ORI1060 Kunnskapsbasert praksis (KBP) i helsetjenesten Emneplan

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.

The Bachelor's Programme in Prosthetics and Orthotics aims to educate user-oriented, creative, inquisitive, independent and reflective professionals who are capable of engaging in professional and interprofessional cooperation. After completing the programme, the candidates are expected to have acquired competence that ensures that they will practice their profession in accordance with society's requirements and need for prosthetic and orthotic services. The learning outcomes are in accordance with the Qualifications Framework, but have been supplemented with some learning outcomes from the ISPO guidelines.

The competence can be defined in terms of knowledge, skills and general competence.

Knowledge

The candidate

• has broad knowledge of scientific, technological and social science subjects that are essential in a prosthetist/orthotist's professional practice
• has broad knowledge of the prosthetist/orthotist's role and function in preventive, therapeutic and (re)habilitative activities
• is familiar with the discipline's history, traditions, distinctive nature and place in society
• is familiar with global challenges relating to assistive technology, public health and the environment in a changing society
• is familiar with research and development work of relevance to prosthetics and orthotics
• is capable of updating his/her knowledge in fields relevant to prosthetics and orthotics activities

Skills

The candidate is capable of

• preparing and implementing an prosthetic and orthotic management plan for individual users
• applying knowledge of prosthetics and orthotics and relevant results from research and development work to practical and theoretical problems and making well-founded choices
• carrying out clinical and technical procedures and processes involved in prevention, treatment and (re)habilitation for persons in need of prostheses and/or orthoses at some point in their life and reflecting on his/her own professional practice
• applying relevant materials, equipment, components and techniques
• exploring new technology and considering potential areas of application in the field of prosthetics and orthotics
• finding, assessing and referring to information and specialist literature and presenting it so that it highlights a problem

General competence

The candidate is capable of

• communicating with users and other partners in a professional manner and practising the profession in an ethically sound manner
• relating to a diverse society characterised by individual and cultural differences in a professional manner
• cooperating in a user-focused and interprofessional manner
• taking an active role in quality assurance, improvement, development, innovation and promotion of services and professional practice
• independently applying knowledge and skills by demonstrating cooperation skills, responsibility, and the ability to reflect on and take a critical approach in his/her professional practice
• identifying own learning and competence needs to be able to keep up to date
• complying with national legislation and national and international guidelines for professional practice in the health and social services at both system and individual level
• planning and implementing relevant projects and complex tasks that take place over time and that contribute to the development of theory and/or practice, alone or as part of an interprofessional team that can contribute to developing good practices
• demonstrating insight into creative processes and applying methods used in innovation and entrepreneurship
• communicating important subject matter to users, other partners and the general public

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

The teaching is mainly designed with "flipped classroom" and learning activities in class and smaller groups. Digital learning resources such as digital lectures, videos and films will be available to the students in advance. Students are recommended to use these resources and to be prepared before the lectures and the seminars. The students are specially recommended to participate at the presentation seminar since this seminar offers a unique opportunity for learning.

The following required coursework must be approved before the student can take the exam:

• Compulsory attendance at the seminar on literature search (normally week 1 of the course).Compensatory work requirement if not present: The student must choose a different health claim, create a PICO based on this health claim, and describe a search for this PICO in Up-To-Date, Health Library according to guidelines or in Cochrane Library. The assignment is not academically assessed by the person with the course responsibility, but it will be registered (in Fagpersonweb) that the work requirement has been submitted and the student will find the registration in studentweb.
• Compulsory attendance at the Help-desk seminar (normally week 2 of the course) where students/exam groups ask questions and receive answers/guidance on the exam assignment. Compensatory work requirement if not present: In case of absence, students must submit 2 questions to the exam assignment and provide an academic justification for the questions of up to 100 words. The assignment is not academically assessed by the person with the course responsibility, but it will be registered (in Fagpersonweb) that the work requirement has been submitted and the student will find the registration in studentweb.

