Course content

This course introduces the concept of evidence-informed decision making, focusing on how research and other evidence can be used within decision making processes in the health and social sectors to help ensure better decisions for better health. During the course, students learn about the kinds of evidence that can be used to address different questions; how we might understand the roles of evidence in decision making processes in organisations, including factors affecting evidence use; how evidence can be packaged for use in managerial decision making processes, including the roles of systematic reviews; and critiques of the concept of evidence-informed decision making. Using global and national examples from the health and social care sectors, the course will explore how different types of evidence can inform understanding of issues such as the acceptability and feasibility of decision options and their affordability.

Learning outcome

On completion of the course, the student...

Knowledge

• Is aware of theories that help understand the decision making stage of policy processes within the health and social sector organisations
• Is familiar with different understandings of what constitutes evidence in relation to decision making
• Understands the roles that different types of evidence and different stakeholders can play in decision making, and other factors that impact on decision making
• Is familiar with approaches for packaging evidence to inform decision making in the health and social sectors, including tools for assessing how much confidence to place in findings from systematic reviews
• Understands factors affecting managers’ use of evidence decision making in organisations
• Is aware of key critiques of evidence-informed decision making and challenges to implementing it in health and social care organisations

Skills

• Can explain theories and concepts regarding decision making processes as part of the policy cycle, including the roles of different types of evidence and policy stakeholders
• Can explain and assess when to use systematic reviews in a decision making process
• Can identify tools for packaging evidence for decision making
• Can identify approaches that can support the use of research evidence to inform decision making in their organisation
• Can reflect on their role as a health manager in decision making processes for health and social care

General competence

• has insights into how managers can use evidence within decision making processes in the health and social sectors
• is aware of the ways in which structured, evidence-informed decision making processes can be organized and managed

Learning methods and activities

The course will include a range of different forms of learning, including lectures, seminars, groupwork tasks, oral presentations and simulation, with a focus on learner-led approaches and dialogue-based teaching and discussions. We will draw actively on students’ experiences in the course.

The teaching will be "session-based" with two gatherings of two days each. The first two day gathering will take place online. The second two day gathering will be in-person in Trondheim and will not include an option to join online. The language of teaching and examination is English.

Specific conditions

Required previous knowledge

Admission to one of the following study programmes is required: Healthcare Management (MHLED), Global Health (MSPUHE), or a PhD programme at NTNU.

Exchange students or students from other Norwegian universities may be accepted after an individual evaluation.

Course materials

There is no required textbook for the course. Course readings and other resources will be published in Blackboard at the start of studies.