In this assessment, you must create a presentation.

The purpose of this presentation is to summarise your concept document for a Community Needs Analysis Project, which will serve as the foundation for your patient education, health promotion, and/or community engagement project in Assessment 3. This assessment aims to explore the barriers, psychosocial factors, and cultural healthcare disparities impacting a specific community, to inform intervention planning and guide the development of possible future community health initiatives.

This Needs Analysis Project is purely theoretical.

The presentation should include the following sections:

• Community Background

Objective: Provide an overview of the community you plan to study.

Details: Describe the demographic characteristics, social determinants of health, and any relevant contextual information (e.g., socioeconomic status, cultural diversity, existing health disparities).

• Literature Review: Barriers, Psychosocial Factors, and Cultural Healthcare Disparities

Objective: Conduct a review of relevant literature that addresses the barriers, psychosocial factors, and/or cultural healthcare disparities that can impact the well-being of the target population.

Details: Identify the key research interest area(s) you feel need investigation. This could include specific challenges faced by your target population (e.g., lack of access to care, mental health stigma, language barriers).

• Purpose of the Needs Analysis

Objective: Clearly articulate the purpose and scope of your needs analysis.

Details: Explain the importance of understanding the health needs of the community and how this analysis would help inform future interventions.

• Target Population and Gaining a Sample

Objective: Define the population you plan to target for the needs analysis and describe how you would select participants.

Details: Discuss the characteristics of your target population (e.g., age, ethnicity, health status) and explain your sampling methods (e.g., random sampling, purposive sampling).

• Data Collection Method

Objective: Outline the methods you would use to gather data for the needs analysis.

Details: This could include surveys, focus groups, interviews, or public health data collection methods. Be sure to justify why these methods are appropriate for your target population.

• Data Analysis Method

Objective: Describe the approach you would take to analyse the data once it has been collected.

Details: Discuss whether you will use qualitative or quantitative methods and any software or tools you would use to analyse the data.

• Community Feedback Plan

Objective: Explain how you would engage with the community and stakeholders to validate the findings of the needs analysis.

Details: Outline how you would present the results to the community, gather feedback, and incorporate it into your intervention planning.

The concept document for a Community Needs Analysis Project, from which the presentation will be produced, will be developed during your first few weeks of coursework for PMSC20014. Please refer to the Unit's schedule.

Level of GenAI use allowed:

Level 2: You may use Al for planning, idea development, and research. Your final submission should show how you have developed and refined these ideas.

The presentation will be assessed in accordance with the rubric and information provided on the unit’s Moodle site. The following criteria are key points to be included:

- The presentation should be in a PowerPoint format. An alternative may be approved after consultation with the Unit Coordinator.

- Recorded narration is required and you can use the Notes section to detail your thinking

- The presentation must address each of the dot points as detailed in the task description

- As this is a presentation, you can include images where appropriate, but these must be referenced.

- You must include in-text referencing (which can be included in the notes section per slide) and a reference list.

You will also be assessed on Organisation, Subject knowledge, Familiarity with the presentation, Communication and Elocution and Mechanics (Spelling, Grammar, Punctuation). 

Time Limit: 20 minutes (+/-10%)

This presentation is worth 30% of your overall unit mark.

Preamble

Domain 2 of the Paramedicine Board – AHPRA (Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency) Professional Capabilities for Registered Paramedics (2021) emphasises the importance of communication and collaboration in paramedic practice. As healthcare professionals working in dynamic and often high-pressure environments, paramedics must develop strong communication skills to effectively engage with patients and collaborate with multidisciplinary healthcare teams.

A study by Restiglian et.al. (2025) - National consensus on the capabilities that inform the role of advanced practice paramedics: A Delphi study identified under Domain 1: Clinical practice - Capability 1.5 the importance of advanced practice paramedics demonstrating effective communication skills that are culturally sensitive and advocate for diverse needs, supporting individuals in decision-making and care palling to ensure person-centered approaches. 

In the context of paramedics with a primary healthcare focus at generalist, extended practice and advanced practice level, effective communication plays a crucial role. This involves clear and sensitive interaction with patients, their families, and other healthcare providers. 

Assessment Overview

Students will critically analyse a therapeutic interaction (video or transcript) and demonstrate advanced understanding of communication strategies used within therapeutic relationships. In additon to the communication audit, students will critically evaluate whether generative AI could ethically or reliably assist in analysing such an interaction. This assessment is designed to:

• Assess advanced communication theory application
• Require deep reflective judgement and integration of evidence
• Promote ethically responsible AI literacy suitable for clinical practice as a paramedic / advanced practice paramedic in primary & urgent care roles

Assessment Instructions

Part A - Communication Audit (1800 words (+/-10%)

In week 3 of semester, you will be provided with a therapeutic communication video or transcript - your task is to conduct and advanced level communication audit that includes:

1. Interaction overview

Provide a concise summary of the therapeutic context including:

• Purpose of the encounter
• Patient presentation and emotional tone
• Clinical/psychosocial factors shaping communication needs

2. Identification of Key Communication Strategies

Analyse the transcript or video and identify key therapeutic communication strategies used by the practitioner. These may include (but are not limited to):

• Active listening
• Empathetic responding
• Open vs closed questioning
• Summarising
• Normalising
• Boundary setting
• De-escalation
• Silence and pacing
• Cultural humility practices
• Trauma-informed communication

For each strategy you must:

• Cite specific examples from the transcript
• Explain the intended therapeutic function
• Critically evaluate the effectiveness  of the strategy
• Use relevant communication frameworks/theories at an advanced level

3. Identification of Missed Opportunities of Communication Breakdowns

Highlight moments where communication strategies were:

• Incomplete
• Ineffective
• Mismatched to client needs
• Emotionally unsafe
• Lacking cultural or contextual awareness

Discuss how and why these missed opportunities impacted the therapeutic relationship.

