Unit rationale, description and aim
Research in digital health integrates technological innovation, health systems, data analytics, and user-centred design to improve health services and outcomes. To realise this potential, digital health research must be transparent and reproducible, ensuring that technologies, methods, and evidence can be rigorously evaluated, trusted, and translated into safe, effective, and scalable health solutions. Over the two-unit sequence (HLSC684 Digital Health Research Thesis A and HLSC685 Digital Health Research Thesis B) students will design, undertake and report on an independent thesis-level research project under approved academic supervision. In HLSC684 Digital Health Research Thesis A, students will:
· Select a suitable digital-health topic in consultation with their nominated supervisor, ensuring the scope allows advanced investigation of core digital-health domains such as clinical impact, data governance, user experience, interoperability, and system sustainability.
· Conduct a comprehensive literature review on the selected topic to establish the research gap, rationale and context.
· Develop a detailed, feasible and ethically sound research proposal, including methodology, data collection/analysis plan, risk mitigation, stakeholder engagement and timeline.
The aim of this unit is to enable students to apply their knowledge in digital health research by producing both a literature review and research proposal that form the foundation for the independent thesis work in the subsequent unit, HLSC685 Digital Health Research Thesis B.
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.
Conduct an independent, critically informed litera...
Learning Outcome 01
Critically apply relevant knowledge and methodolog...
Learning Outcome 02
Integrate relevant literature, theory, digital hea...
Learning Outcome 03
Present a literature review and research proposal ...
Learning Outcome 04
Content
Topics will include:
Topic selection and refinement;
Formulation of a digital health research question;
Systematic review or structuring of evidence;
Identification and selection of appropriate digital health methods (e.g., health informatics, data analytics, implementation science);
Research ethics planning; stakeholder and end-user engagement strategy;
Design of data collection and analysis plan;
Risk and governance considerations in digital health;
Proposal writing and oral presentation.
Students may be assigned a nominated supervisor or select their own supervisor based on relevant expertise. Supervision is an ongoing, structured process in which students refine their research question, scope, and methodology under academic guidance, ensuring feasibility, scholarly rigor, and alignment with unit expectations. Students are permitted to work in groups under the same supervisor
Assessment strategy and rationale
Students are supported to develop their capacity in digital health research through scaffolded assessment items. The first assessment task requires students to employ the PRISMA framework to perform a structured literature review. The second assessment task is an ungraded hurdle that requires students to submit their approval of either human research ethics committee letter (primary research) or protocol registration (secondary research). The final assessment task requires students to prepare a written research proposal and present it orally. This approach will sequentially help students prepare for independent thesis work in HLSC685 DIGITAL HEALTH RESEARCH THESIS B. To pass the unit, students must demonstrate achievement of all learning outcomes and obtain an aggregate mark for the unit of at least 50%.
Overview of assessments
Enables students to identify, critique and synthe...
Enables students to identify, critique and synthesise digital health literature.
50%
Ungraded Hurdle: Human Research Ethics Committee ...
Ungraded Hurdle: Human Research Ethics Committee project approval or Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis protocol registration.
0%
Enables students to plan and present their digita...
Enables students to plan and present their digital health research project to an academic or general audience.
50%
Learning and teaching strategy and rationale
This unit uses an active learning approach, where students work under the supervision of a principal supervisor (and associate/co-supervisors as appropriate). The unit is offered online via the LMS. Students are expected to be independent learners: proactively meeting with supervisors, engaging in reflective critical thinking activities, using digital platforms (video conferencing or LMS forums) to collaborate and receive feedback.