HLTH 1001 Foundations of Research and Evidence-Based Practice

This is an archived copy of the 2022-2023 catalog. To access the most recent version of the catalog, please visit https://hbook.westernsydney.edu.au.

Credit Points 10

Legacy Code 400863

Coordinator Nerida Klupp Opens in new window

Description This subject considers the reasons and roles for evidence-based practice and research in healthcare, introducing students to core concepts and relevant terminology. Skills are developed for asking clinical or professional healthcare questions and translating these skills into search strategies for finding evidence. To make sense of that evidence, students are introduced to quantitative and qualitative research methods, types of data, how data are described and how biostatistics is used to provide meaning to research data.

School Health Sciences

Discipline Health, Not Elsewhere Classified.

Student Contribution Band HECS Band 2 10cp

Check your HECS Band contribution amount via the Fees page.

Level Undergraduate Level 1 subject

Equivalent Subjects HLTH 1002 - Foundations of Research and Evidence-Based Practice (UWSC)

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this subject, students should be able to:

  1. Describe the background and reasons for evidence-based practice and health research
  2. Design and perform an advanced search strategy for a PICO
  3. Identify types and levels of evidence within the healthcare research continuum
  4. Describe the ethical responsibilities for EBP and health research
  5. Explain how data may be described and summarised in health research
  6. Describe the core statistical concepts used to provide meaning from health research data
  7. Integrate evidence into academic writing

Subject Content

1. Introduction to evidence-based practice
- Critical thinking: Type 1 and 2 system thinking
- The role of EBP: managing human bias, information and uncertainty
- Ethical and professional considerations in EBP
- 5 Step EBP process
- Steps 1/2: Formulating questions, Sources of evidence, Search strategies
- using evidence in academic writing
2. Introduction to research methods
- The role of research: enquiry and acquisition of knowledge
- Qualitative and quantitative research designs
- levels of evidence
- Core research concepts (e.g. bias, Validity, reliability)
- Ethical considerations for research
3. Introduction to biostatistics
- types of data
- summarising and describing data
- interpreting common inferential results
- clinical and statistical significance
1. Introduction to evidence-based practice (EBP)
- Steps 1-3: Formulating questions; Sources of evidence; Search strategies

Assessment

The following table summarises the standard assessment tasks for this subject. Please note this is a guide only. Assessment tasks are regularly updated, where there is a difference your Learning Guide takes precedence.

Type Length Percent Threshold Individual/Group Task
Examination- Finding Evidence 60 mins 25 N Individual
Report - Using Evidence Assignment 1,000 words 35 N Individual
Final Exam - Multiple Choice Questions 90 mins 40 N Individual

Prescribed Texts

  • Hoffman, T., Bennett, S., & Del Mar, C. (2017). Evidence-based practice across the health professions (3rd ed.). Chatswood, New South Wales, Australia: Churchill Livingstone.

Teaching Periods

Structures that include subject