An Coiste Feabhais Acadúil
The Committee on Academic Quality Improvement
The Academic Quality Assurance Programme 2006-2007
Report to Údarás na hOllscoile
Review of
Postgraduate Diploma/Masters in Health Sciences
(Primary Care)
Self-Assessment
Review Group Visit
Follow Up Meeting
January to March 2007
13th March, 2007
5th June 2007
This Report was compiled for members of Údarás na hOllscoile, NUI Galway and its
committees as a readily accessible but comprehensive source of information on the above
review, its context and its outcomes.
Quality Office, July 2007
Report to Údarás – Review of PG Diploma/Masters in Health Sciences (Primary Care)
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1. Overview of Programmes leading to the Postgraduate Diploma /
Masters in Health Sciences (Primary Care)
1.1 Aims and Objectives
Aims
 To allow the development of a critical approach to practice by examining one’s own work,
learning about work of others and by developing a critical approach to published work.
 To increase understanding of human behaviour in relation to health and illness in order to gain
greater insight into the behaviour and needs of patients and other health care professionals.
 To provide training in research methods and an appreciation of the existing body of research
findings to equip students to undertake their own research and critical inquiry.
 To develop relationships and management skills for teamwork within the changing health care
environment.
 To allow primary care specialists to learn and interact together in a structured educational
environment.
Objectives
The course syllabus and assessment are designed to meet the aims of the course with an
emphasis being placed on developing knowledge and skills required for evidence based practice
and effective teamwork. For example the “group project” exercise that forms one of the major
pillars of the assessment strategy emphasises both evidence based practice and teamwork. This
group project encourages students to work together in multidisciplinary groups and to integrate
knowledge gained in the taught modules.
1.2 Background
The NUI Galway Postgraduate Diploma in Primary Care was launched in September 2000. The
degree was established in response to a regional perception that an academic course in primary
care was required. At the time there was little opportunity for primary care practitioners to learn
with and from each other in a structured educational environment. It was subsequently renamed
as a Postgraduate Diploma in Health Sciences (Primary care).
In 2001, the Irish Department of Health and Children published the Primary Care
Strategy Primary Care – A New Direction. It called for primary care to be “an integrated,
interdisciplinary, high-quality, team-based and user friendly set of services” and among its
many recommendations it called for “models of joint training and education of primary care
professionals (to be) developed” and for “continuing professional and personal development
programmes (to) be made available to primary care professionals”.
Both the Postgraduate Diploma and Masters in Primary Care courses provide primary
care practitioners with skills, knowledge and attitudes that support the delivery of effective,
efficient, evidence-based primary care services such as those envisaged in the Irish Primary Care
Strategy. In 2002 a Masters in Primary Care was launched for graduates of the Higher Diploma.
In 2004 the North Western Health Board was joined by the Western Health Board in providing
support to the programme and the student intake broadened to include health professionals in
both health boards.
To date, 74 students have completed the Higher Diploma in Primary Care. fifteen
students are currently registered for the course. Twenty-three have registered for the Masters in
Primary Care. Of these, 14 have completed and 6 are registered for the current academic year.
1.3 Accommodation and Facilities
The core facilities of the Department are located on Distillery Road.
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2. Review Group Report Summary and Recommendations
The Review Group consisted of: Professor Christine Bond (Department of General Practice and Primary
Care, University of Aberdeen, Scotland), (Chair); Professor Colin P. Bradley (Department of General
Practice, University College, Cork); Dr. Philip Crowley (Department of Health and Children, Ireland),
Dr. Dympna Casey (Department of Nursing and Midwifery Studies, NUI Galway); and Dr. Michael P.
Carty (Department of Biochemistry, NUI Galway) acting as rapporteur.
The Programme had already prepared and submitted a Self Assessment Report that, with other
documentation, was made available to the Group in advance of the visit.
Summary
Overall, the Review Group commended the staff of the programme and the Department for their
commitment in developing and delivering the course, and for the quality of the students and
their enthusiasm for the course. This course fills a unique regional and national need. To
continue the success of the programme, its aims and objectives should be more clearly
articulated. This will be become more critical as external funding for students on the course
decreases. In this context, continued integration of learning outcomes into the professional
practice of individual graduates, and into the operation of the HSE is also critical. Improved
dissemination of the research activities of students of the course will also enhance the profile of
the programme with a key stakeholder, namely the HSE.
Main Recommendations
Recommendations were presented under the following five headings:
Aims and Objectives
 Articulate broader course aims
 Revise objectives to be consistent and to specify behavioural outcomes
Organisation and Management
 The option of providing the Sligo components of the course in St. Angela’s College should be
re-examined
 The composition of the Steering Group be kept under review to accommodate both the
changing geographical coverage of the course and changing HSE structures
 A deputising arrangement be instituted to ensure student representation at every Steering
Committee meeting
 The policy of offering the course only as a whole and not as individual modules and thus, not
linking to other courses be kept under review
 An application should be made to An Bord Altranais for Category 2 accreditation
 An application to the Academic Planning and Resource Committee should be made to
increase resources available to the DGP to provide the course, as well as for assistance in
withstanding any change in funding policy from the HSE
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Programmes and Instruction
 Consider incorporating a mechanism of feedback to the students on the observed group
processes and ways in which these could be improved.
