Comments about MSc Evidence-Based Health - At the institution - Portsmouth - Hampshire
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Objectives
Professionals within health and social care are facing the challenge of engaging with research at many levels. This course is suitable for anyone with an interest in research and evidence-based practice within the health and social care arena. It will be relevant to you and will equip you with essential knowledge and practical skills if you aspire to be or currently are responsible for: -ensuring practice is evidence based -evaluating services -appraising and synthesising evidence for guidelines -seeking the views of consumer/client groups -writing systematic reviews -leading or participating in qualitative or quantitative research This Masters course also has exit awards at PgCert, and PgDip and a choice of units to suit your circumstances. Our staff are committed to innovation in learning and teaching and the University has recently been awarded two Centres of Excellence in Teaching and Learning, this particular course is associated with the ExPERT Centre, which is devoted to developing Continuing Professional Development activities. The School has a strong history of research support through hosting the local NHS Research and Development Support Unit and establishing the first Professional Doctorate in Health and Social Care.
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Entry requirements
Postgraduate qualifications in research and evidence-based practice are increasingly being recognised as essential for those in Advanced Practitioner and Consultant posts. For those seeking a research-based or academic career, a Masters degree with a strong research-based component, such as this course, is recognised as an important prerequisites for applications for Research Fellowship funding from the Research Councils and the UK National Health Service.
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Academic title
MSc Evidence-Based Health
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Course description
The overall aim of the PgCert is to provide you with core training in evidence-based practice and research. It will enable you to integrate research theory with the current needs, priorities and ethical and managerial framework of health and social care organisations.
The PgDip will enable you to investigate a variety of problems of increasing complexity by allowing you to study more specialist qualitative or quantitative methodologies and data management and analysis techniques. This will culminate in you developing a quality protocol for a research or evidence-based project.
By completing the Masters you will also have the opportunity to carry out a research project of your own design with the support of expert tutors and disseminate your findings.
Course units
We offer a choice of units in order to allow you to specialise. Examples of units are:
Accessing and Appraising Research Evidence
This unit will enable you to access research evidence and critically appraise it. It will give you the ability to systematically and efficiently make use of R&D information sources and present you with the methodologies for critically appraising different types of primary research and review articles.
Qualitative Methodologies
Focusing on naturalistic / qualitative research techniques commonly used to develop the evidence-base for health and social care, this unit covers the philosophy, application and appraisal of phenomenology, grounded theory and ethnography.
Epidemiological Research
As evidence-based practitioners within health or social care, you require the ability to critically appraise quantitative research studies. This unit, forming part of our suit of advanced research units, therefore focuses on quantitative research techniques commonly used to develop the evidence base for health and social care. The curriculum covers the key observational research designs, cohort and case-control, quasi experimental and randomised controlled trial. You will gain practical experience of advanced statistical techniques and become proficient in using the statistical software.
Evaluation and Outcome Research
This unit will enable you to identify opportunities to apply research techniques to practice development. You will be able to consider how to plan evaluations to assess the needs of communities, inform development and improvement to the services and assess if a service is meeting the stated aims.
Writing for Publication
Replacing the traditional dissertation, this unit gives you the opportunity to write up your research activities as a paper suitable for publication in a peer reviewed journal. You will be supported in selecting a journal and presenting your findings in a suitable format. You will become familiar with both the peer review and publication process. Publication of the paper is not essential for your success in this unit.
