HLSC506 - Strategic Management in Digital Health Service Delivery

Year

Credit points

Campus offering

Prerequisites

Teaching organisation

150 hours of focused learning.

Unit rationale, description and aim

Strategic management in health service delivery addresses health system design, delivery and evaluation. Globalisation has brought the need for healthcare management to be strategically planned and delivered with an awareness of both local and global implications because a broad-based response or approach may be required to address health service issues. This unit is required for students to develop a comprehensive understanding of the knowledge and skills, including critical analytical skills, required to apply a contextual, integrative approach to strategic management in health service delivery.

In this unit students will consider the broad context of strategic health service management with reference to health service funding and health service delivery. Students will reflect on how awareness of strategy as it applies to health-related issues can influence consumer advocacy and political lobbying for the common good. In critically evaluating strategic, contemporary health service management students will develop skills in addressing national and international health priorities from a long term, consultative, social justice and equity perspective.

The aim of this unit is to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of the theoretical basis underpinning health care management strategy and the ability to evaluate the implications of strategic decisions on health outcomes.

Learning outcomes

To successfully complete this unit you will be able to demonstrate you have achieved the learning outcomes (LO) detailed in the below table.

Each outcome is informed by a number of graduate capabilities (GC) to ensure your work in this, and every unit, is part of a larger goal of graduating from ACU with the attributes of insight, empathy, imagination and impact.

Explore the graduate capabilities.

Content

Topics will include:

Management Theory

• The theoretical underpinnings of strategy and strategic management in health service delivery
• Contemporary strategic health care management – national, international and digital

Strategic Management

• Social determinants of health and relevance to strategic health management
• National and international health priorities
• Expert and stakeholder consultation processes
• Workforce skill development
• Health service delivery (including Digital Health Services, NDIS, Aged Care Packages)
• Health policy and social justice

Implementing Strategic Management

• Policy implementation strategies
• Agenda setting
• Healthcare funding – strategic management implications
• Health insurance – strategic management implications
• Patient/consumer advocacy
• Political lobbying

Evaluating Strategy Outcomes

• Evaluating outcomes of strategic decision making
• National, international and digital health trends in strategic health service direction

Learning and teaching strategy and rationale

The learning and teaching strategy for this unit is founded on active learning whereby students are provided opportunities to appraise contemporary strategic management in health services and the impact of consultative processes, consumer advocacy and strategic decision making on health outcomes, particularly for disadvantaged population groups.

Learning in this mode will be largely asynchronous (‘anywhere, anytime learning’), as well as synchronous, for example, via live webinar scheduled periodically throughout the semester. Active learning opportunities provide students with opportunities to practice and apply their learning in situations similar to their future professions. Collaboration with peers in the online environment will support students in considering, discussing and debating principles and theories underpinning strategic management and the impact of consultative processes, consumer advocacy and strategic decision making on health outcomes. Students are encouraged to contribute to asynchronous weekly discussions. There is potential for interaction with industry practitioners who may be invited to provide occasional recorded guest lectures. Activities encourage students to bring their own examples to demonstrate understanding, application and engage constructively with their peers. Students receive regular and timely feedback on their learning, which includes information on their progress.

Assessment strategy and rationale

In order to pass this unit, students are expected to demonstrate achievement of every unit learning outcome, submit three graded assessment tasks, and obtain a minimum mark of 50% in graded units. In order to reward students for engagement and performance, a final graded result will be awarded.

In this unit, to support students in being able to demonstrate unit learning outcomes and develop graduate attributes, a standards-based assessment is utilised, consistent with University assessment requirements. The assessment strategy allows for the progressive development of knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary for the student to be able to demonstrate an understanding of strategic management and decision making in health service delivery. Students are supported in demonstrating an understanding of the impact of consultative processes, consumer advocacy and strategic decision making on health outcomes and the common good which is required for students who are aspiring towards ethical and effective management in health service delivery. These assessments are required to build student knowledge, skills and attitudes to graduate as a healthcare professional who can contribute to ethical and effective health service delivery.

Overview of assessments

A range of assessment strategies are used including assessing students’ ability to: (i) reflect on the ethical implications and effectiveness of strategic decision making in health service delivery through a written reflection; (ii) analyse health service implementation strategies through online group interaction and presentation of the findings/outcomes of group collaboration (iii) evaluate health service delivery in relation to health outcomes and the common good through preparation of a written essay.

Representative texts and references

Althaus, C., Ball, S., Bridgman, P., Davis, G., & Threlfall, D. (2023). The Australian policy handbook : a practical guide to the policymaking process (7th Ed). Routledge.

Buttigieg, S., Rathert, C., & von Eiff, W. (2015). International best practices in health care management. Bradford, U.K.: Emerald Group Publishing Limited.

Keleher, M., Sabanovic, H., La Brooy, C., Lock, M., Lusher, D., & Brown, L. (2014). Does more equitable governance lead to more equitable health care? A case study based on the implementation of health reform in Aboriginal health Australia. Social Science & Medicine, 123, 278 – 286.

Verhoeven, A., Partel, K., & Thurecht, L. (2017). Universal health in a mixed public-private system: The Australian experience. International Hospital Federation, 52(4), 28 - 30.

Waring, J., Allen, D., Braithwaite J., & Sandall, J. (2016). Healthcare quality and safety: A review of policy, practice and research. Sociology of Health & Illness, 38(2), 198 –215.

Walston, S. (2023). Strategic healthcare management: Planning and Executive (3rd Ed.). Chicago, Ill.: Health Administration Press.