Undergraduate - UnitOCC2022 - Skills for evidence-based practice 1

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Synopsis

This unit provides an overview of the skills necessary to critique and evaluate the usefulness and quality of research evidence. Components of evidence-based practice will be introduced related to occupational therapy. You will be guided through the process of how to ask clinically relevant questions, search for evidence, and critically appraise published research. The Monash Occupational Therapy Research Evidence Critique Form (MOTRECF) for both quantitative and qualitative studies will be used to evaluate the relevant evidence. The process used to complete a critically appraised paper (CAP) will also be introduced. This will provide the foundation for you to integrate clinically relevant evidence into your daily professional practice as well as providing you with the skills required for analysing the issues dealt with in the scenario-based learning context used in OCC2020 and OCC3030.

Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this unit students will be able to:
Theme 5: Research

1. Describe the relevance of research in occupational therapy practice
2. Describe the role of theory in occupational therapy research
3. Describe and demonstrate knowledge of quantitative research strategies relevant to occupational therapy practice: research questions, sampling methods, research designs (e. g. experimental quasi-experimental designs, surveys and randomised control trials), and criteria for evaluating quantitative research.
4. Describe and demonstrate knowledge of qualitative research strategies relevant to occupational therapy practice: basic premises, research questions, sampling methods, research approaches and designs, data gathering and analysis methods (e. g. ethnography, grounded theory, individual and group interviews, participant observation, and types of analysis methods), and criteria for evaluating qualitative research.
5. Describe general measurement concepts: levels of measurement, reliability, validity
6. Demonstrate an understanding of basic statistics
7. Demonstrate a basic understanding of mixed method and evaluation research approaches
8. Demonstrate an understanding of ethical research issues and practices
9. Exhibit skills related to gathering and interpreting evidence from literature to support clinical practice: formulate a question as well as define and carry out a suitable and comprehensive search strategy
10. Describe and demonstrate the principles of evidence-based practice and using best evidence available for practice: critical appraisal and levels of evidence
11. Demonstrate and apply principles outlined in the Monash Occupational Therapy Research Evidence Critique Form (MOTRECF) related to quantitative studies to critique evidence
12. Demonstrate and apply principles outlined in the Monash Occupational Therapy Research Evidence Critique Form (MOTRECF) related to qualitative studies to critique evidence.

Assessment

1. Attendance - Hurdle
2. Complete a data base search strategy for one research question using a variety of data bases - 10%
3. Critically appraise components of articles that uses a quantitative research methodology using the MOTRECF format - Hurdle
4. Critically appraise components of articles that uses a qualitative research methodology using the MOTRECF format - Hurdle
5. Complete one x 1,200 word critically appraised paper (CAP) using the MOTRECF format: quantitative research - 25%
6. Complete one x 1,200 word critically appraised paper (CAP) using the MOTRECF format: qualitative research - 25%
7. Complete 50 MCQ test covering contents of Weeks 1, 2, 3, & 4 - 20%
8. Complete short answer test one hour in length covering unit contents from Weeks 6, 7, 8, & 9 - 20%
9. Completion of review test questions in tutorial sessions & on-line - Hurdle

Chief examiner(s)

Dr Primrose Lentin

Prerequisites

PSY1022

Co-requisites

Available to students enrolled in Bachelor of Occupational Therapy only