96804 Immersive Palliative Care Futures
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 2025 is available in the Archives.
Credit points: 6 cp
Subject level:
Postgraduate
Result type: Grade and marksThere are course requisites for this subject. See access conditions.
Description
This subject aims to prepare students to be future-focused, and will equip students to respond to emerging opportunities and challenges. Students will be prepared to be transformative clinical leaders, who can drive the required changes through creativity and innovation. Students will reflect on factors impacting the future of palliative care such as population ageing, medical advances, and new and emerging technologies. As future leaders, they will explore new ways of working aimed at increasing access to person-centred, evidenced-based care. Students will analyse the impact current and future technology will have on decision making, treatment, care provision, referral and management. They will also examine new ways of working and organising interdisciplinary care at macro, meso and micro levels to ensure equitable, high-quality and safe palliative care across diverse populations and care settings.
Subject learning objectives (SLOs)
| A. | Debate differing perspectives on the opportunities and limitations of technology for supporting care of people with life-limiting illness |
|---|---|
| B. | Analyze shortcomings of palliative care for meeting future need to identify foci for improvement |
| C. | Appraise health service responses to changing needs for palliative care, including solutions for optimising access and equity and better integrating care |
| D. | Create technological solutions through applying new knowledge, facts and techniques to improve care for people with life-limiting illness and their families |
Teaching and learning strategies
The subject will be delivered exclusively online, enabling students to participate remotely. Students will be actively engaged in enquiry-based learning through a range of multimedia interactive activities, including those involving collaboration with others. The online learning platform ‘Canvas’ will be used for all subject materials and announcements.
Assessment activities will be in the form of presentation, discussion and writing. Feedback will be shared by peers as well as tutors to establish a learning community that will provide ongoing support to students throughout their course. Activities are aimed at preparing students to undertake the assessments, including collaborative learning.
Online Modules
Learning content will be delivered through structured online modules that equip students to be future-focused leaders in palliative care.
Content (topics)
Module Content Areas
- Innovative approaches to integrating care
- Leadership and transformation essential to transitioning towards value-based care
- Technology and other future-focused tools for developing workforce skill and capability
- mHealth’s potential to empower consumers
- Ethical and logistic challenges to optimising technology in palliative care
- The growing consumer ‘voice’ in healthcare
- Raising awareness and reducing stigma to enable timely access to palliative care
- Increasing the role of communities in supporting people with life-limiting illness
- Navigating the era of consumer choice
A weekly program is available on Canvas when the subject opens.
Assessment
Assessment task 1: Hopes and fears about technology
| Intent: | To develop student understanding of diverse and dynamic perspectives on using technology to support palliative care. |
|---|---|
| Objective(s): | This assessment task addresses subject learning objective(s): A This assessment task contributes to the development of graduate attribute(s): .0 |
| Type: | Reflection |
| Weight: | 20% |
| Length: | Podcast (2-3 minutes) plus reference list |
Assessment task 2: Technological opportunities for improving future palliative care - choose your own adventure
| Intent: | To develop student skills in effective, creative and responsive leadership in palliative care. |
|---|---|
| Objective(s): | This assessment task addresses subject learning objective(s): B and C This assessment task contributes to the development of graduate attribute(s): .0 |
| Type: | Report |
| Weight: | 25% |
| Length: | Written report (1,200-1,500 words excluding references) |
Assessment task 3: Peer learning about technological opportunities for improving palliative care
| Intent: | To develop skills in peer reviewing, to learn from one another’s approaches whilst analysing different technological opportunities for improving future palliative care. |
|---|---|
| Objective(s): | This assessment task addresses subject learning objective(s): A and B This assessment task contributes to the development of graduate attribute(s): .0 |
| Type: | Report |
| Weight: | 15% |
| Length: | Written feedback (400 words) to each student allocated for peer review (i.e. 1,200 words in total). Additionally a 500 word individual reflection will be submitted. |
Assessment task 4: Innovating palliative care - a licence to dream
| Intent: | To develop student skills in applying acquired knowledge to create an innovative approach to transforming one or more aspects of palliative care. |
|---|---|
| Objective(s): | This assessment task addresses subject learning objective(s): C This assessment task contributes to the development of graduate attribute(s): .0 |
| Type: | Report |
| Weight: | 30% |
| Length: | 3-5 minute recorded presentation (side-by-side slides and speaker) |
Assessment task 5: Student contribution and engagement
| Intent: | Preparation and meaningful engagement with a variety of resources are essential to collaboration and teamwork, skills that are critical to the role of a palliative care clinician. The intent of this assessment is to emphasise and encourage students’ contribution to teamwork via engagement with the online modules and Zoom meetings. |
|---|---|
| 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): .0 |
| Weight: | 10% |
| Length: | 300-400 words |
| Criteria: | Meaningful participation - 50% |
Required texts
There is no prescribed textbook for this subject. Links to references and electronic resources will be made available in 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.