DHL Course Descriptions

Unravelling the Australian healthcare system
At the end of this course, you will
  • have a broad perspective on the major elements of the whole healthcare system
  • understand the interaction between the major components of the system
  • have developed for yourself and with a group of your peers a critical view of the impact of the current system architecture on service delivery
  • compare some features of the Australian system to other systems
  • have critically appraised the major strengths and weaknesses of the current health care system in Australia
  • be in a better position be an active participant in the discourse on future directions for health services.

As clinicians, our early development and perspectives focus on the extremely important and complex minutia of clinical care. We see the whole healthcare system through a series of narrow lenses which relate to the immediate clinical problem and our ability to navigate with our patients through complex and frequently frustrating processes over which we have limited control. The architecture, policies, funding and service delivery design of the whole healthcare system impacts us and our patients at almost every moment of the working day. This course is designed to provide a “helicopter” view of the current healthcare system – who does it serve? Who funds and delivers care? How is the workforce trained and distributed? How does this all affect the consumers of healthcare at the point of care?

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Future trends in healthcare
At the end of this course, you will
  • Have a broad understanding on the major trends influencing the Australian healthcare system over the next decade
  • Know how disease trends, community expectations, workforce trends, government policy and models of healthcare all influence the changing landscape of Australian healthcare
  • Have developed with yourself and with a group of your peers a view of how future trends will impact the nature of your work and the wider clinical community
  • Be confident participating as a healthcare professional in strategic planning discussions affecting the future of service delivery
What does the future hold for Australia’s healthcare services? Without health professionals and clinical leaders who can look forward and anticipate the future needs of the healthcare system, we are failing to plan ahead for the challenges that will be presented to us over the next decade or three. This course is designed all healthcare professionals who wish to participate in the evolution of the healthcare industry in Australia. 
 
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Introduction to Quality and Safety in Healthcare
The topics covered in this short course include:
  • What is this obsession with quality and safety?
  • The evolution of contemporary quality improvement
  • Application of quality improvement methodologies in healthcare
  • Principles behind quality improvement
  • Safety principles and concepts
  • Application of safety principles and concepts
This course unravels the terms ‘quality’ and ‘safety’ for healthcare professionals. It will lead the participant to understand why this knowledge is vital for clinicians, outlining the underpinning principles and improve understanding of how to apply key processes within quality and safety. The course examines error theory and looks at future directions for quality and safety in healthcare. Finally there is an overview of what an engaged quality and safety professional within a system of care looks like, and how improved daily practice is the result.
 
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Patient Safety Principles and Practice
The topics covered in this short course include:
  • Safety principles and concepts – a review
  • Why good people make mistakes
  • Systems and safety
  • Tools and techniques for improving safety
  • Adverse event response
  • Managing clinical risk
  • The call to arms: leadership and patient safety
Improving patient safety is something that we strive for both as individual clinicians and as a system of care.In this course, the role of human factors and organisational complexity in relation to errors are explored. The concepts of risk identification and risk management are presented, as well as specific tools and techniques to improve patient safety within your workplace.Finally, the leadership component of patient safety is presented which will empower clinicians to positively influence patient safety at both an individual and team level.
 
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Developing Professional Development Materials and Programs
The topics in this short course include:
  • Distinguishing professional development from teaching and training
  • Designing professional development: begin with the end in mind
  • Clinical education methodologies
  • Educational media in the clinical environment
  • Clinical education strategies
  • Planning and preparing an effective learning experience
  • Coordinating the program.
Does the established education and training design philosophy apply equally to professional development program design? Professional development enhances the skills and abilities of intrinsically motivated and experienced healthcare professionals. It is vital that programs are concise and provide tangible and readily employable skills. Subtle refinements to established educational design philosophy can significantly influence the effectiveness and esteem of your professional development program. The outcomes from participating in this course will be greater expertise in design and creation of professional development programs; and increased confidence as a clinical educator. To gain the most from this course you should have practical experience as a clinical educator, or have completed ‘Learning in a clinical setting’ and ‘Teaching in a clinical setting’.
 