 Consider the introduction of a reflective portfolio as a formal component of assessment.
 Consider the redistribution of marks across group work, e-tivities and essays and include a
new reflective portfolio.
 Review timing of assignment submission to maximise benefit of feedback informing
subsequent assignments.
 Consider developing a short computer skills training program/workbook for students prior to
commencing the programme.
Masters in Health Sciences (Primary Care) programme
 Amend the handbook to clarify the word-length required for the Master's thesis, in order to
standardise the requirements for the Masters dissertation; review critically the option of
submitting an academic journal style paper as the sole assessment for the Masters degree,
taking into account accepted standards of assessment and best national and international
practice.
 Encourage all research student supervisors to attend courses provided by CELT.
 Include the submission of a briefing paper as part requirement for the award of Masters in
Health Sciences (Primary Care).
 Hold a postgraduate student conference to disseminate and showcase their work.
 The documents and brochures that currently describe the Diploma and Masters should draw
much greater attention to the impact of course learning on practice and policy.
 The Department should investigate more effective mechanisms to optimise the impact of
course learning and outputs on health service policy and practice.
3. Action Plans
Follow-up Meeting, Tuesday 5th June, 2007
Present: Professor Jim Browne – Registrar (chair), Professor J Gosling – Director of Quality, Dr Eleanor
McCarrick, Dr Peter Cantillion – Primary Care Programme, Professor BG Loftus – Dean of Medicine & Health
Sciences, Dr Michael Carty – Rapporteur member of review group, Dr Iain MacLabhrainn – Director of CELT, Mr
Christopher McNairney – Director of Human Resources, Ms Geraldine Lyons (in attendance).
3.1 Action Plan for the Programme:
1. Course aims and objectives will be revised in accordance with the recommendations of the
review group report. Learning objectives will include both behavioural and learning outcomes.
2.The programme co-ordinators will carry out in full the Review Report recommendations under
Organization and Management:
o The composition of the Steering Group will be changed to reflect the whole of the HSE
West.
o There will be a deputising arrangement for student representation at steering committee
meetings.
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o The use of facilities at St. Angela’s College will be re-evaluated.
o An application will be made to An Bord Altranais for Category 2 accreditation this
summer.
o Programme co-ordinators accept that individual modules of the programme could be
offered separately and this new approach will be evaluated.
o Current brochures and other relevant documents/web site content will be revised to draw
much greater attention to the impact of course learning on graduates from the
Progammmes.
o Resource allocations and requirements will be evaluated in the context of other similar
courses and, if a good case can be made for specific items, application will be made to
the Academic Planning and Resource Committee for extra funding.
3. The programme co-ordinators will implement as follows the Review Report recommendations
under Programmes & Instruction:
o The allocation of marks has been reconsidered and marks allocated to
‘e-tivities’
increased to represent 40% of the Research/ Evidence-based Primary Care assessment.
o Timing of assignment submissions will be changed to maximise benefit of feedback
informing subsequent submissions.
o The use of reflective portfolios for the assessment of the diploma and mechanisms for
feedback on group processes will be evaluated.
o Students of the primary care programmes are currently are recommended to the Net-G
computer skills training package. A summer school is run each year in September and
the course officially commences in October; which could incorporate an equivalent
computer skills module. The possibility of also running a specific taster course in
computer skills will be kept under review.
o Student feedback on teaching and programme administration by means of a short survey
will be sought in the middle of each semester and brief summary reports of the findings
and proposed remedies (if any are necessary) circulated to students and staff.
o The programme co-ordinators will implement from the year 2007–08 the Review Report
recommendations on the Masters programme, as follows:
o Research supervisors will be encouraged strongly to attend courses provided by CELT.
o An annual postgraduate student conference will be organised to disseminate and
showcase students’ work.
o Submission requirements for the thesis will be clarified and students will be asked also to
submit a briefing paper. A single flexible standard will be adopted.
o The Department will investigate more effective mechanisms to optimise the impact of
the expanding numbers of Programme graduates on health service policy and practice in
the relevant regions.
3.2 Action Plan for University Management:
1. Management congratulate the programme co-ordinators and contributors on their great
success to date and will evaluate applications for increased resources on their merits and in
the context of the Faculty as a whole.
Approved by: Co-ordinator of Programmes, Dr Eleanor McCarrick, 18 July 2007
Approved by: Senior Lecturer in General Practice, Dr Peter Cantillion, 18 July 2007
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Approved by: Registrar, Professor Jim Browne, 20 July 2007
Approved by: Dean of Medicine & HS Faculty, Professor BG Loftus, 24 July 2007
Approved by: Director of CELT, Dr Iain MacLabhrainn, 19 July 2007
Finalised: 30 July 2007, Jim Gosling, Director of Quality
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