University of Technology Sydney

96335 Contemporary Approaches to Digital Health

Warning: The information on this page is indicative. The subject outline for a 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.

UTS: Health
Credit points: 6 cp

Subject level:

Postgraduate

Result type: Grade and marks

There are course requisites for this subject. See access conditions.
Anti-requisite(s): 92664 Contemporary Approaches to Digital Health

Description

Digital technology and health interventions offer great opportunity to improve clinical outcomes and address current healthcare challenges. An appreciation of the complex socio-technical challenges associated with the adoption and use of digital health interventions enables health professionals to successfully integrate these technologies into practice.

The introduction of digital technology into existing practice also carries with it some risks. Those working in the health care sector, particularly those in management and leadership roles require a robust understanding of the potential benefits and opportunities that digital health interventions can provide and a keen awareness of the new risks that might be associated with their introduction into practice.

In this subject students explore the range of digital health interventions currently being implemented or developed on a global basis to improve the quality and efficiency of health care systems. Students examine the foundational tenets for the introduction of digital health technologies and gain and understanding of where consensus on benefits and risk currently lies. The differences between data and knowledge is examined in the context of understanding how digital health technologies can assist in the advancement of patient safety and service improvement. Practical examples of digital health technology introduction around the world in a range of contexts are explored to understand the complex socio-technical requirements that support successful implementation. Students also explore the potential and emerging understanding of the risks associated with the use of digital health technology and the importance of data strategy to optimise intended outcomes.

Subject learning objectives (SLOs)

Upon successful completion of this subject students should be able to:
A. Analyse the contextual factors that impact the development and implementation of digital interventions to meet clinical, operational and strategic needs.
B. Recognise and describe challenges associated with digital health interventions.
C. Explore and critique opportunities enabled by digital health interventions.
D. Identify and appraise digital health interventions for patients and health care providers.
E. Identify and appraise digital health interventions for health and data services.
F. Analyse and apply evaluation frameworks relevant to digital health interventions and reflect on future directions for digital health interventions.

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)
  • Propose relevant problem-solving and human factors theories to the analysis of common issues inherent in the management and evaluation of healthcare services (1.2)
  • 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)
  • Develop and contribute to research and quality improvement activities in order to maintain knowledge currency and influence healthcare practice and policy (2.2)
  • 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)
  • Communicate effectively and appropriately in challenging, complex and diverse situations (4.0)

Contribution to the development of graduate attributes

This subject will address the Health Services Management CILOs:
1. Is a reflective critical thinker who influences practice, policy and research to achieve clinical excellence and transform healthcare services (Critical Thinking)

  • Critique, interpret and synthesise data and research findings to develop safe, effective and creative evidence-based solutions to healthcare challenges
  • Propose relevant problem solving and human factors theories to the analysis and research of common and complex issues inherent in the management and evaluation of healthcare services

2. Is an effective, collaborative and responsive leader who considers healthcare in a global context (Leadership)

  • Justify and demonstrate appropriate leadership styles and skills necessary to effectively manage, evaluate and innovate healthcare services utilising contemporary local, national and international perspectives
  • Develop and contribute to research and quality improvement activities in order to maintain currency, influence healthcare practice and policy and expand the discipline’s body of knowledge and skills

3. Is socially, culturally and ethically accountable when engaging with individuals, families, interdisciplinary teams, communities, organisations and jurisdictions (Accountability)

  • Create and lead social and ethical accountability to ensure efficient use of resources and equity of access to optimal and safe healthcare

4. Communicates effectively and appropriately in challenging, complex, and diverse situations (Communication)

  • Illustrate effectiveness and sensitivity when communicating with diverse populations to enable positive and sustainable change in healthcare practice, policy and research
  • Distinguish between modes of communication necessary to optimise outcomes across differing audiences, purposes and contexts within healthcare practice

Teaching and learning strategies

Teaching and learning strategies
This subject is designed to assist students understand the breadth of digital transformation occurring in the global and Australian healthcare systems. Importantly the subject will focus on how digital health intervention can impact of patient safety and healthcare quality initiatives. It is anticipated that the knowledge and skills gained in this subject will allow the graduate to effectively integrate digital health interventions into practice and service improvement initiatives.

Online learning activities
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 tutorials and discussion board activities. to share learning, experiences and reflections.

Case studies and stories from practice
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 results for the first assessment task worth 20%.
  • Progressive assessment tasks, worth 20%, 40%, and 40%.

