MSc Occupational Medicine / Course details

Within the UK the increased pace of change in health services, greater public expectations and limited resources all require health professionals to reconsider how things are done. This is in order to improve care and services and so better people’s health. Implementation and improvement science methodology has been used for decades in manufacturing and other sectors, but it is a relatively recent innovation to health services in the UK. The premise is that using a systematic approach can help practitioners and managers design better systems, which will in turn improve health.

This course unit is an introduction to the approaches needed to implement policy, programmes, interventions and research findings in real-world health and social care settings, from a local to a global context. It will include:

1. Systems thinking and behaviour approaches
2. Identifying barriers and facilitators to the uptake of evidence
3. Analysing and evaluating policy, programmes and interventions and their impact on health and social care
4. Applying implementation strategies into practice in local and global settings
5. Assessment and implementation of innovations
6. Evaluation of research findings into different contexts and settings

Online content and written assignments with no assessed group activities (students on these course units could work through course content at different paces without negative impact on their attainment)

This is an interactive online course. Students must work through the online course material. Students are encouraged to use the Blackboard discussion boards to ask questions and check their understanding of the course material.

Please note this course unit runs in semester 2. 

The aim of the course unit is to provide an introduction to implementation and improvement sciences for health and social care, from a local to a global context for the improvement of health and wellbeing.

• Demonstrate an understanding of systems thinking and behavioural approaches in the implementation of evidence-based innovations, at the individual, group and organisational level in health and social care
• Analyse and evaluate interventions, programmes and policies and their impact on health and social care
• Evaluate research findings into different context and settings
• Apply implementation strategies into practice to overcome barriers and increase uptake of evidence-based interventions in local and global settings
• Demonstrate an understanding of how to assess and implement innovations into practice in health and social care
• Identify and address barriers and facilitators to the uptake of evidence-based health innovations in local and global settings

This is an interactive online course which involves working through the course notes provided online, linked references and other online sources of information. You will be encouraged to use self-reflection to help you think about the ideas discussed and take part in discussion board activities. You are encouraged to work through the unit in a logical sequence. The calendar in Blackboard will guide you as to what you should be doing and when. However, students on these course units could work through course content at different paces without negative impact on their attainment. Participation in the discussion boards is greatly encouraged. You are encouraged oto bring a professional or relevant personal development `problem’ to the course. The course is designed to provide an academic basis for understanding and applying implementation science.

There will be regular interaction with the tutors through scheduled webinars (which will be recorded and made available) and through the online discussion boards. Students will be encouraged to use self-reflection to think about the ideas discussed, and take part in discussion board activities. Students should work through the unit in a logical sequence. The individual course unit timetables will guide what should be done and when. Participation in the discussion boards is greatly encouraged, and can help enhance your learning experience and prepare you for your assessment.

In line with guidance from the Office for Students and Quality Assurance Agency, the programme will be augmented by the Programme Director Seminar Series to deliver study skills, written English, academic writing, research skills, critical thinking and understanding arguments, careers and employability skills, revision/assessment/examination skills including time management. 

Students will be provided with personalised feedback for their final summative assignment (2,500-3,000 words or equivalent) within 20 working days.

Further opportunities for formative feedback (on non-assessed work) will also be provided during a course unit.

There will be regular interaction with the tutors through scheduled webinars (which will be recorded and made available) and through the online discussion boards. Students will be encouraged to use self-reflection to think about the ideas discussed, and take part in discussion board activities. Students should work through the unit in a logical sequence. The individual course unit timetables will guide what should be done and when. Participation in the discussion boards is greatly encouraged, and can help enhance your learning experience and prepare you for your assessment.

In line with guidance from the Office for Students and Quality Assurance Agency, the programme will be augmented by the Programme Director Seminar Series to deliver study skills, written English, academic writing, research skills, critical thinking and understanding arguments, careers and employability skills, revision/assessment/examination skills including time management. 

How to implement evidence-based healthcare by Professor Trish Greenhalgh 

You can find the unit overview video here for further information.

If you have any questions about the content of this unit, please contact the course unit leader, Clare Huish, via email on clare.huish@manchester.ac.uk. If you have any other queries, please contact the PGT programme team at shs.programmes@manchester.ac.uk.