Postgraduate Course: mHealth in high and low resource settings (GLHE11034)
Course Outline
| School | Deanery of Molecular, Genetic and Population Health Sciences |
College | College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
| Course type | Online Distance Learning |
Availability | Not available to visiting students |
| SCQF Credits | 10 |
ECTS Credits | 5 |
| Summary | The course will be divided into 5 sessions, each lasting a week. Most sessions will contain written materials and presentations, accompanied by guided reading in the form of links to journal articles with problem-based learning questions.
Discussion of the content and reading materials will be posted to an online forum, along with students¿ answers to the PBL questions.
Students will be expected to produce a 2000 word essay by the end of the course.
|
| Course description |
This course examines the emergence of mHealth from a global perspective. It considers the rapid emergence of mobile technologies in low resource settings and how this is helping to bypass eHealth approaches based on fixed line infrastructures, as well as examining the uses of mHealth in high income countries. It also critically evaluates the hype surrounding mHealth in the global business community and the extent to which this is supported by evidence.
Through comparing and contrasting examples of mHealth deployments in a range of global settings the course challenges students to think beyond the technology to the functions it is serving and to consider the relevant sociotechnical issues around service packaging and systems redesign.
Participation of important international mHealth researchers and implementers will help to ground the course in practice.
|
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
|
Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
| Additional Costs | Students will be responsible for their computer equipment and internet access. |
Course Delivery Information
|
| Academic year 2017/18, Not available to visiting students (SS1)
|
Quota: None |
| Course Start |
Block 4 (Sem 2) |
| Course Start Date |
26/02/2018 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
100
(
Lecture Hours 5,
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 1,
Online Activities 35,
Feedback/Feedforward Hours 5,
Formative Assessment Hours 5,
Revision Session Hours 1,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 2,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
46 )
|
| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
|
| Additional Information (Assessment) |
Collated forum postings: 30%
Essay: 70%
|
| Feedback |
Formative feedback will be given throughout the course through the discussion boards. Summative assessment feedback is also provided via LEARN at the end of the course. |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Contrast mobile technology environments and markets in different parts of the world
- Consider the technology ¿leapfrogging¿ phenomenon in low income countries
- Identify issues around gender and social equity that call for new forms of communication.
- Analyse mHealth deployment for HIV and maternal care in Africa and preventive health interventions in high income regions.
- Assess mHealth failures; what went wrong and the lessons learned.
|
Reading List
Links to relevant reading will be included in each section. Since this is a relatively new area, the course will draw more on open media discussions than traditional published research, although this will also be included. Below are some examples.
International Telecommunications Union reports (updated periodically)
http://www.itu.int/net/pressoffice/press_releases/2012/77.aspx#.UnPlz51FCP8
Publication list from the mHealth Alliance
http://www.mhealthalliance.org/media-a-resources/publications
Website containing multiple source materials and blogs:
http://www.mhealthinfo.org/
The growth of mHealth in low resource settings. Journal of Mobile Technology in Medicine special issue (2013)
http://www.journalmtm.com/2013/the-growth-of-mhealth-in-low-resource-settings/
Analysis of mHealth practice and research at the US National Institutes of Health
http://obssr.od.nih.gov/scientific_areas/methodology/mhealth/
Wold Health Organisation Tobacco Free Initiative. mHealth solutions
http://www.who.int/tobacco/mhealth/projects/en/
|
Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Understands the range of mobile tools and platforms used in healthcare
Recognises the different functionalities afforded by mobile tools for organisations, professionals and patients.
Can describe where the evidence is strong and weak and what needs to be done to improve this.
Is aware of the cultural and social factors influencing the suitability of mHealth tools and their implications for design
Understands the ethical and legal issues surrounding mHealth governance.
Can visualise the key steps involved in project managing an mHealth deployment in a low income country.
|
| Special Arrangements |
Delivered via online distance learning |
| Keywords | mHealth,mobile health |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Claudia Pagliari
Tel: (0131 6)50 9464
Email: |
Course secretary | Ms Gayle Fitzpatrick
Tel: (0131 6)50 9236
Email: |
|
|
University Homepage