Units

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Sample subject outline - Semester 1 2013

Note: Subject outlines often change before the semester begins. Below is a sample outline.

Rationale

Quality and risk management are increasingly important areas of activity for health care professionals with regard to clinical and administrative services and more generally within health services as a whole. This subject is the foundation unit in the Health Quality Management major strand. The unit introduces students to the concepts and processes of quality management and patient safety in health including health care organisation, standards and accreditation within hospitals, community health and primary care.

Aims

The aim of the unit is to assist you to develop the necessary knowledge and skills to develop a quality management program, perform quality improvement activities and expand outcomes into process improvements and organisational change. Methods of health care performance measurement are explored and a clinical quality framework model is introduced. Issues relating to administrative and clinical data quality, safety and privacy in an increasingly electronic health care environment are also considered.

Objectives

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

1. Discuss the underlying concepts and principles of quality management in health care including clinical governance
   
2. Develop quality management programs and design criteria audits to evaluate health services using quality management tools
   
3. Understand the health organisation accreditation process including standards and survey cycles
   
4. Understand outcome performance measures, clinical audit and utilisation of data to improve outcomes
   
5. Understand the concepts of clinician credentialing and profiling within a clinical quality framework
   
6. Examine and discuss issues relating to administrative and clinical data quality, documentation and safety within an increasingly electronic environment
   
7. Understand concepts of risk management, root cause analysis and organisational change management necessary to implement process changes.
   
8. Discuss the role of organisational culture

Content

Major topics in this unit include:

1. 1.Quality Management Concepts: history and overview, continuous quality improvement, total quality management and the patient safety movement
   
2. Quality Management Programs and Methods: risk management, utilisation management, benchmarking, best practice, quality improvement tools, process improvement cycles; planning a quality agenda
   
3. 1.Accreditation: Quality oversight organisations and emerging changes to accreditation policy associated with Australian health reform.
   
4. Measuring Health Care Performance: clinical indicators, outcome performance measures, adverse events; clinical audit; strategy of program implementation; utilising data for action
   
5. Health Care Governance and Clinician Profiling: clinical governance, credentialing; clinical quality framework
   
6. Data Quality, Documentation and Information Safety: monitoring data quality in administrative and clinical information in an electronic environment; health record documentation requirements and safety of information
   
7. Risk Management: integrated risk management programs, root cause analysis
   
8. Change Management: principles and methods for implementing process change (organisational culture issues)

Approaches to Teaching and Learning

The unit will be available in internal and external mode, with a 4 day intensive block suitable for both internal and external students (voluntary attendance). The 4 day intensive block offers a rich opportunity to share, problem solve and learn from public and private sector health executives and senior managers (as guest presenters) through an interactive workshop format analysing real world practices and case studies. Contemporary readings and journal articles, a detailed study guide, tutorials and audio recordings of industry guest speakers will be available on your unit's Blackboard teaching site.

Assessment

There are three (3) assessments to be completed throughout the semester.Assessment will be spaced throughout the semester to provide the opportunity for feedback on your learning at key points. You will be provided with feedback on each assessment item as you progress through the unit. You will receive written feedback associated with the marking of assessments.

Assessment name: Workbook
Description: Throughout Modules 1 and 2 of the Study Guide you will find workbook questions that must be answered as part of this assessment. The workbook is to be completed and submitted for marking prior to the 4 day intensive block
Relates to objectives: 1-4
Weight: 50%
Internal or external: Both
Group or individual: Individual
Due date: Mid Semester

Assessment name: Action Plan
Description: You will analyse a data set to identify anomalies in clinical care outcomes and develop an action plan to address these.
Relates to objectives: 4-8
Weight: 20%
Internal or external: Both
Group or individual: Individual
Due date: End Semester

Assessment name: Essay
Description: You will be required to write an essay analysing an aspect of health care quality and safety.
Relates to objectives: 1-8
Weight: 30%
Internal or external: Both
Group or individual: Individual
Due date: End Semester

Academic Honesty

QUT is committed to maintaining high academic standards to protect the value of its qualifications. To assist you in assuring the academic integrity of your assessment you are encouraged to make use of the support materials and services available to help you consider and check your assessment items. Important information about the university's approach to academic integrity of assessment is on your unit Blackboard site.

A breach of academic integrity is regarded as Student Misconduct and can lead to the imposition of penalties.

Resource materials

There is no prescribed text for this unit. You will be provided with specific materials and information about reference texts at the commencement of the unit. Additional reference materials may be provided through tutorials and the 4 day intensive block.

Risk assessment statement

There are no out of the ordinary risks in this unit except for those associated with substantial computer-based work. You should ensure that you take regular rest breaks when engaging in prolonged computer-based work.

Disclaimer - Offer of some units is subject to viability, and information in these Unit Outlines is subject to change prior to commencement of semester.

Last modified: 26-Feb-2013