Overview
Students learn to interact effectively with clients and peers through an understanding of professional and interprofessional relationships. This unit provides an overview of the social, legal and ethical issues that impact on the experience of illness, equity of health care and best practice. It contextualises therapeutic communication and collaborative teamwork skills and introduces the student to evidence based practice, reflective practice and decision making in the health professions.
Details
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites
There are no requisites for this unit.
Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework).
Offerings For Term 2 - 2021
Attendance Requirements
All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes – in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).
Recommended Student Time Commitment
Each 6-credit Undergraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 12.5 hours of study per week, making a total of 150 hours for the unit.
Class Timetable
Assessment Overview
Assessment Grading
This is a graded unit: your overall grade will be calculated from the marks or grades for each assessment task, based on the relative weightings shown in the table above. You must obtain an overall mark for the unit of at least 50%, or an overall grade of ‘pass’ in order to pass the unit. If any ‘pass/fail’ tasks are shown in the table above they must also be completed successfully (‘pass’ grade). You must also meet any minimum mark requirements specified for a particular assessment task, as detailed in the ‘assessment task’ section (note that in some instances, the minimum mark for a task may be greater than 50%). Consult the University’s Grades and Results Policy for more details of interim results and final grades.
All University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
You may wish to view these policies:
- Grades and Results Policy
- Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework)
- Review of Grade Procedure
- Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure – Domestic Students
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure – International Students
- Student Refund and Credit Balance Policy and Procedure
- Student Feedback – Compliments and Complaints Policy and Procedure
- Information and Communications Technology Acceptable Use Policy and Procedure
This list is not an exhaustive list of all University policies. The full list of University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
Feedback, Recommendations and Responses
Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.
Feedback from student feedback, instructor reflections
The study guide contains some content that is outdated. References to more recent publications are needed. There is also considerable duplication of content in the study guide and with recorded lectures.
Edit study guide to complement rather than duplicate lecture content and update references to research findings and government publications.
Feedback from student feedback
Some lectures have poor sound quality. Video clips within recorded lectures are difficult to see and hear. Some lecture videos have slides that do not match the posted set. Many lecture videos are long (over 30 minutes).
Replace lecture videos with poor sound/visual quality and ensure matching of posted slides with recordings. Split longer lecture videos into smaller segments.
Feedback from student feedback
Study of the unit provides clear connections between the theory topics and practice as a health professional and also provides insights to healthcare beyond the student's own profession.
Continue to emphasise the connections to real world clinical practice.
- Collaborate with health care students demonstrating an understanding of professional and interprofessional relationships
- Discuss the principles underlying effective communication skills in health care settings demonstrating cultural sensitivity
- Reflect on experiences to enhance your own personal and professional development
- Apply knowledge of evidence-based practice to gather information effectively
- Apply knowledge of legal and ethical issues that impact the provision of health care and best practice
- Discuss the impact of social determinants, disability and culture on the experience of illness and access to health care for Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians
- Outline national and international health reform initiatives to improve the quality and equity of health care
- Discuss the concept of quality patient care and inclusive decision-making in the health professions
- Explain social issues and the attributes, motivations, skills, roles and actions that underpin positive social change and impact.
This is a core unit for many of the allied health courses which are subject to external accreditation by a range of professional and regulatory bodies. It introduces a range of concepts and professional competencies at a foundational level.
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | |
1 - Online resource/s - 0% | |||||||||
2 - Group Work - 50% | |||||||||
3 - Reflective Practice Assignment - 0% | |||||||||
4 - Online Test - 50% |
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
Graduate Attributes | Learning Outcomes | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | |
1 - Communication | |||||||||
2 - Problem Solving | |||||||||
3 - Critical Thinking | |||||||||
4 - Information Literacy | |||||||||
5 - Team Work | |||||||||
6 - Information Technology Competence | |||||||||
7 - Cross Cultural Competence | |||||||||
8 - Ethical practice | |||||||||
9 - Social Innovation | |||||||||
10 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures |
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Graduate Attributes
Assessment Tasks | Graduate Attributes | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | |
1 - Online resource/s - 0% | ||||||||||
2 - Group Work - 50% | ||||||||||
3 - Reflective Practice Assignment - 0% | ||||||||||
4 - Online Test - 50% |
Textbooks
There are no required textbooks.
