
- Progressive assessment tasks, worth 20%, 40%, and 40%
Content (topics)
- Introduction to health and social care
- Planning
- The planning process
- Planning for crisis and emergency scenarios
- Aged care planning perspectives
- Evaluation
- Planning variations and possible futures
Assessment
Assessment task 1: Planning in Health and Social Care
| Intent: | The assessment focusses on your understanding of the goals, principles and approaches to health planning by reflecting on your experience or observation of a planing process. |
|---|---|
| Objective(s): | This assessment task addresses subject learning objective(s): A, B, C and D This assessment task contributes to the development of graduate attribute(s): 1.0, 2.1, 4.0 and 4.1 |
| Type: | Essay |
| Groupwork: | Individual |
| Weight: | 20% |
| Length: | 1,000 words |
| Criteria: |
|
Assessment task 2: Complexity and the planning of the vaccine rollout
| Intent: | The purpose of this assessment is to apply planning concepts and complexity theory to analyse a real-life planning case study |
|---|---|
| Objective(s): | This assessment task addresses subject learning objective(s): A, C and D This assessment task contributes to the development of graduate attribute(s): 1.1, 2.1, 3.2 and 4.0 |
| Type: | Report |
| Groupwork: | Individual |
| Weight: | 40% |
| Length: | 2000-word report plus at least one diagram. |
| Criteria: |
|
Assessment task 3: Health and Social Care Planning in Emergencies and Disasters
| Intent: | This assessment task will provide students with the opportunity to apply knowledge in a planning context to a growing class of disaster events. |
|---|---|
| Objective(s): | This assessment task addresses subject learning objective(s): A, C and D This assessment task contributes to the development of graduate attribute(s): 3.1, 4.0, 4.1 and 4.2 |
| Type: | Report |
| Groupwork: | Individual |
| Weight: | 40% |
| Length: | 2,500 words |
| Criteria: |
|
Required texts
Provided on Canvas.
References
Provided on Canvas.
Other resources
UTS Student Centre
Building 10
Monday to Friday: 9am - 5pm
Tel: 1300 ASK UTS (1300 275 887)
Details for student centres: www.uts.edu.au/current-students/contacts/general-contacts
For other resources/ information refer to the Faculty of Health website (www.uts.edu.au/about/faculty-health) and Canvas at: https://canvas.uts.edu.au/.
UTS Library
The Library has a wide range of resources, facilities and services to support you including textbooks, subject readings, health literature databases, workshops and bookable study rooms. There is also a team of librarians to help you with your questions available via online chat, phone and in person. W: lib.uts.edu.au, Facebook: utslibrary, Twitter: @utslibrary Tel: (02) 9514 3666.
Improve your academic and English language skills
Marks for all assessment tasks such as assignments and examinations are given not only for what you write but also for how you write. If you would like the opportunity to improve your academic and English language skills, make an appointment with the HELPS (Higher Education Language & Presentation Support) Service in Student Services.
HELPS (Higher Education Language & Presentation Support)
HELPS provides assistance with English language proficiency and academic language. Students who need to develop their written and/or spoken English should make use of the free services offered by HELPS, including academic language workshops, vacation intensive courses, drop-in consultations, individual appointments and Conversations@UTS (www.ssu.uts.edu.au/helps). HELPS staff are also available for drop-in consultations at the UTS Library. Phone (02) 9514 9733.
Please see www.uts.edu.au for additional information on other resources provided to students by UTS.
The Accessibility and Financial Assistance Service
The Accessibility Service can support students with disabilities, medical or mental health conditions, including temporary injuries (e.g., broken limbs). The Accessibility Service works with Academic Liaison Officers in each Faculty to provide ‘reasonable adjustments’ such as exam provisions, assistive technology, requests and strategies for managing your studies alongside your health condition. If you’re unsure whether you need assistance, we recommend getting in touch early and we can provide advice on how our service can assist you. Make an appointment with an Accessibility Consultant (AC) on +61 2 9514 1177 or Accessibility@uts.edu.au.
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