TAB1060 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. 

The following must have been approved in order for the student to take the examination:

• Minimum attendance of 80% at sessions

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.

None.

This course introduces students to the concept and complexity of experience. Experience is understood as a series of complex interactions between humans and their technological, social, and natural environments, which users interpret into general impressions. The course addresses this complexity by introducing multifaceted approaches to designing for the experience of products and/or services.

Students will be invited to explore practical design concepts concerning socio-cultural contexts, technological interface interactions, and the phenomenology of experience, as well as employing theoretical approaches to engaging users. These explorations will include applied experiments and design iterations through testing and scenario building. To create more meaningful experiences, issues of user motivation, mastery, and well-being will take central focus in revisions and discussions.

Admission to the Masters program

On successful completion of this course the students are expected to have these learning outcomes acquired:

Knowledge:

The candidate can

• discuss and describe user experience using phenomenological, cognitive and behavioral theoretical concepts
• choose relevant methods for exploration of design for experience

Skills:

The candidate can:

• organize and plan design process using phenomenological, cognitive and behavioral theoretical concepts
• implement experiments, user testing and probing in lab conditions and in the field
• design product features and service components considering experience as a key factor
• critically assess their designs, product features, service components and implications of the design intervention for the experience

General competence:

The candidate can:

• critically assess wider societal perspective about the effect of experience of products and services
• practice evaluation of ethical issues and cultural relevance when conceptualizing and developing design for experience

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 assess how user participation is facilitated at the service and system level
• can analyse knowledge translation and evidence-based practice in (re)habilitation
• can assess the significance of organisational and institutional frameworks for (re)habilitation work
• can analyse (re)habilitation as a concept, field of knowledge and area of political and professional governance

Skills

The student

• can perform evidence-based work in interprofessional practice in (re)habilitation
• can communicate actively and effectively when cooperating with professionals, service users and their next of kin
• can integrate and use different forms of knowledge in the work of developing and improving the quality of (re)habilitation services
• can reflect on how professionals can develop (re)habilitation services that ensure that different groups in society enjoy equitable services
• can actively use knowledge of the relationship between individuals, the organisation of services and the political governance level in the development of (re)habilitation services

General competence

The student

• can facilitate and discuss challenges related to the organisation of (re)habilitation services
• can analyse how technological development can contribute to innovation in (re)habilitation services
• can critically reflect on new knowledge and apply it in work on improving (re)habilitation practice
• can analyse structural factors in (re)habilitation and how they can be changed through the division of responsibility and tasks in (re)habilitation practice

Project examination in the form of a written work that is developed during the course. The work is carried out individually with a scope of 2,000-2,500 words or in pairs with a scope of 3,500-4,000 words. The students will develop a research topic in consultation with the course lecturers.

Resit examination: If the student is awarded the grade F (fails the written assignment), he/she will be given one (1) opportunity to submit a reworked version.