IT Resources
- CQUniversity Student Email
- Internet
- Unit Website (Moodle)
- Zoom meeting access
All submissions for this unit must use the referencing styles below:
For further information, see the Assessment Tasks.
a.chandrarajan@cqu.edu.au
Module/Topic
The health professional
Chapter
- Study guide Week 1
- Other readings and activities as outlined in Moodle
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Teamwork and interprofessional collaborative care
Chapter
- Study guide Week 2
- Other readings and activities as outlined in Moodle
Events and Submissions/Topic
1 hour tutorial
Module/Topic
Health and illness
- Conceptual understanding
- Determinants of health and illness
Chapter
- Study guide Week 3
- Other readings and activities as outlined in Moodle
Events and Submissions/Topic
1 hour tutorial
Module/Topic
Social Innovation
Chapter
- CQUniversity iChange course (online)
Events and Submissions/Topic
You will be assigned to your group this week for Assessment 1 and will make initial contact with group members to arrange your first group meeting which should take place before the end of Week 5.
Completion of CQUniversity iChange Course Due: Week 4 Friday (6 Aug 2021) 11:45 pm AEST
Module/Topic
Cultural considerations in health care provision
Chapter
- Study guide Week 5
- Other readings and activities as outlined in Moodle
Events and Submissions/Topic
1 hour tutorial
All groups should have held at least their first group meeting by the end of this week to discuss the group work component of Assessment 1.
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Disability access
Chapter
- Study guide Week 6
- Other readings and activities as outlined in Moodle
Events and Submissions/Topic
Self and Peer Assessment (1) for Assessment 1 (Individual and Group Work on Health Initiatives) Due: Week 6 Friday (27 Aug. 2021) 11:45pm AEST
Module/Topic
Therapeutic communication in health practice
Chapter
- Study guide Week 7
- Other readings and activities as outlined in Moodle
Events and Submissions/Topic
1 hour tutorial
Individual report for Assessment 1 (Individual and Group Work on Health Initiatives) Due: Week 7 Wednesday (1 Sep. 2021) 11:45pm AEST
Module/Topic
Time for completion of group work assessment. No new content.
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Group Summary for Assessment 1 (Individual and Group Work on Health Initiatives) Due: Week 8 Friday (10 Sep. 2021) 11:45pm AEST
Module/Topic
Quality healthcare provision
Chapter
- Study guide Week 9
- Other readings and activities as outlined in Moodle
Events and Submissions/Topic
1 hour tutorial
Self and Peer Assessment (2) for Assessment 1 (Individual and Group Work on Health Initiatives) Due: Week 9 Friday (17 Sep. 2021) 11:45pm AEST
Module/Topic
Disclosure and consent to treatment
Chapter
- Study guide Week 10
- Other readings and activities as outlined in Moodle
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Ethics in health practice
Chapter
- Study guide Week 11
- Other readings and activities as outlined in Moodle
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Consolidation of knowledge.
No new content.
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
1 hour tutorial - preparation for online test
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Online Test. To be held during the exam period - date and time to be advised.
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Online Test. To be held during the exam period - date and time to be advised.
MEDI11004 is a 6-credit point unit, which means you should plan to spend about 10-12 hours per week studying the unit content. For each week, a suggested breakdown of your time would be:
- Reading the weekly study guide and completing activities: 5 hours
- Other readings and learning activities in Moodle: 1 hour
- Watching recorded lectures and note taking: 2 hours
- Attending tutorials or group meetings: 1 hour
- Work on assessment items and completing weekly revision questions: 2-3 hours
This will vary each week, depending on the stage of the unit and progress of assessment items.
Tutorials in this unit will be held on-line via Zoom and support your group work and assessment items. You are strongly advised to attend these in order to be successful in the unit. While online tutorials will be recorded, these recordings are not intended to replace your active participation in live sessions. To support your success in this unit: head to the Moodle site regularly, keep up-to-date with the weekly content, know your assessment requirements and be an active participant in your group work and tutorials.
1 Online resource/s
Social Innovation involves the implementation of new programs or services that address specific social problems and can bring about positive change in communities.
You will complete the CQUniversity iChange course as part of your learning resources in Week 4 to introduce you to the concept of social innovation. The course takes about 2 hours to complete and consists of 6 small modules each with a short quiz at the end. Completion of the course will equip you for your first written assessment and also for further involvement in social innovation in your future studies and professional life. The course can be accessed via Moodle Week 4 or at https://www.cqu.edu.au/industry-and-partnerships/engagement/social-innovation/ichange
Upon successful completion of all modules, activities and quizzes in the course you will receive a certificate which you will be required to upload to successfully complete this assessment.
