Course overview
The aim of this course is to develop knowledge and skills to access, evaluate and critically apply allied health research evidence within a biopsychosocial clinical reasoning framework. Students will learn allied health research evidence including, frameworks for asking an answerable clinical question, acquiring the evidence, exploring foundations of research and data, exploring different types of research (quantitative and qualitative), exploring secondary research evidence, evidence dimensions (including critical appraisal), interpreting, implementing and communicating the evidence. Students will learn clinical reasoning including critical thinking, introduction to the biopsychosocial model of health, focus of reasoning, the clinical reasoning process (cues, inferences) categories of clinical judgments, reflection, metacognition and reasoning errors.
Course learning outcomes
- Describe the biopsychosocial model of practice and the inter-relationship of biological, personal and environmental/social factors on clients' health and disability.
- Describe principles, philosophies and processes which underpin evidence-based practice.
- Frame an answerable research question to inform clinical practice.
- Access relevant library databases (black literature) and other relevant resources (grey literature) to answer clinical research questions.
- Critique, synthesise and summarise relevant data from the biomedical, physical and behavioural science literatures that are relevant to a clinical case scenario.
- Demonstrate critical thinking and reasoning skills required in the analysis to implement effective biopsychosocial practice.