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Assessment Principles and Practice for Professional Development Programs
The topics in this short course include:
  • Assessment purposes and principles
  • Fundamentals of assessment
  • Toolbox of assessment methods
  • Assessment challenges, tips and trends
The best way to know if a learner is learning is for them to demonstrate that they’ve mastered the course learning outcomes. To assess mastery, it is crucial that the assessment is valid, reliable and effective.  
This course explains how to design and develop effective assessment instruments by understanding how assessment and learning outcomes interrelate. Additionally, to evaluate and appraise learning success, the participant will be provided with a comprehensive understanding of standards based assessment methodology. The course explains the science of assessment and prepares participants for design and development of standards based assessment instruments suitable for professional development in clinical practice. To gain the most from this course you should have practical experience as a clinical educator, or have completed ‘Developing professional development materials and programs’.
 
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Learning in a Clinical Setting
On completion of this course, you will be able to:
  • Understand the fundamental elements of learning theory in a clinical context
  • Appreciate the different learning styles and characteristics of adult learners in relation to clinical education
  • Understand how to enhance memory encoding, retention and recall
  • Understand the teaching/learning cycle and appreciate the value of a learning plan incorporating learning goals
Adult learning has been the subject of educational research since the 1970s and has resulted in the development of principles of adult learning. It is essential that busy clinicians and clinical educators know how to get the most from learning experiences, to maximise the efficacy of learning opportunities. This course allows the clinician to develop an appreciation of learning theory and learning styles and spells out the importance of ensuring that clinicians can implement what they are learning straight away. Upon completion of this course participants will understand how to improve their own comprehension rate and skills as a learner, plus this course equips you with the knowledge and skills necessary to gain the most from 'Teaching in a clinincal setting'.
 
Teaching in a clinical setting
At the end of this program you should be able to:
  • Display the attributes of an effective clinical educator, and employ established educational techniques
  • Interact confidently and assertively with learners
  • Confidently prepare for and conduct clinical education sessions
The ability to teach may appear intuitive or natural to some, but anyone with a desire to influence the learning of others can master the principle educational techniques. This course outlines how students model their behaviour on those displaying commendable attributes, and shows how a comprehensive knowledge of the subject matter, combined with preparation, effective educational and communication techniques, and confidence will lead towards becoming a respected and successful clinical educator.  This course is suitable for anyone with an inclination to tutor or coach others, and is ideal for those involved in supervising or teaching learners in a clinical setting.
 
Everyday Leadership (Leading People)
At the end of the course, you will
  • have identified the opportunities you have every day to provide leadership
  • be aware of your own innate leadership style and qualities
  • be able to influence others around you to achieve common goals
  • be able to use your understanding of team dynamics to influence team results
  • make a personal commitment to your own leadership agenda

The British Medical Association Board of Medical Education defines leadership as ’the ability to influence and inspire others to work towards the attainment of objectives and goals’. As a health professional, are you aware of your potential to influence others? Have you thought about the leadership elements of your current and future roles? Does your professional development plan include actively developing your leadership skills?If you think that leadership is not for you, ask yourself whether what you do every day is contributing (or not) towards achieving basic and currently unmet safety goals like improved hand hygiene. Are problems like this a failure of clinical leadership at every level? Will you rise to the challenge?

Making Things Happen
The topics covered in this short course include:
  • Bridging the gap between intent and achievement
  • Planning and evaluating a project
  • Dealing with risk and change
  • Keep your friends close and your stakeholders closer!
  • Getting from concept to completion
  • Who needs to know what and when?
When you have a goal and the need to chart a clear path toward achieving it, project management is your key. Using project management principles, your available resources can be optimised to achieve the best possible outcome. This course aims to demystify the art of project management by explaining the key concepts in directly relevant, non-technical terms. It covers the structure and shape of a project; characteristics of effective project management; effectively planning and evaluating a project and sustaining the gains; managing risk and change to stop your project being derailed; managing your stakeholders effectively with minimal time commitment; successfully delivering a project from concept to completion and how to handle your communications and facilitate information flow. This course is your guide to getting things done… with the right mindset, the right understanding and the right tools.
 
