OCC2022 - Skills for evidence based practice 1 - 2018

This unit provides an overview of the skills necessary to critique and evaluate the usefulness, relevance and quality of research evidence related to occupational therapy professional practice. Components of evidence-based practice will be introduced related to occupational therapy. Quantitative and qualitative research methodology approaches that underpin evidence-based practice will also be introduced. You will be guided through the process of how to ask clinically relevant questions, search for evidence, and critically appraise published research studies. 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, OCC3030, and OCC3052.

Upon successful completion of this unit, students should be able to:

1. Recognise the relevance of research in occupational therapy practice;
2. Explain the role of theory in occupational therapy research;
3. Describe and apply knowledge of quantitative and qualitative research paradigms relevant to occupational therapy practice;
4. Evaluate and apply general measurement concepts: levels of measurement, reliability, validity;
5. Apply basic parametric and non-parametric statistics;
6. Describe, apply and evaluate qualitative research methodologies and methods;
7. Discuss ethical issues and practices related to research;
8. Apply and implement skills related to gathering and interpreting evidence from empirical literature to support professional and clinical practice;
9. Apply and integrate principles outlined in the Monash Occupational Therapy Research Evidence Critique Form (MOTRECF) related to quantitative studies and qualitative studies to critique evidence.

Summative tasks:

• Data base search strategy for one research question using a variety of data bases (20%)
• Quantitative and Qualitative MOTRECF Proforma to appraise a research article (3,000 words) (40%)
• Short answer test #1 (1 hour) (15%)
• Short answer test #2 (1 hour) (15%)
• Evidence-based practice video (10%)

Hurdle tasks:

• Attendance at 80% of unit tutorials, practical skills sessions and seminars is required to pass this unit.
• Professional conduct: Students are required to demonstrate professional behaviour in communication (written or verbal) with department staff and clinical educators in order to pass the unit.
• Critically appraise components of quantitative research articles using the MOTRECF format.
• Critically appraise components of qualitative research articles using the MOTRECF format.
• Completion of review test questions in tutorial sessions & online.

Lecture component: 3 hours per week, Tutorial/Practicum component: 3 hours per week, Private study: 4 hours per week.

See also Unit timetable information

Occupational therapy