Content (topics)

  • Digital health landscape - international and national perspectives
  • Catalysts driving digital health interventions
  • Challenges and opportunities associated with digital health
  • Exploring the diversity of digital health interventions
  • Evaluation of digital health interventions
  • Futrure endeavours in digital health

Assessment

Assessment task 1: Review of clinical digital health interventions

Intent:

This assessment will provide students with an opportunity to review an existing digital health intervention that incorporates a clinical data process that they are familiar with in their own workplace. This assessment will encourage students to apply accepted classifications and standards to evaluate the value of the data, the effectiveness of its articulation with current workflow and the impact on improving patient safety, efficiency or costs.

Objective(s):

This assessment task addresses subject learning objective(s):

B, C, E and F

This assessment task contributes to the development of graduate attribute(s):

1.0, 1.2, 2.2 and 3.1

Type: Essay
Groupwork: Individual
Weight: 20%
Length:

1000 words

Criteria:
  1. Reviews the digital health intervention using the WHO Classification of Digital Health Interventions v1.0.
  2. Reflects on the integration of the digital health intervention with day-to-day practice (eg. workflow), challenges encountered in the use of the digital health intervention, and its ability to deliver improved outcomes and opportunities for knowledge acquisition.
  3. Validates and defends perspectives through correct interpretation and explicit linkage of relevant and current literature.
  4. Produces correct grammar, spelling, essay-style formatting, and reference list

Assessment task 2: Evaluating digital health workforce capabilities

Intent:

The intent of this assessment is to assist students to appreciate the importance of a health workforce that is digitally capable to ensure safe, quality healthcare as it evolves with advances in digital and mobile health innovations. This assessment will encourage students to apply digital health capability frameworks to assess their personal digital health capabilities, the digital health requirements of their current role and the role of managers in future health workplaces.

Objective(s):

This assessment task addresses subject learning objective(s):

A, B, C, D and E

This assessment task contributes to the development of graduate attribute(s):

1.0, 1.1, 1.2, 2.1 and 3.1

Type: Report
Groupwork: Individual
Weight: 40%
Length:

1500 words

Criteria:
  1. Describes the digital health requirements of current role, based on job description
  2. Assesses personal digital health capabilities, and identifies learning and professional developmental needs
  3. Discusses role and responsibilities as a manager (or future manager) to understand the digital health capabilities that need to be supported within staff.
  4. Synthesis of relevant literature on digital capabilities for health workforce.
  5. Produces correct grammar, spelling, report-style formatting, and reference list

Assessment task 3: Designing the evaluation of a digital health intervention

Intent:

The intent of this assessment is to assist students to consolidate their learnings across the modules 1 – 6 through the presentation of an evaluation framework for a digital health intervention. The development of an evaluation framework requires the students to consider:

  • the contextual factors that impact the development and implementation of digital interventions to meet clinical, operational and strategic needs.
  • the challenges and opportunities associated with digital health interventions.
  • methods to appraise digital health interventions for patients and health care providers.
  • methods appraise digital health interventions for health and data services.
  • how apply evaluation frameworks relevant to digital health interventions

This assessment will encourage students to apply digital health evaluation frameworks to assess digital health interventions to ensure that the goals and objectives are measured and met.

Objective(s):

This assessment task addresses subject learning objective(s):

A, B, E and F

This assessment task contributes to the development of graduate attribute(s):

1.1, 1.2, 2.1 and 4.0

Type: Presentation
Groupwork: Individual
Weight: 40%
Length:

Powerpoint presentation (10-12 slides) and 1000 word script/report

Criteria:
  1. Background and rationale to support the use of an evaluation framework for a digital health intervention is clearly articulated
  2. The outline of a framework to be used in response to the scenario described is appropriate
  3. Validates design choices through correct interpretation of relevant and current literature
  4. Composes a persuasive argument and formulates a clear and logical approach to presenting the information.

Recommended texts

There is no prescribed text for this subject. Links to references and electronic resources will be made available on Canvas.

References

Links to references and electronic resources will be made available 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.

The Financial Assistance Service can assist you with financial aspects of life at university, including Centrelink information, tax returns and budgeting, interest-free student loans and grants to assist with course-related costs. Check eligibility and apply online and make an appointment on +61 2 9514 1177 or Financial.assistance@uts.edu.au.