Workforce Innovation
At the end of this course, you will
  • understand the imperative for workforce innovation
  • be aware of international trends in workforce innovation
  • be able to initiate local innovations safely
  • gain new perspectives on workforce innovation
  • be able to participate effectively in workforce innovation discussion and planning
The community expectations of a health services now and in the future are not met by current or projected clinical workforce capacity. But how can we respond, and what will this mean for consumers and health service providers?  Clinical leaders need to equip themselves to lead appropriate innovations in the way we attract, train and best utilise the skills and potential of those wonderful people who may choose to make a career of caring for others.
 
Strategic planning for health services
The topics covered in this short course include:
  • The ‘what’ and ‘why’ of strategic planning
  • Strategic planning for effective health service delivery
  • Formulating the strategy – creating a vision
  • Formulating the strategy – key techniques
  • Formulating the strategy – setting goals
  • Consolidating strategic outcomes
The adage ‘if you fail to plan, you plan to fail’ has never been more apparent than in the current climate of health service delivery. All too often we get caught up in the detail of day-to-day tasks that we forget to look at the ‘big picture’ and take stock of where we are actually heading as a unit/department and/or organisation. We might also ask the question ‘is our current plan going to take us to where we want to be?’ Effecting positive change that improves health service delivery and patient care can only be achieved through a well researched and comprehensive strategy. This course not only presents a framework for developing a strategic plan, but also explores the key leadership aspects that will help you to encourage and inspire those within your organisation to take ownership of your vision.
 
Clinical Quality Improvement Methods
The topics covered in this short course include:
  • An introduction to clinical quality improvement  
  • The process of clinical quality improvement      
  • The steps of the clinical quality improvement: planning and diagnosis  
  • The steps of the clinical quality improvement: implementation   
  • The steps of the clinical quality improvement: evaluation
  • The steps of the clinical quality improvement: sustaining the gains
Continuous quality improvement is a process that requires a structured approach.  This course introduces the student to a project management model that utilises the phases of the Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycle to ensure that the clinician can effectively plan, implement and review quality improvement activities in the workplace.
 
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Using Measurement to Improve Healthcare
The topics in this short course include:
  • Why measure healthcare processes?
  • Variation – understanding it; expecting it
  • Choosing the correct measurement approach
  • Using data to monitor quality
  • The glory of P-charts
  • Measuring healthcare in action. 
In healthcare, change for clinical improvement is driven by information. To facilitate this, a vast array of measurement data from is routinely collected from all aspects of healthcare processes. The analysis of such data can provide invaluable insight into the behaviour of these healthcare processes and whether they indeed warrant improvement. A key is to first understand and identify the type of variation that is inherent in all healthcare processes; this is the first step towards quality improvement. Action can then be taken to reduce unwanted or unpredictable variation in standards of care, and thus improve patients’ experiences and clinical outcomes. However, the need to develop data analysis skills is often off-putting for clinicians. To address this, ‘Using measurement to improve healthcare’ offers an introduction to basic data analysis techniques and case-based examples of how to apply them to healthcare. The course is for clinicians, quality coordinators and managers who are interested in clinical improvement and would like to know the basics of using statistical process control to increase the quality of their practice. They may be collecting or reporting data, e.g. clinical indicators, morbidity/mortality data, incident reports, for clinical improvement.
 
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Effective Clinical Teams
The topics covered in this short course include:
  • Why teamwork matters
  • Why teamwork is more than getting on with colleagues
  • Teamwork in relation to patient care goals
  • Clinical team decision making processes
  • Clinical team communication processes
  • Individual contributions to teamwork: making a difference   
‘Good teamwork has been shown to reduce errors and improve care for patients, particularly for those with chronic illnesses’ but good teamwork is more than getting along with your fellow health workers.  Effective teamwork is a science and the skills involved can and should be learned.  Are your teamwork skills as finely honed as your technical clinical skills?  This course provides practical skills which any clinician can use to improve teamwork in their clinical workplace.
 
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Effective clinical communication
The topics covered in this short course include:
  • Communication – it’s life and death!
  • Is your communication science as good as your clinical science?
  • Listening effectively
  • Communication protocols and the role of standardisation
  • Clinical handover: one of the top five safety topics
  • Clinical handover communication
The root cause of many adverse events in healthcare delivery is often found to come back to failures of communication.  Although clinicians have advanced communication skills, communication for safety is a new perspective in healthcare.  This course will equip you with a new set of communication skills which underpin patient safety and improve teamwork.
 