This is a pass/fail assessment item that must be completed by the specified due date. If you have extenuating circumstances that cause you to be unable to submit your assessment at the due date and time, you must apply for an assessment extension. See Section 5 of the University's Assessment Policy and Procedure for details regarding assessment management, specifically around assessment extension.
If your request for an extension is approved, you will be assigned a new due date/time.
In the absence of an approved extension, you will not be able to submit this task at a later date and would thus receive a Fail grade for the assessment, which would result in a Fail grade for the unit.
Week 4 Friday (6 Aug 2021) 11:45 pm AEST
Week 5 Friday (13 Aug 2021)
To attain a 'Pass' for this assessment, you must complete all parts of the CQUniversity iChange course and submit the certificate of completion by the stated due date and time.
- Explain social issues and the attributes, motivations, skills, roles and actions that underpin positive social change and impact.
- Information Literacy
- Social Innovation
2 Group Work
Australia is a very diverse county. In future practice you will be dealing with patients from many different social backgrounds and cultures, therefore, it is important to have some understanding of such diversity in order for you to address your patients' needs. By week 4 of this unit, you will be developing an awareness of the lack of equity in terms of health outcomes for those living in rural areas, for some migrant families, Indigenous Australians and those living with disabilities.
Your task for this assessment is to work in a group of 3-4 students to research the causes of poor health outcomes and propose a set of initiatives that could be implemented locally by the community to improve the current situation for particular members of a given rural or remote Australian community. The task will include both an individual report and group summary.
You will be provided with a rural community with a population that includes Indigenous Australians, migrant families and community members with disabilities. Each group member will complete an individual report that will address one of these population groups (also listed below) and research the causative factors of poor health outcomes and identify initiatives that can improve the situation.
Each team member will be allocated one of the following topics to address for the given community:
- Problems accessing health care for this rural and remote community.
- Social exclusion and poor health care experienced by community members with disabilities.
- Poor health outcomes amongst the community's Indigenous Australians.
- Reluctance of newly settled migrant women and children to seek health care.
Task Process
Work on this assessment will be during weeks 4 to 8. In week 4 you will be allocated to a group of students, perhaps from different disciplines, and will make initial contact with your group. You will arrange your first group meeting, where you will allocate team roles and topics for individual reports. You will continue to work on this assessment item both individually and as a group, discussing and sharing ideas in weekly group meetings.
Information and guidance on working in groups and investigating the topics will be provided on the unit Moodle site and also in tutorials in weeks 3 and 5. It is important that you attend these. You will be expected to take an active role in your team and attend on-line or face to face meetings with your group members as scheduled through Weeks 4-8. To obtain a group summary mark, you will need to contribute to the group and submit your individual report to your group at the time you submit it in Moodle. Your group will document the organising, points for discussion and decisions made at each meeting. If you fail to engage regularly and participate in the group-work tasks, you may be removed from your originally assigned group by teaching staff and put in a group by yourself. You will then be required to complete the group portion of the report on your own. You will automatically score 0/5 for the self and peer assessment.
This assessment is worth 50% of the final grade for the unit. It has 4 parts:
Part 1: INDIVIDUAL REPORT (20% of final grade)
- Each team member will individually prepare a report on one of the four topics listed above, as allocated in the initial group meeting. The report will describe the causative factors of poorer health outcomes and describe 2 initiatives identified through research that address these causative factors in an attempt to improve health outcomes. You should seek to find initiatives that are community-led initiatives, rather than large scale government programs.
- Required word count: 500 +/- 10% per person.
- You will submit this work individually through the submission link on the unit's Moodle site.
Part 2: GROUP WORK – Summary Report (25% of final grade)
- This summary report is prepared by the group as a whole and will identify the three most suitable initiatives for their community from the individual reports.
- The group will identify their rural community by location and population. Each member will have identified 2 initiatives in their individual report. This activity requires each of the individual reports to be shared within the group for evaluation. The group will create a rating criteria and evaluate all the initiatives. Consideration should be given to the appropriateness of the initiatives to the specified community groups. The group summary must describe the rating criteria used and submit the 3 initiatives chosen as the most suitable initiatives to implement in the community and the reason for their selection. Initiatives may require some modification for your particular community and details must be provided in the group summary to outline adaptation and implementation strategies.
- The group summary will be submitted by one group member only and the mark and feedback will apply to each group member named on the front page of the submission.
- Each individual report must be included in the Appendix to the group summary.
- The minutes from team meetings must also be included in the Appendix to the group summary.
