Oral Health Therapy Research

This subject has the following teaching availabilities in 2016:

300 hours.

All BOH Year 2 Subjects

None

None

None

For the purposes of considering request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Cwth 2005), and Student Support and Engagement Policy, academic requirements for this subject are articulated in the Subject Overview, Learning Outcomes, Assessment and Generic Skills sections of this entry.

It is University policy to take all reasonable steps to minimise the impact of disability upon academic study, and reasonable adjustments will be made to enhance a student's participation in the University's programs. Students who feel their disability may impact on meeting the requirements of this subject are encouraged to discuss this matter with a Faculty Student Adviser and Student Equity and Disability Support: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/disability

This subject comprises three modules:

Health Policy: Policy making and organisations, stakeholders, processes and evidence, the influence of professions, public health policy and oral health and some current policy issues in oral health care.

Sociology: Concepts and theories on the arrangement of society and the influences that shape it; how people form values and cultures; class, status, gender and ethnicity; the influences of political, socio-demographic and socio-economic factors on health; the sociology of health and illness and its influences on research methodology.

Oral Health Therapy Research: Students to complete a project using a research framework (incorporating background review of the literature and evidence relevant to the project, a practical component and written reporting and presentation of findings) in one of the following units:

1. Health Promotion Project or

2. Elective Study Unit or

3. Research Project

Health Promotion comprises group project work in the field of oral health promotion. Students are allocated to a group to design, implement and evaluate a health promotion program for a community group. The student group will conduct a needs analysis using the principles of research methodology and evidence based practice to undertake a review of the existing knowledge and context for the program, formulate program objectives, design appropriate interventions to improve oral health status in the selected community group or setting; achieve ethical approval where required, implement and evaluate the intervention; analyse and present the results through an oral presentation and written report.

Elective Study Unit comprises development and project work in an area of interest to extend students’ expertise in one aspect of oral health therapy practice. This unit requires students to apply the principles of research methodology and evidence-based practice to undertake a review of the existing knowledge of the study topic, formulate learning objectives, undertake pre-determined activities to develop their learning and report their learning against their objectives in both written and oral forms. The unit may incorporate outreach work relevant to oral health therapy practice and education such as fieldwork placements in dental services, special needs or residential care settings, public health centres or visits/exchanges to other oral health therapy educational programs interstate or overseas.

Research Project comprises a group research project relevant to the field of oral health therapy. Students are allocated to a group to undertake a piece of original research under the supervision of academic staff of the school. The student group will conduct a literature review using the principles of research methodology and evidence based practice to undertake a review of the existing knowledge and context for the research, formulate study questions or hypotheses, design appropriate methods to collect data, achieve ethical approval, collect and analyse the data to answer the research question and present the results through an oral presentation and written report.

Appropriate academic supervisors will be appointed to work with students and support the projects.

A limited number of students may be able to undertake part of this subject as an Exchange with prior approval needed during 2 nd year BOH.

On completion of this subject the student should:

Comprehend:

• The characteristics of public health programs and their evaluation; and
• The resources available to oral health professionals in the promotion of oral health.

Demonstrate:

• The capacity to communicate with people to identify and address their health needs;
• The capacity to review and apply research skills and evidence based practice to oral health therapy practice;
• An appreciation of sociological inquiry; and
• An understanding of public policy issues as they affect Oral Health practice.

Have developed skills in:

• Information seeking, evaluation and retrieval;
• Intercultural sensitivity and understanding;
• Planning and organisation
• Oral and written communication
• Applying ethical principles to the practice of oral health therapy; and

Have developed an openness to new ideas; and

Have developed extended knowledge in a specialist area of oral health therapy practice.

Appreciate:

• The collaborative role of agencies and health care providers in the community in the promotion of oral health;
• The role of evidence based practice in the promotion of oral health; and
• The capacity of health promotion to contribute to the improvement of oral health outcomes in the community.

1. Two written assignments of no more than 1000 words each to be submitted mid-April (20%);
2. One written report of no more than 3000 words (per student) covering the theoretical and practical aspects of the outreach placement or research project undertaken, to be submitted at the end of Semester 2 (60%); and
3. An oral presentation (of 15 minutes' duration) outlining the learning and value of the work undertaken to be presented at the end of Semester 2 (20%).

Hurdle requirement: 75% attendance at Lectures; 100% attendance at Seminars/Tutorials, Class Presentations and Simulations/Discussions

Germov & Research Methods texts.

This subject is not available as a breadth subject.

On completion of this subject, students should develop skills in the following areas:

• Communication;
• Critical thinking and evidence based problem solving;
• Analytical assessment;
• Evaluation and reporting;
• Ethics;
• Reporting evidence;
• Leadership and team work;
• Altruism and trustworthiness;
• Preparation of research proposal;
• Implementation of research;
• Reporting and presentation;
• Planning, delivery and evaluation of programs; and

Professional practice and self-directed learning.