| CODE | PSY5648 | ||||||||||||
| TITLE | Applications of Health Psychology in Healthcare Settings | ||||||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 05 - Postgraduate Modular Diploma or Degree Course | ||||||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 7 | ||||||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 5 | ||||||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Psychology | ||||||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | Health psychologists work in a number of settings, including hospitals, academic health research units, health authorities and university departments. This study-unit is crucial in helping future health psychologists study and facilitate processes influencing health care delivery, in particular, the nature and effects of communication between healthcare practitioners and patients, as well as focusing on public health problems, healthcare provisions and responses to illness. In addition this study-unit will help future health psychologists develop the skills and knowledge needed to devise and implement psychological interventions to improve communication, facilitating adherence, preparing for stressful medical procedures and others. This study-unit will explore: 1. Healthcare in professional setting a. Communication in health care settings - questioning, reinforcement, reflection of content and feeling, non-verbal communication and interviewing skills; b. Uptake and impact of screening; c. The impact of hospitalisation on adults and children; d. Preparation for stressful medical procedures; e. Giving bad news; f. Adherence; g. Patient satisfaction; h. Placebos and their effect. 2. Maltese Health Care System Policies and Practices a. A critical exploration of the NHSS 2014-2020. Study-unit Aims: The study-unit aims to: a. provide an understanding of the patient-health professional relationship and its affects on wellbeing; b. provide an understanding of the workings of the Maltese Health Care System; within a general hospital and psychiatric setting; c. provide an understanding of health policies and risk management; d. enable students to understand issues pertinent to the delivery of health care and wellbeing. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: a. Describe and evaluate the role of other professions in health; b. Describe and critically evaluate the local health care system; c. Critically evaluate the major factors affecting issues pertinent to the delivery of health care; d. Describe and evaluate the main features in the design of an intervention to improve a health related behaviour. 2. Skills: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: a. Communicate health psychology issues to an appropriate audience; b. Critically evaluate the validity of conclusions on health care issues based on relevant theory and research; c. Demonstrate a critical and reflective evaluation of a range of ethical and professional considerations relevant to the practice of health psychology; d. Demonstrate adequate key skills in the practice of health psychology. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: Main texts: - Martin, L.R. & DiMatteo, M.R. (2013). The Oxford Handbook of Health Communication, Behavior Change, and Treatment Adherence. Oxford University Press. (To read: all text) - West, M.A., & Lyubovnikova, J. (2013). Illusions of Team Working in Health Care. Journal of Health Organization and Management, 27(1), 134-142. Supplementary Readings (Optional readings): - Berry, D. (2004). Risk, Communication and Health Psychology. In Payne, S. & Horn. S. (eds). Health Psychology. Berkshire: Open University Press. - A NATIONAL HEALTH SYSTEMS STRATEGY FOR MALTA, 2014-2020. Department for Social Policy in Health, Ministry for Health, Malta. |
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| ADDITIONAL NOTES | Pre-Requisite qualifications: BPsy (Hons) | ||||||||||||
| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture and Tutorial | ||||||||||||
| METHOD OF ASSESSMENT |
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| LECTURER/S | Kezia Aquilina Liza Attard Pauline Baldacchino Tabita Kristel Bonett Aloisia Camilleri Anna Grech Pamela Portelli (Co-ord.) Marta Sant |
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2024/5. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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