- Required word count for the group summary: 600 words +/- 20%. The appendix (including individual submissions and team meeting minutes) and any references and in-text citations are not included in the word count.
Parts 3 and 4: SELF AND PEER ASSESSMENT (SPA) (5% of final grade)
- To assess each member's contribution to the group work, you will take part in TWO self and peer assessments. You will receive your SPA form access via email in each of weeks 6 and 9. In confidence, each person within a group will score themselves and the other team members for their degree of contribution to the team work process. Each time you will be asked 10 questions concerning your own and your peers' participation as team members. The average of your assessment by your peers will form part of your mark for this part of the group assessment.
- Collectively parts 3 and 4 are worth 5% of the final mark for this unit.
- To be completed in Weeks 6 and 9.
SPA 1 due Week 6 Friday 27/8/21. Individual report due Week 7 Wednesday 1/9/21. Group Summary due Week 8 Friday 10/9/21. SPA 2 due Week 9 Friday 17/9/21. All due by 11:45pm AEST on the specified day.
Feedback on your individual report will be provided by Friday Week 10. Feedback on the group summary will be provided by Friday Week 11.
- Content: correctness and depth of understanding of determinants of health for your population group; relevance of initiatives; description of initiatives; identification and application of selection criteria to identify 'best' health initiatives; adaptation and implementation strategies of initiatives.
- Communication: clarity of expression, spelling, grammar, punctuation, use of appropriate language and terminology.
- Form: format, adherence to word limit, citation of sources.
- Selection and use of relevant and authoritative sources of information to inform your writing.
- Peer assessment of the team work process (dependability, task acceptance, timely productivity, contribution to team discussions and collaboration with team members).
A more detailed marking criteria sheet will be posted on the unit Moodle site.
- Collaborate with health care students demonstrating an understanding of professional and interprofessional relationships
- Apply knowledge of evidence-based practice to gather information effectively
- Discuss the impact of social determinants, disability and culture on the experience of illness and access to health care for Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians
- Outline national and international health reform initiatives to improve the quality and equity of health care
- Communication
- Problem Solving
- Team Work
- Information Technology Competence
- Cross Cultural Competence
- Social Innovation
3 Reflective Practice Assignment
Reflection is a skill that enables you to consider an experience with the purpose of learning and growing from that experience. It is therefore a valuable skill for a health professional, and one that you will use throughout your studies and career. In this assessment you are going to reflect on your experience of working within your team during Assessment 2. You will reflect on your role within the team and identify ways to improve your future contribution to a team dynamic. Guidance will be given in Week 9 tutorial, so it will be important for you to attend this.
Your reflection will focus on one particular aspect of your experience as a group member in this unit, such as:
- An aspect of the group communication process
- An aspect of the group decision-making process or outcome
- An aspect of the group conflict resolution process or outcome
- Another aspect of your group work
Your reflection can be about a positive or negative experience. You will describe an incident and identify a key issue involved in that incident which you will then reflect on. During your analysis of this issue you will demonstrate your theoretical knowledge, related experience and the ability to recognise your own preferences for working, assumptions and bias. You will use literature to support your analysis. Finally you will suggest a plan of action in the form of a series of steps or actions that you will take to improve your next group work experience in relation to the issue identified.
Your reflection must address the following key aspects of a reflective cycle:
- Description of your experience
- Analysis, research and discussion of key issue related to experience, including recognition of personal contribution, assumption and bias
- Action plan for future team work
For this assessment, you will need to submit an appendix with your reflection to include the following forms (which will be provided on the unit Moodle site):
- Team rules
- Completed evaluation of team's processes and performance, including observations as examples where appropriate.
- Completed rating scale for evaluating team meetings.
- Completed student self-assessment sheet.
Each document can be referred to by number, or other means, within the reflective report itself if appropriate.
Other submission requirements:
- This reflection must use the reflection template provided on the Unit Moodle site.
- The word limit is 500 +/- 10%. The appendix, references and in-text citations are not included in the word count.
- Please submit your reflection as a .doc or .docx file.
This is a pass/fail assessment item that must be completed by the specified due date. If you have extenuating circumstances that cause you to be unable to submit your assessment at the due date and time, you must apply for an assessment extension. See Section 5 of the University's Assessment Policy and Procedure for details regarding assessment management, specifically around assessment extension.
If your request for an extension is approved, you will be assigned a new due date/time.
In the absence of an approved extension, you will not be able to submit this task at a later date and would thus receive a Fail grade for the assessment, which would result in a Fail grade for the unit.