Students who complete the programme, which has a scope of 180 credits, are awarded a Bachelor's Degree in Prosthetics and Orthotics. After completing the programme and two years' internship, students can apply for authorisation as a prosthetist/orthotist pursuant to the Act relating to Health Personnel and the Regulations relating to practical training (turnus) for prosthetist/orthotists and chiropractors.

The primary function of a prosthetist/orthotist is to contribute to providing people with orthopaedic appliances that promote function, activity and participation. Prosthetist/orthotists also perform health-promoting work to prevent or reduce functional impairment in future. The appliances are divided into two main groups; prostheses and orthoses. A prosthesis replaces a missing body part, while an orthosis relieves and/or supports an existing body part with impaired or lost functionality. Orthoses include orthopaedic footwear.

Prosthetist/orthotists operate at the intersection between health sciences and engineering. This means that professional practice requires good knowledge and good cooperation with the user, in combination with the ability to develop individually adapted technical solutions. The work requires a high degree of cooperation with other professions, particularly cooperation with orthopaedic technicians.

Professional practice can be divided into a clinical and a technical part. The clinical part is about preparing and implementing a prosthetic and orthotic management plan, which involves adapting and adjusting prostheses and orthoses. All prostheses and orthoses must be adapted especially to suit the individual user. Achieving a good result requires good communication and cooperation with the user. The user group ranges from small children to the elderly, which means that cooperation with users could also involve parents, guardians and next of kin.

In order to achieve a good result, prosthetist/orthotists need technical expertise in the development and quality-assurance of appliances. This expertise entails knowledge about the use of different materials, production skills and HSE (health, safety and the environment) measures.

Prosthetist/orthotists participate in interprofessional teams and sometimes function as consultants when users have complex needs that can only be met through cooperation between several professional groups and/or public agencies. All Norwegian health and social care education programmes shall therefore have common content to support interprofessional cooperation in order to ensure that the welfare state can offer users comprehensive measures that form a coherent whole in a diverse society.

Technological developments will probably lead to an increasing need for prostheses, orthoses and other assistive technology. Prosthetist/orthotists have important expertise on how to develop these appliances. The average life expectancy is rising, which means that the need for appliances will increase. The demand for prosthetist/orthotists is also increasing in developing countries. The technological development is progressing rapidly, which makes new and more advanced solutions possible. Prosthetist/orthotists are natural participants in this innovation to improve quality and develop new solutions.

Today, most prosthetist/orthotists in Norway work in private enterprises that have funding contracts with the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration (NAV). Some enterprises are located in hospitals. Other potential workplaces include the public administration, special interest organisations for people with disabilities, and enterprises and agencies that provide medical technology equipment to the healthcare sector.

The Bachelor's Programme in Prosthetics and Orthotics qualifies students for admission to several different master's degree programmes. Rehabilitation and habilitation, health sciences, biomechanics and human movement science are some of the most relevant options.

The programme description was established under the Act relating to Universities and University Colleges and the Regulations relating to Studies and Examinations at OsloMet - Oslo Metropolitan University. The description complies with the recommended guidelines for study programmes issued by the International Society for Prosthetics and Orthotics (ISPO).

The target group is people who wish to train as prosthetist/orthotists. The discipline combines health sciences and engineering, and the prosthetist/orthotist's core competence is to plan, develop and follow up prostheses and orthoses in close cooperation with users and other professional groups. Therefore, applicants should be creative, interested in developing technical skills and, not least, interested in developing good communication and cooperation skills.

Pass/Fail. The same grade is given for all students in the group.

All answers are assessed by one examiner. An external examiner is used regularly, at a minimum of every third completion of the course. When selecting answers for external evaluation, a minimum of 10 percent of the answers shall be included, with no fewer than 5 answers. The external examiner’s assessment of the selected answers shall benefit all students.

The programme is organised as 15 modules. Fourteen of the modules are profession-specific, while one (ORI1050) is common to several programmes at the faculty. All the modules are compulsory.

The academic year is 40 weeks and the expected normal workload is 40 hours per week. This includes scheduled activities, self-directed learning and exams.

Study progress

The first year of the programme must be passed before the student can start the second year, and the second year must be passed before the student can start the third year.