BSc Public Health (Distance/Blended Learning)

Year of entry: 2023

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Course unit details:
Evidence Based Practice Y1

Course unit fact file
Unit code	POPH10011
Credit rating	20
Unit level	Level 1
Teaching period(s)	Semester 1
Available as a free choice unit?	No

Overview

This unit will explore what we mean by evidence based practice (EBP) and teach the skills required to find, appraise and use different types of evidence from the published literature. We will explore the importance of EBP in public health practice and learn how it improves population health and wellbeing.

Aims

The unit aims to: develop the students’ basic understanding of evidence based practice, including how to find the evidence, how to appraise the evidence and how to use the evidence.

Learning outcomes

Category of outcome	Students will be able to:
Knowledge and understanding	A1 Understand how to apply evidence to inform professional practice and decision making A2 Understand the strengths and limitations of traditional concepts of evidence-based practice and how these relate to their own work or profession
Intellectual skills	B1 Identify and evaluate the evidence required for public health practice
Practical skills	C1 Find existing sources of evidence relevant to clinical and non-clinical health questions C2 Be able to critically appraise common research designs and assess the published literature
Transferable skills and personal qualities	D1 Reflect on EBP principles and applications D2 Develop communication skills to implement EBP

Syllabus

What is EBP and how does it improve population health and wellbeing?
Identifying Public Health issues
What are some important ethical considerations in evidence-based public health research?
Evaluating evidence – are some forms of evidence are more reliable than others?
What are the steps involved in conducting a literature review?
An introduction to different types of study design e.g. case-control studies, cohort studies and randomised controlled trials
Practical application of EBP in the real world- barriers to implementation of EBP and examples of implementation in real-world settings

Teaching and learning methods

The majority of the course will be through elearning which will include required and additional learning, self-tests and discussion boards. There will be 5 webinars that will be recorded to allow synchronous and asynchronous learning.

Employability skills

Analytical skills
Group/team working
Oral communication
Problem solving
Written communication

Assessment methods

Formative assessment task	Length	Feedback method	Weighting within unit
Discussion boards	N/A	Written feedback	0%
Online quizzes	N/A	Automatic feedback	0%
Summative assessment task	Length	Feedback method	Weighting within unit
Recorded presentation of a critical appraisal of a peer-reviewed publication	10 minutes	Written feedback	100%

Feedback methods

Students will receive written feedback from tutors on the recorded presentation of a critical appraisal of a peer-reviewed publication
Students will receive written feedback from peers via a discussion board task on using EBP in public health
Students will receive automated feedback when they complete the online quizzes

Study hours

Scheduled activity hours
Seminars	10

Independent study hours
Independent study	190

Teaching staff

Staff member	Role
Helen Davidson	Unit coordinator

Additional notes

For every 20 course unit credits we expect students to work for around 200 hours. This time generally includes any contact times (online, recorded and live), but also independent study, work for coursework, and group work. This amount is only a guidance and individual study time will vary.

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