HLTHPSYC 758 : Technology and Health
Medical and Health Sciences
2023 Semester Two (1235) (15 POINTS)
Course Prescription
Course Overview
This course explores the growing field of digital health and the impact that technology is having on psychological treatments, health psychology interventions and healthcare delivery. The course will cover eHealth and mHealth interventions in patient populations, wearables and behaviour change, chatbots and artificial intelligence, and the use of robotics in healthcare. Issues surrounding the development and successful implementation of digital health interventions, including user engagement, digital literacy, and user-centred design will be explored. The course will also focus on issues surrounding data protection and the ethical implications of the use of digital technologies.
Course Contacts
Capabilities Developed in this Course
| Capability 1: | Disciplinary Knowledge and Practice |
| Capability 2: | Critical Thinking |
| Capability 3: | Solution Seeking |
| Capability 4: | Communication and Engagement |
| Capability 5: | Independence and Integrity |
| Capability 6: | Social and Environmental Responsibilities |
Learning Outcomes
- Describe and discuss the core issues and challenges involved in using digital technologies to improve psychological and health outcomes and the current state of the literature (Capability 1.2 and 3.1)
- Critically evaluate the importance, practical signicance, strengths, and weaknesses of user centred design for intervention development and evaluation in digital health interventions. (Capability 3.1, 3.2, 4.1, 4.2, 5.1, 6.1 and 6.2)
- Provide evidence to support how digital health interventions can be used to reduce health inequities and allow for more scalable and accessible health psychology interventions. (Capability 2.1, 3.1, 4.1, 4.2, 5.1, 6.1 and 6.2)
- Critically reflect on the ethical implications of new health technologies and issues surrounding data protection, regulation, and minimising harm. (Capability 2.1, 2.2, 5.1 and 5.2)
- Discuss knowledge and understanding of the core issues in using digital health technologies in health psychology. (Capability 1.1, 1.2, 2.1, 2.2, 3.1, 4.1, 5.1, 5.2, 6.1 and 6.2)
Assessments
| Assessment Type | Percentage | Classification |
|---|---|---|
| Essay | 25% | Individual Coursework |
| Presentation | 25% | Individual Coursework |
| Final Exam | 50% | Individual Examination |
| 3 types | 100% |
| Assessment Type | Learning Outcome Addressed | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | ||||||
| Essay | ||||||||||
| Presentation | ||||||||||
| Final Exam | ||||||||||
Workload Expectations
This course is a standard 15 point course and students are expected to spend 10 hours per week involved in each 15 point course that they are enrolled in.
For this course, you can expect 24 hours of lectures (12 x 2-hour lectures), 24 hours of preparation for lectures (reading and thinking about the content), 60 hours of work on assignments (30 hours per assignment) and 42 hours of work for the nal exam (40 hours of exam preparation and 2 hours to sit the exam). The total student workload is 150 hours.
Delivery Mode
Campus Experience
Attendance is required at scheduled activities including lectures to complete components of the course.
Lectures will be available as recordings. Other learning activities including group work or discussions will not be available as recordings.
The course will not include live online events including group discussions.
Attendance on campus is required for the exam.
The activities for the course are scheduled as a standard weekly timetable.
Learning Resources
Course materials are made available in a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas which also includes reading lists and lecture recordings (where available).
Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the instructor.
Student Feedback
At the end of every semester students will be invited to give feedback on the course and teaching through a tool called SET or Qualtrics. The lecturers and course co-ordinators will consider all feedback and respond with summaries and actions.
Your feedback helps teachers to improve the course and its delivery for future students.
Class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the department and faculty staff-student consultative committees.
Based on student feedback from 2022, the presentations will not be recorded but time will be allocated to allow students to conduct the presentations face-to-face.
Academic Integrity
The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework as a serious academic offence. The work that a student submits for grading must be the student's own work, reflecting their learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced. This requirement also applies to sources on the internet. A student's assessed work may be reviewed against online source material using computerised detection mechanisms.
Class Representatives
Class representatives are students tasked with representing student issues to departments, faculties, and the wider university. If you have a complaint about this course, please contact your class rep who will know how to raise it in the right channels. See your departmental noticeboard for contact details for your class reps.
Inclusive Learning
All students are asked to discuss any impairment related requirements privately, face to face and/or in written form with the course coordinator, lecturer or tutor.
Student Disability Services also provides support for students with a wide range of impairments, both visible and invisible, to succeed and excel at the University. For more information and contact details, please visit the Student Disability Services’ website http://disability.auckland.ac.nz
Special Circumstances
If your ability to complete assessed coursework is affected by illness or other personal circumstances outside of your control, contact a member of teaching staff as soon as possible before the assessment is due.
If your personal circumstances significantly affect your performance, or preparation, for an exam or eligible written test, refer to the University’s aegrotat or compassionate consideration page https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/academic-information/exams-and-final-results/during-exams/aegrotat-and-compassionate-consideration.html.
This should be done as soon as possible and no later than seven days after the affected test or exam date.
Learning Continuity
In the event of an unexpected disruption, we undertake to maintain the continuity and standard of teaching and learning in all your courses throughout the year. If there are unexpected disruptions the University has contingency plans to ensure that access to your course continues and course assessment continues to meet the principles of the University’s assessment policy. Some adjustments may need to be made in emergencies. You will be kept fully informed by your course co-ordinator/director, and if disruption occurs you should refer to the university website for information about how to proceed.
The delivery mode may change depending on COVID restrictions. Any changes will be communicated through Canvas.
Student Charter and Responsibilities
The Student Charter assumes and acknowledges that students are active participants in the learning process and that they have responsibilities to the institution and the international community of scholars. The University expects that students will act at all times in a way that demonstrates respect for the rights of other students and staff so that the learning environment is both safe and productive. For further information visit Student Charter https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/forms-policies-and-guidelines/student-policies-and-guidelines/student-charter.html.
Disclaimer
Elements of this outline may be subject to change. The latest information about the course will be available for enrolled students in Canvas.
In this course students may be asked to submit coursework assessments digitally. The University reserves the right to conduct scheduled tests and examinations for this course online or through the use of computers or other electronic devices. Where tests or examinations are conducted online remote invigilation arrangements may be used. In exceptional circumstances changes to elements of this course may be necessary at short notice. Students enrolled in this course will be informed of any such changes and the reasons for them, as soon as possible, through Canvas.