Course Title: Professional Issues and Australian Health Care System

Part A: Course Overview

Course Title: Professional Issues and Australian Health Care System

Credit Points: 12.00

Terms

Course Code	Campus	Career	School	Learning Mode	Teaching Period(s)
COTH2185	Bundoora Campus	Postgraduate	150H Health Sciences	Face-to-Face	Sem 1 2015, Sem 1 2016
COTH2185	Bundoora Campus	Postgraduate	173H School of Health and Biomed	Face-to-Face	Sem 1 2017, Sem 1 2019, Sem 1 2020, Sem 1 2022, Sem 1 2023

Flexible Terms

Course Code	Campus	Career	School	Learning Mode	Teaching Period(s)
COTH2185	Bundoora Campus	Postgraduate	173H School of Health and Biomed	Face-to-Face	PGRDFlex21 (ZZZZ), PGRDFlex21 (All)

Course Coordinator: Dr. Suzi Mansu

Course Coordinator Phone: NA

Course Coordinator Email: suzi.mansu@rmit.edu.au

Pre-requisite Courses and Assumed Knowledge and Capabilities

None.

Course Description

This course will provide you with an overview of the health care system in Australia, how it compares to major health care systems around the world and the location of Chinese medicine within the local and national system. The Professional Issues component aims to build problem-solving skills and abilities that are crucial for students: lifelong learning and reflective learning. You will be introduced to relevant research methodologies, learn to critically appraise a body of literature in order to inform evidence-based practice and engage in both theoretical and practical discourse in relation to Chinese Medicine therapies.

Objectives/Learning Outcomes/Capability Development

This course contributes to the development of the Program Learning Outcomes for MC138 Master of Applied Science (Chinese Herbal Medicine) and MC024 Master of Applied Science (Acupuncture):

• PLO 1: Apply your knowledge of Chinese Medicine principles and methods in the diagnosis and management of a range of internal medicine disorders
• PLO 3: Critically analyse the literature in the efficacy and safety of acupuncture and moxibustion or Chinese Herbal Medicine and incorporate this information into your professional evidence based practice
• PLO 4: Communicate effectively with patients, other health professionals, regulatory bodies and the general public
• PLO 6: Reflect and improve upon your professional practice and build problem solving skills and abilities through lifelong learning.

On successful completion of this course you should be able to:

1. Evaluate the clinical evidence of Chinese medicine using an evidence-based medicine approach.
2. Identify and review resources relating to the ethics, law, regulations and clinical evidence for Chinese medicine.
3. Demonstrate an advanced level ability to locate relevant information and literature to answer clinical questions.
4. Critically review aspects of the research process including research methodologies as they relate to evaluation of health care practice, programs and policy development.
5. Understand the Australian Health Care System in the context of public versus private health systems, and contributions from various health professions including: medicine, nursing, complementary medicine and mental health to the Australian Health Care System.
6. Demonstrate understanding of cultural safety and the social and cultural determinants of  health particularly for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples. 
7. Demonstrate knowledge of behavioural sciences in the context of the practice of Chinese medicine and advanced inter-professional communication skills.

Overview of Learning Activities

This course will use a range of learning activities including lectures and self-directed learning. Throughout the course you will be able to work both independently and in groups to solve problems involving aspects of course content.

Recorded lectures sessions will introduce you to the principles and methods of research and statistics used in health care, particularly in Chinese medicine You will also be introduced to the mechanisms of delivery of health care within the context of the Australian system.

Tutorials sessions will focus on how to answer clinical questions by appraising literature and the interpretation of data. Self-directed learning provides an opportunity for you to deepen your understanding of this course.

Overview of Learning Resources

The learning resources associated with this course will include targeted readings taken from a range of both primary and secondary sources. Material chosen may be digitally available to students. Lecture material will be delivered via online mediums. RMIT will provide you with resources and tools for learning in this course through our online systems.

Chinese medicine library subject guides are available via http://rmit.libguides.com/chinese-medicine

Overview of Assessment

This course has no hurdle requirements.

Assessment Tasks

Assessment Task 1: Online quiz

Weighting 20%

This assessment task supports CLOs 1, 2, 3, 5, 6 & 7

Assessment Task 2: Assignment – Written

Weighting 30%

This assessment task supports CLOs 1, 3 & 4

Assessment Task 3: Assignment – Oral presentation

Weighting 20%

This assessment task supports CLOs 2, 3, 5, 6 & 7

Assessment Task 4: Short answer questions and case studies

Weighting 30%

This assessment task supports CLOs 1, 2, 3, 5 & 6