HSC2091 - e-Health: Technologies to advance health

Leader(s): Dr David Austin

Offered

Not offered in 2009

Synopsis

This unit will introduce students to the emerging area of e-therapy and its role in health promotion. Students will learn about the development of e-therapy and the current and future direction of the use of communications technology in health care delivery, health promotion and health research. A central component of this unit will involves obtaining practical experience in using online programs and learning how to effectively assess the quality of such programs. The goal of the subject is to challenge and broaden thinking about the capacity of innovative communication technologies to be used as a delivery medium for therapeutic intervention at both the population and individual level.

Objectives

By the completion of this unit, students are expected to be able to:

1. Define e-Health and e-Therapy;
2. Summarize the legal and professional complexities of e-Health;
3. Describe the application of e-Health in Health Promotion;
4. Review the evidence-base of online therapeutic interventions;
5. Identify the key elements involved in assessing the quality of an e-therapy program; 6. Evaluate the quality of an online therapeutic intervention.

Assessment

Group presentation and individual paper 50%
Essay 40%
Tutorial exercises 10%
Hurdle requirement: 80% tutorial attendance

Prerequisites

HSC1072 Health Promotion