Course overview
This course introduces students to the use of research-based evidence in professional health care practice. Working in interprofessional teams and using a range of case scenarios, students will develop research skills in areas relevant to their field of practice. Through online activities and workshops, students will learn about the role of evidence-based practice in health. Students will be exposed to a range of study areas including systematic approaches to acquiring evidence, critical appraisal of the literature, interpretation of research design, descriptive and inferential statistics and assessment of research outcomes. Students will learn how an evidence-based approach in health informs clinical practice as well as developing research skills to determine the most appropriate intervention techniques for application in a given clinical population. Finally, students will learn to appreciate the complex interaction between social, economic and environmental influences that contribute to sustainability thinking in health research.
Course learning outcomes
- Explain the relative merits and uses of the different types of evidence used in practice.
- Develop research skills including literature searching and referencing, critical analysis, interpretation, synthesis and communication of scientific data.
- Appropriately appraise components of health research evidence.
- Communicate research outcomes appropriate to peers.