Students will explore challenges inherent in continuous improvement of health and social care service. Deming's profound knowledge will be used as a framework for exploring quality improvement techniques in the context of policy and regulatory contexts. Ethical and legal dilemmas will be explored as they relate to conflicts between delivery of quality services, user demand and cost containment. Students will also explore formal and informal methods to assess local readiness improvement projects. The course will also consider how to improve at scale and how to sustain local quality improvements over time.

Available as a standalone module: Yes

Attendance (Please note, this is subject to change for future intakes) 

Dates: To see the attendance dates, please see the top of this page. Please note, if the module is full or closed, dates may not appear. 

Venue: LSBU Southwark Campus

Typical intake(s): Semester 1

Entry requirements

• Relevant first degree or equivalent 
• Student support for studying at Masters level should be discussed with the module leader. Students who have not previously undertaken study at academic Level 7 (Masters level) are advised to consider the Support sessions offered at the Library at LSBU.

Career benefits

This programme will provide students with the knowledge and skills to develop and implement and facilitate quality improvement projects within the workplace. Quality improvement skills are increasingly identified as essential criteria for managerial positions.

Assessment

•  4,000 word written assignment

Learning outcomes

Knowledge and Understanding:    

• Demonstrate in depth knowledge and critically appraise the theoretical underpinning of current contemporary quality improvement models
• Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of ethical and legal conflicts which can arise in relation to delivery of quality services
• Develop a critical appreciation of the social relationships critical to the implementation of evidence-based service improvement
• Demonstrate an enhanced critical understanding of the relationships between policy, research and service innovation

Intellectual skills:

• Critically appraise formal and informal methods for evaluating service innovations
• Critically appraise key research designs and methodologies used to implement and evaluate evidence-based services
• Independently synthesise ideas to lead quality improvement projects adapted to local conditions

Practical Skills:

• Formulate effective, evidence-based strategies to achieve service improvement in local health and social care contexts
• Develop robust measures of process and outcome improvement
• Present reasoned arguments for choice of perspectives and methodology in health and social care research intended to improve service quality

Transferable skills:

• Critically analyse and interpret research providing an evidence-base for service improvement
• Demonstrate service improvement skills of diagnostic assessment and analysis, facilitation, negotiation, participation in complex, stable and unpredictable situations
• Demonstrate adaptability, insight, originality and reflective abilities in planning service improvements tailored to local context