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Fundamentals of managing change
The topics in this short course include:
  • understanding change and how you adapt to change
  • organisational change
  • identifying change opportunities
  • planning for change
  • implementing, monitoring and evaluating change
  • maintaining the momentum: sustaining change.
Change is inevitable! To embrace change with effective knowledge and strategies makes inevitable change a positive and rewarding experience. If you are responsible for implementing any new process or service, or even just a significant variation or adaptation of current practice or processes, then this course is for you.This course provides an insight into the concept of personal and organisational change. It offers a fresh outlook on change management. Change can often press us out of our comfort zone but with management, personal knowledge and skills, the journey can be much more exciting and productive.
 
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Creating a positive culture in health services
The topics covered in this short course include:
  • quality of working life
  • common workplace stressors
  • how we respond to workplace change
  • optimising the quality of work environments
  • work climate and the organisational impact
  • managing up to improve workplace culture.
People are an organisation's greatest asset, and creating a positive work culture is considered by many to be the key to achieving the optimal balance between staff satisfaction, health and performance. This course looks at what a positive culture is within the context of health services, and explores a number of workplace stressors (and their impact on individuals). The second part of the course examines the impact of poor culture (and work climate) on the organisation, and presents an intervention to deal with stressors and improve the work environment within a health service organisation or unit.
 
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 Show me the money part 1: Key financial concepts every health professional needs
At the end of this course, you will:
  • have a useful lexicon for thinking about financial considerations in healthcare
  • understand the basic tools of financial management
  • know the difference between accounting and managing financial resources identify how health services derive income to deliver healthcare
  • have a practical understanding of the types of costs of health service delivery
  • be confident participating as a clinician in financial management discussions affecting service delivery.
Money matters! When health professionals and clinical leaders lack basic financial management literacy, we are effectively excluded from some of the most important agendas which drive the quality and quantity of health service delivery. This course is specifically designed for the needs of clinicians and new clinician managers.
 
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Show me the money part 2: Influencing the way resources are deployed to deliver healthcare
Does your healthcare team drive its budget or does the budget drive it? Perhaps you don’t have a budget at all! Can you see how to match resources with service goals or are you a ‘budget victim’? Unfortunately money is what makes healthcare work. However what if you want to make a change to the way you deliver care using a new piece of equipment or by making a change to the way care is organised? Do you know how to advocate successfully for investment or funding for a change?
 
The topics in this short course include:
  • How budgets and business cases influence health service delivery
  • Planning your budget approach
  • Budgets with fixed revenue
  • Budgets with income and cost discretion
  • Business cases for health service investments
  • Business cases for change projects in health
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Managing Health Services teams

The topics covered in this short course include:

  • The role of the manager 
  • Leadership in management 
  • The structure and dynamics of teams 
  • Operations management 
  • Coping with the stresses of management 
  • Strategies for working with challenging relationships

Just landed a team management role for the first time? Or perhaps you are aspiring to manage others? Whether it is a team of clinicians operating in a facility, or a small mix of professionals running a private practice, when a group of people work together towards their own and shared goals, they need direction, guidance and a sense of purpose. A manager is needed to oversee team and individual achievements, to take responsibility for the activities of the group. A manager should provide inspiration and empowerment, to help their team members succeed.

‘Managing health service teams’ is designed to provide new or prospective managers with an understanding of the nature of management and explores the types of decisions that are inherent with managing a team.
 

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The Right People on the Job (The Basics of Human Resource Management)

The topics covered in this course include:

  • How to create a clear and concise role description that links to business strategy and identifies the right sort of role for the business 
  • How to run a recruitment and selection process to identify and select the right person for a position 
  • Know the key elements for successfully inducting staff 
  • Conducting effective performance appraisals for staff members 
  • The importance of acknowledging staff who are performing well as well as addressing issues with staff who are not performing to expectation 
  • Strategies for creating high performing teams in your workplace.

People are the lifeblood of any health service. If you are involved in staffing decisions, this is the course for you. From deciding who you need, through recruitment, to forming an effective team, this practical course will help you surround yourself with great people who understand what is expected of them and are motivated to deliver it.
 

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