ERGOB1060 Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) in Health Care Course description

The language is normally English.

This joint course is developed for all the Bachelor programmes at the Faculty of Health Sciences which are part of RETHOS (National guidelines for the Health and Social Studies), and is considered as an introductory course, preferably taken during the first part of the study programme.

In this course, starting with relatable examples, students will learn about asking critical questions about health claims and the sources of claims. This is followed up by focusing on the rationale for evidence-based practice (EBP) and its Core Competencies: Ask, Acquire, Appraise and Interpret, Apply, and Evaluate, and shared decision-making. The course provides a foundation for learning and applying more advanced and field-specific skills. 

None

The student must have been admitted to the study programme.  

On successful completion of the course, the student has acquired the following learning outcomes classified as knowledge, skills and competence:

Knowledge

The student

• can define what EBP is and recognizes the rationale for EBP and shared decision making
• knows the steps of EBP
• is familiar with the levels in the S-pyramid and acknowledges the difference between single studies and systematic reviews
• knows the characteristics of a scientific article, e.g. IMRAD
• can explain the purpose and characteristics of qualitative and quantitative studies and syntheses of studies, e.g. systematic reviews
• understands the principles for critical appraisal and knows how to use check lists for different study designs, clinical guidelines and professional procedures
• knows different types of categorical and continuous measures of association and effect, and key graphical presentations  

Skills

The student

• can identify different types of professional/clinical questions, such as questions about treatment, diagnosis, prognosis, experiences and etiology
• can, for each type of clinical question, identify the preferred order of study designs
• can formulate searchable professional/clinical questions using e.g. PICO and variations of PICO
• can construct and carry out an appropriate and simple search strategy for professional/clinical questions from the top of the S-pyramid  

General competencies

The student

• can critically assess health claims in the media
• can discuss the importance of user knowledge, clinical experience, and summarized research in clinical decision-making 

All people have a right to an active everyday life and to participate in society. Promoting this right is part of the occupational therapist's social responsibility. If people, for various reasons, do not have the opportunity to live an active and meaningful life with social connections, it can be detrimental to health. In this course, students will work on a project that aims to develop an idea for an activity-based measure to promote inclusion and belonging for a vulnerable group in society.

The students will also participate in the interdisciplinary teaching initiative INTER1100.

INTER1100 ‘The same child - different arenas’ (1.5 credits)

INTER 1100 ‘The Same Child - Different Arenas’ is part of the teaching project Interprofessional Interaction with Children and Youth (INTERACT), which takes place across the programmes of professional study at OsloMet. The goal is to increase the quality of the programmes of professional study that focus on children and young people. Through INTERACT, students acquire research-based knowledge about the everyday lives of children and young people, as well as practice in cooperating with students from other programmes. In this way, INTERACT forms the basis for improved coordination of society’s services directed at children and young people and their parents/guardians. INTER1100 ‘The Same Child - Different Arenas’ makes up the first module of INTERACT.

INTER1100 provides a common academic platform for all students involved. It is about becoming more aware and gain more knowledge about your own and other people’s programmes of professional study that target children and young people's upbringing.

After completing the course and INTER1100*, the student is expected to have achieved the following learning outcomes defined in terms of knowledge, skills and general competence: 

Knowledge

The student is capable of

• assessing and presenting inclusive and excluding factors that influence participation and sense of belonging in the big city
• describing the principles for user participation and resource orientation in local communities
• describing the process of growing up in a society characterised by social and cultural diversity*

Skills

The student is capable of

• using relevant legislation when arguing for equal services for different groups in a diverse society
• using occupational science and knowledge about human rights to argue for people's right to occupation and participation
• reflecting on the cultural significance of activities for belonging in a local community
• planning and defending the use of activities to promote inclusion and belonging adapted to a user group in the big city
• cooperating with students from other programmes of professional study on relevant challenges in the everyday lives of children and young people*
• discussing and reflecting on his/her own future professional role in an interprofessional cooperation with children, adolescents and their parents/guardians*

General competence

The student

• is capable of acting respectfully towards and building relationships with fellow students and with people in the city who are involved in the project work
• has an understanding of interprofessional cooperation with children, young people and their families*

This course will give the students the competence to contribute to patient-centred pharmacological treatment focusing on vulnerable patient groups such as children and young people, pregnant women, older people and the chronically ill. The course covers issues such as pharmacological variatibility (pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics), aspects of patient safety and individualised treatment with therapeutic drug monitoring. The course also addresses the use of pharmacogenetic analyses, complex pharmacotherapy, compatibility and administration of pharmaceuticals given intravenously and the use of radioactive preparations. The course will give the student an understanding of health literacy. The relationship between health economic principles and rational use of pharmaceuticals will be an important topic, in addition to management and various leadership roles in pharmaceutical enterprises.

After completing the course, the student should have the following learning outcomes defined in terms of knowledge, skills and general competence: 

Knowledge 

The student 

• can critically assess the effects, adverse effects and use of pharmaceuticals in the prevention and treatment of various diseases in a patient-centred manner
• can analyse problems relating to medicine administration, clinical pharmacy and other pharmaceutical services
• can discuss the causes of pharmaceutical variability in advanced pharmaceutical treatment at the individual and group levels
• can critically assess requirements for data collection and documentation of clinical studies of pharmaceuticals
• can assess pharmaceutical issues related to the administration of pharmaceuticals in intravenously
• can discuss the importance of how variations in health literacy influence different patients’ and user groups’ coping with disease, mastery and self-care
• can discuss the importance of the relationship between health economic principles and rational use of pharmaceuticals from an individual and societal perspective
• can analyse and discuss leadership and various leadership roles in pharmaceutical enterprises

Skills 

The student 

• can follow up patients using advanced pharmaceutical treatment at the individual and group levels for optimal pharmacotherapy
• can identify the causes of variability in pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics and propose solutions to advanced pharmacotherapy
• can elucidate issues related to advanced pharmacotherapy in special patient groups such as children, pregnant/breastfeeding women and elderly people
• can contribute advice on medicine administration and apply advanced pharmacotherapy in cooperation with health personnel, next of kin and patients
• can critically evaluate advanced pharmaceutical services that contribute to optimal pharmacotherapy and patient safety
• can analyse and take a critical approach to international research literature and different sources of information, and use them to formulate professional arguments in an independent manner
• can apply key statistical and epidemiological methods

General competence

The student 

• can evaluate and communicate pharmacy issues, analyses, research results and conclusions to other health personnel in a structured manner
• can communicate evidence-based knowledge to health personnel, pharmaceutical users and the general public
• can contribute to optimal pharmaceutical treatment for individual patients and groups of patients through interdisciplinary cooperation
• can contribute to interprofessional cooperation on new and innovative treatment options
• can apply their knowledge and skills in professional management
• can contribute to developing the field of pharmacy and the role of pharmacists in society and in international collaborations

Pass/fail.

All exam papers are assessed by two examiners. An external examiner will assess at least 20% of the papers together with an internal examiner. Other exams are assessed by two internal examiners. The external examiner’s assessment shall benefit all students.

Grade scale A-F