The Evidence Based Health Care unit is a foundation course developing your ability to understand the concepts of evidence based practice in health care delivery and to apply its principles to your own health professional environment.

This unit introduces you to the principles of evidence based practice, encompassing not only its strengths, but also its limitations. The unit outlines the components and determinants of evidence based practice, including the evaluation of literature, health economics and health statistics, the role and autonomy of the patient, risk assessment and prioritisation, clinical decision making, and quality and safety management.

Workshops within this unit focus on applying evidence based practice to real life scenarios in a problem-based learning environment. It is paramount that health professionals can apply the available evidence to individual patients and this requires the research evidence to be assessed in terms of risk and benefit in the context of the patient’s circumstances and the prevailing local and international environment. You will be given a range of practical tasks to complete, both individually and in small groups, that will assist in the development of skills in risk assessment, risk management, prioritisation and clinical decision-making; embracing the themes of interpreting evidence and applying it to individual patients or situation.

Ethical health care practice will be a theme that is embedded throughout the unit, with multiple opportunities for you to consider and discuss ethical aspects both in theory and in real life scenarios.

The knowledge and skills gained in this unit will be fundamental to your progression in your undergraduate program and to your practice as a health care professional after registration.