HOVFEL26024 Digitalisation and interdisciplinary collaboration in health and welfare - Innovation, inclusion, and ethical dilemmas (Spring 2024)

The course is connected to the following study programs

• Bachelor in Child Welfare

• Bachelor in Nursing

• Bachelor in Social Educator Training

• Bachelor in Social Work

• Bachelor in Work and Welfare Studies

The course is open for international students within the same bachelor programmes.

Absolute requirements

Passed courses from the first year of the bachelor program.

Lecture Semester

4th semester (spring).

The student's learning outcomes after completing the course

Knowledge

The student

• has broad knowledge about interdisciplinary, interprofessional and intersectoral collaboration and the organisation of such work, including opportunities and challenges.

• has knowledge about different perspectives on digitalisation and coordination and organisation of health and welfare services.

• has knowledge about ways of coordinating services, and work practices.

• has knowledge about how digitalisation of services can influence inclusion, equality and non-discrimination, in relation to gender, ethnicity, religion, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression and age.

• has knowledge about innovation and standardisation in professional work

• has knowledge about how various technologies affect service receivers and patients

• has knowledge about ethical aspects of technological innovation in health and welfare contexts

 

Skills

The student

• can utilise scientific and professional knowledge to initiate and contribute to interdisciplinary, interprofessional and intersectoral collaboration

• can identify research literature, and evaluate the use of technology and digital solutions on an individual and structural level

• can reflect upon social inequality and inclusion

• can communicate and critically reflect on innovation processes and the use of technology in an interprofessional environment

• can critically reflect upon ethical dilemmas related to technological innovation in health and welfare contexts

 

General competence

The student

• has insight into and can present risk factors and ethical issues related to digital solutions on an individual and structural level

• can communicate their own perspectives and experiences in interactions with others, and can, through collaboration with others, contribute to the development of good practices in the field

• can identify theoretical underpinnings of technological innovation and their effects on professional work and patient and user experiences

Content

This course explores the dynamic world of digitalisation and interdisciplinary collaboration within health and welfare services. Students will be introduced to various topics and critical perspectives on digitalisation. We will explore the use of digital technologies such as e-health, AI, welfare technologies and robotisation in interdisciplinary contexts. We will also investigate how to foster a just and equal distribution of health and welfare services through digitalisation and interprofessional collaboration.

In the last section of the course, we will go deeper into critical understandings on the topics of innovation and standardisation in professional work. Furthermore, we will explore patients and users’ various experiences with digitalised health and welfare services. Ethical dilemmas related to inclusion, discrimination, trust, and surveillance in relations between professionals and users/patients will be thoroughly thematised and discussed.

The course aims to equip students with an overall understanding of the complexities and opportunities in the fields of digitalisation, interprofessional collaboration, innovation, inequality and ethical dilemmas in health and welfare contexts. This will be done by critical engagement with recent research and real-world examples in lectures and seminars.

Central topics covered:

• Digitalisation and innovation within health and welfare services

• E-health, artificial intelligence (AI), digital tools and welfare technologies

• Digitalisation in the context of inclusion, equality, and non-discrimination

• Critical perspectives on digitalisation

• Cooperative organisation of services in the context of digitalisation

• Outcomes from interprofessional collaboration

• Interdisciplinary conflicts and power relations

• Innovation and standardisation in professional work

• User and patient experiences with digital tools and services

• Ethical dilemmas in relationships between professionals and patients/users

Forms of teaching and learning

Lectures and seminars. Student presentations, feedback to fellow students, and discussions.

Workload

The expected study effort in the course is 390 hours.

Practical training/internship

No practical training/internship in this course.

Coursework requirements - conditions for taking the exam

• Participation in compulsory activities. 

Requirements must be approved before the student can complete the exam.

Examination

Written exam under supervision.

• Duration: 4 hours

• No aids allowed

• Language: Optional, Norwegian or English

• Grading system: A-F

Examiners

Two Internal examinator or one external and one internal examinator.

Conditions for resit/rescheduled exams

Please, see the current regulations on examinations, study rights, and degrees at Østfold University College.

Course evaluation

Feedback from our students is vital in order to develop and offer high quality courses. The following forms of evaluation are used for this course:

• Continuous evaluation with a reference group

• Final evaluation at the end of the course

The results are considered in a program council.

Literature

The current reading list for 2024 Spring can be found in Leganto