Week 11 Friday (1 Oct 2021) 11:45 pm AEST
Exam Week Monday (18 Oct 2021)
- Form: use of the reflection template; adherence to word limit; citation of sources; inclusion of appendix.
- Completion of all aspects of a reflective cycle: brief description of one particular aspect of the group work experience; analysis of the event; action plan for future team work.
- Communication: clarity of expression, spelling, grammar, punctuation, use of appropriate language and terminology.
- Use of relevant literature to support your reflection.
A marking rubric will be posted on the unit Moodle site to specify the 'Pass' requirements for each criterion listed above. In the event that your submission does not meet the 'Pass' requirements as per the rubric, you will be provided detailed feedback and guidance by the unit coordinator. You will then have one week to respond to the feedback and resubmit the Reflection. If your second submission does not meet the 'Pass' requirements, you will receive a Fail grade for the assessment, which would result in a Fail grade for the unit.
- Discuss the principles underlying effective communication skills in health care settings demonstrating cultural sensitivity
- Reflect on experiences to enhance your own personal and professional development
- Apply knowledge of evidence-based practice to gather information effectively
- Apply knowledge of legal and ethical issues that impact the provision of health care and best practice
- Critical Thinking
4 Online Test
You will complete an online test to demonstrate your understanding and ability to apply the concepts and use the terminology from all weeks of the unit except Weeks 2 & 4. All questions will be based on the weekly learning goals and weekly revision questions. The question types are mostly written responses, but may include multiple choice, matching terms and fill-in-the-gap style questions. Question tasks will require you to apply your knowledge to a given scenario and may require discussion and explanation.
This assessment is to be undertaken as an individual. As with all other university assessment, colluding with other students on non-group work tasks is considered academic misconduct. Inserting answers copied from other published sources (including lecture slides) is considered plagiarism. If you copy any content word-for-word from ANY source, you must put that content in quotation marks and formally cite your source.
The online test is an open book assessment, however, the expectation is that you will be familiar with the unit content and concepts. You should not assume you will have time to look up the answer to every question.
As per the Assessment Procedures, this test must be written at the timetabled date and time. There is no opportunity to apply a late penalty. In the absence of an approved extension, you cannot complete this assessment at a later time and you will receive a mark of zero for the assessment if you have not submitted it by the scheduled date and time. If you start the test late, you will still be required to submit at the stated closing time.
University exam period - date and time to be advised
Certification of grades
Question responses will be scored on the following criteria:
- correct use of terminology
- correct selection and application of core concepts to the specific content of the question
- clarity, correctness, relevance and completeness of the response in addressing the question that was asked
- Discuss the principles underlying effective communication skills in health care settings demonstrating cultural sensitivity
- Apply knowledge of legal and ethical issues that impact the provision of health care and best practice
- Discuss the impact of social determinants, disability and culture on the experience of illness and access to health care for Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians
- Discuss the concept of quality patient care and inclusive decision-making in the health professions
- Communication
- Problem Solving
- Information Literacy
- Cross Cultural Competence
- Ethical practice
As a CQUniversity student you are expected to act honestly in all aspects of your academic work.
Any assessable work undertaken or submitted for review or assessment must be your own work. Assessable work is any type of work you do to meet the assessment requirements in the unit, including draft work submitted for review and feedback and final work to be assessed.
When you use the ideas, words or data of others in your assessment, you must thoroughly and clearly acknowledge the source of this information by using the correct referencing style for your unit. Using others’ work without proper acknowledgement may be considered a form of intellectual dishonesty.
Participating honestly, respectfully, responsibly, and fairly in your university study ensures the CQUniversity qualification you earn will be valued as a true indication of your individual academic achievement and will continue to receive the respect and recognition it deserves.
As a student, you are responsible for reading and following CQUniversity’s policies, including the Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure. This policy sets out CQUniversity’s expectations of you to act with integrity, examples of academic integrity breaches to avoid, the processes used to address alleged breaches of academic integrity, and potential penalties.
What is a breach of academic integrity?
A breach of academic integrity includes but is not limited to plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, cheating, contract cheating, and academic misconduct. The Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure defines what these terms mean and gives examples.
Why is academic integrity important?
A breach of academic integrity may result in one or more penalties, including suspension or even expulsion from the University. It can also have negative implications for student visas and future enrolment at CQUniversity or elsewhere. Students who engage in contract cheating also risk being blackmailed by contract cheating services.
Where can I get assistance?
For academic advice and guidance, the Academic Learning Centre (ALC) can support you in becoming confident in completing assessments with integrity and of high standard.