4. Recommendations for Improved Practice

Propose evidence based, theoretically justified strategies that could have improved the interaction. Ensure your recommendations demonstrate:

• Advanced integration of theory
• Clinical reasoning
• Reflexive judgement
• Awareness of complexity, uncertainty and diverse patient needs

Part B - Ethical Evaluation of AI in Therapeutic Communication Analysis (600 words +/-10%)

Provide a critical discussion addressing the following:

1. Could AI assist in analysing therapeutic communication?

Consider capabilities in:

• Sentiment analysis
• Turn-taking analysis
• Keyword detection
• Tone/speech pattern evaluation

2. What are the risks and limitations

Discuss potential issues such as:

• Misinterpretation of affect or nuance
• Cultural bias and inequity
• False confidence in AI "accuracy"
• Privacy, confidentiality and data security
• Ethical concerns when using patient-derived material

3. What is ethically acceptable AI use for this assignment?

Explain:

• What you did use AI for
• What you did not use AI for
• How you ensured academic integrity
• How you verified accuracy and prevented dependence

Submission Details

Your submission must include:

• A structured communication audit (Part A)
• Ethical AI evaluation (Part B)
• In-text and Reference List 

Level of GenAI use allowed:

Level 2: You may use Al for planning, idea development, and research. Your final submission should show how you have developed and refined these ideas.

Your work will be assessed on:

1. Advanced Communication Analysis 

• Depth, precision and theoretical integration
• Ability to analyse complex interactions
• Insight into relational dynamics and therapeutic intent

2. Critical Evaluation

• Identification of strengths and deficits in communication
• Advanced justification for recommendations
• Demonstration of clinical reasoning and reflexivity

3. Ethical and Critical AI Engagement

• Understanding of AI's appropriate role
• Insight into risks, limitations and professional boundaries
• Ethical clarity and integrity of use

4. Academic Quality

• Clarity, structure and coherence
• Postgraduate level of writing
• Accurate referencing in line with assignment guidelines (no marks - feedback only - essential component for integrity and evidence integration)

Word Count: 2400 (+/- 10%)

This assessment contributes 30% to your overall unit mark.

You will be required to research and develop a project proposal and plan for your Community Project. 

This project proposal and plan is purely theoretical.

Your project proposal document must include the following information:

• Introduction and Purpose of the Community Project

Clearly articulate the purpose of your project in addressing the specific barriers, psycho-social factors, or cultural healthcare disparities identified in Assessment 1.

• Community Context and Conditions

Identify the specific population that will benefit from the project (e.g., specific age groups, cultural communities, or socio-economic groups). Define the priorities and boundaries of the project. Clarify what is within the scope of the project and what is not. Describe the broader community context—what factors (e.g., cultural, socio-economic, political) might influence the success of your project? Discuss any existing conditions or challenges within the community that could impact the outcome of your project (e.g., access to resources, stigma, historical challenges in healthcare, language barriers). How can these existing conditions or challenges be addressed? 

• Development of Strategies/Activities/Interventions

Based on the findings from your Needs Analysis, propose strategies and activities that will address the issues and needs of your target population. Detail the specific interventions you will use within your project, such as health education programs, community events, support groups, or resource distribution. Ensure that your proposed activities are evidence-based, align with best practices in health promotion and community engagement and are replicable.  

• Resources Required

List the resources needed for the successful implementation of the project (e.g., human resources, physical resources, funding). Include examples of educational materials (e.g., pamphlets, brochures, digital media) and promotional resources (e.g., social media campaigns, community flyers).

• Identification of Necessary Partnerships

Identify key stakeholders or partners necessary for the success of your project. These may include community organizations, healthcare providers, local businesses, or advocacy groups.

• Timeline

Provide a clear timeline that outlines the phases of the project from development to implementation, and evaluation.

• Community Feedback Plan

Outline a plan for gathering feedback from the community throughout the project’s development and after its implementation. This could include surveys, focus groups, interviews, or other methods of soliciting input from the target population to ensure the project is meeting their needs.

• Plan for Evaluation of the Completed Project

Develop a clear, comprehensive plan for evaluating the success of your project. This should include both process evaluation (e.g., how well the project was implemented) and outcome evaluation (e.g., whether the project met its goals and positively impacted the target population). Define key performance indicators (KPIs), how data will be collected (surveys, interviews, etc.), and how the evaluation results will inform future efforts or initiatives.

• Conclusion

Provide an appropriate and concise summary of the proposal.

• Presentation (Structure and Layout), Intext referencing and References List will also be assessed as per the marking rubric. 

The proposal will be developed during Weeks 8-12 of the unit's coursework and builds upon the foundation provided in Assessment 1. Please refer to the Unit's schedule.

Level of GenAI use allowed:

Level 2: You may use Al for planning, idea development, and research. Your final submission should show how you have developed and refined these ideas.

The written assessment will be assessed in accordance with the rubric and information provided on the unit’s Moodle site.

The following criteria are key points to be included:

- The written assessment should be presented in an essay format

- The written assessment must address each of the main topic tasks as detailed in the task description

- Avoid superficial points or comments and be clear and concise

- As this is a written assessment, you must include in-text referencing and a reference list.

Word Count: 4000 (+/- 10%)

This assessment contributes 40% to your overall unit mark.