Postgraduate Diploma in Healthcare Management
Develop practical management judgement for health-service organisations.
About the course
Develop practical management judgement for health-service organisations. The proposed postgraduate diploma concentrates on how managers understand a service problem, use available information and coordinate an achievable response. Southern African cases should include primary care, hospitals and community services, with attention to staff capacity, budgets, access and patient experience.
What you'll learn
Analyse a health-service problem in its organisational and policy context.
Interpret basic financial, workforce and quality information.
Plan a service-improvement project with realistic responsibilities and indicators.
Communicate a justified management recommendation to different stakeholders.
Requirements
Recommended preparation is a relevant recognised undergraduate qualification and readiness for academic reading, applied analysis and independent study. A masters route also requires adequate research preparation and an appropriate supervisor. BMIT must confirm admission equivalence, bridging requirements and its approved research and assessment regulations.
Course content
The subjects are grouped by learning stage, from foundations to specialist study and supervised application. Complete earlier foundations before the related advanced work. Clinical, laboratory, field and workplace subjects use approved facilities and supervision appropriate to the programme.
3 learning stages 11 subjects
1Stage 1: Postgraduate disciplinary study4 subjects
2Stage 2: Specialist analysis and application4 subjects
3Stage 3: Supervised research or applied integration3 subjects
Subjects in this programme
The subjects are grouped by learning stage, from foundations to specialist study and supervised application. Complete earlier foundations before the related advanced work. Clinical, laboratory, field and workplace subjects use approved facilities and supervision appropriate to the programme.
11 subjects are listed below with a short description of each. The Subject descriptions tab contains the learning outcomes, topics, practical tasks and assessments.
Stage 1: Postgraduate disciplinary study
- Health Systems and Policy. Examine service organisation, governance and their relationship within health systems and policy. The subject develops policy processes and access, then examines accountability and system performance. Map a health-service pathway and analyse a policy problem.
- Health Financing and Resource Allocation. Develop your understanding of health financing and resource allocation through funding mechanisms and budgets. The subject develops cost information and allocation, then examines financial controls and equity. Compare resource decisions using an authorised health-service teaching case.
- Leadership in Health Services. Study leadership approaches and team relationships as foundations for leadership in health services. The subject develops change and conflict, then examines professional accountability and organisational learning. Analyse a service-change case and design a stakeholder engagement approach.
- Health Workforce Management. Examine workforce planning, role design and their relationship within health workforce management. The subject develops staffing and development, then examines performance support and staff wellbeing. Develop a workforce response to a realistic service-capacity problem.
Stage 2: Specialist analysis and application
- Quality and Patient Safety. Develop your understanding of quality and patient safety through care quality and patient experience. The subject develops safety incidents and clinical governance, then examines improvement methods and measurement. Review a de-identified service-quality case using approved data.
- Health Service Operations and Supplies. Study patient flows and capacity as foundations for health service operations and supplies. The subject develops procurement and stock control, then examines equipment support and service continuity. Analyse a health-service flow or supply problem using teaching records.
- Project Planning and Management. Examine scope, work breakdown and their relationship within project planning and management. The subject develops scheduling and resources, then examines risk and progress control. Build and update a plan for a realistic technical or service project.
- Programme Monitoring and Evaluation. Develop your understanding of programme monitoring and evaluation through programme logic and indicators. The subject develops routine information and process evaluation, then examines outcome evaluation and learning use. Build an evaluation framework for a public-health teaching programme.
Stage 3: Supervised research or applied integration
- Research Methods. Study research questions and literature review as foundations for research methods. The subject develops study design and data collection, then examines ethics and interpretation. Prepare a feasible investigation proposal with a defined evidence need.
- Project Development and Feasibility. Examine problem definition, evidence review and their relationship within project development and feasibility. The subject develops requirements and method selection, then examines feasibility and evaluation criteria. Develop an approved discipline-specific project proposal with a supervisor.
- Integrated Project and Technical Report. Develop your understanding of integrated project and technical report through implementation and evidence collection. The subject develops analysis and verification, then examines limitations and communication. Complete the approved project and maintain an auditable evidence record.
Assessment and practical learning
- Proposed assessment: analytical assignments using health-service, financial and workforce cases.
- A staged improvement portfolio containing a problem statement, stakeholder analysis, measures and implementation plan.
- An individual presentation and evidence-based management report. BMIT must approve assessment weighting and progression.
Practical application
Use an approved workplace or simulated service case. Learners should establish who owns the problem, which data are reliable and how the proposed change will be evaluated. Access to patient or staff records requires permission and suitable protection. The programme does not authorise clinical practice.
Subject descriptions
Select a subject to read its learning outcomes, main topics, practical task and assessment.
Stage 1: Postgraduate disciplinary study
Health Systems and Policy
Examine service organisation, governance and their relationship within health systems and policy. The subject develops policy processes and access, then examines accountability and system performance. Map a health-service pathway and analyse a policy problem.
Learning outcomes
- Explain service organisation and governance using an appropriate example.
- Analyse a subject-related problem involving policy processes and access.
- Present reasoned evidence addressing accountability and system performance.
Main topics
- Service organisation
- Governance
- Policy processes
- Access
- Accountability
- System performance
Practical task
Map a health-service pathway and analyse a policy problem.
Assessment
Submit a systems analysis and justified policy recommendation.
Health Financing and Resource Allocation
Develop your understanding of health financing and resource allocation through funding mechanisms and budgets. The subject develops cost information and allocation, then examines financial controls and equity. Compare resource decisions using an authorised health-service teaching case.
Learning outcomes
- Explain funding mechanisms and budgets using an appropriate example.
- Analyse a subject-related problem involving cost information and allocation.
- Present reasoned evidence addressing financial controls and equity.
Main topics
- Funding mechanisms
- Budgets
- Cost information
- Allocation
- Financial controls
- Equity
Practical task
Compare resource decisions using an authorised health-service teaching case.
Assessment
Submit a budget and resource-allocation appraisal.
Leadership in Health Services
Study leadership approaches and team relationships as foundations for leadership in health services. The subject develops change and conflict, then examines professional accountability and organisational learning. Analyse a service-change case and design a stakeholder engagement approach.
Learning outcomes
- Explain leadership approaches and team relationships using an appropriate example.
- Analyse a subject-related problem involving change and conflict.
- Present reasoned evidence addressing professional accountability and organisational learning.
Main topics
- Leadership approaches
- Team relationships
- Change
- Conflict
- Professional accountability
- Organisational learning
Practical task
Analyse a service-change case and design a stakeholder engagement approach.
Assessment
Submit a leadership and implementation plan.
Health Workforce Management
Examine workforce planning, role design and their relationship within health workforce management. The subject develops staffing and development, then examines performance support and staff wellbeing. Develop a workforce response to a realistic service-capacity problem.
Learning outcomes
- Explain workforce planning and role design using an appropriate example.
- Analyse a subject-related problem involving staffing and development.
- Present reasoned evidence addressing performance support and staff wellbeing.
Main topics
- Workforce planning
- Role design
- Staffing
- Development
- Performance support
- Staff wellbeing
Practical task
Develop a workforce response to a realistic service-capacity problem.
Assessment
Submit a staffing and development proposal.
Stage 2: Specialist analysis and application
Quality and Patient Safety
Develop your understanding of quality and patient safety through care quality and patient experience. The subject develops safety incidents and clinical governance, then examines improvement methods and measurement. Review a de-identified service-quality case using approved data.
Learning outcomes
- Explain care quality and patient experience using an appropriate example.
- Analyse a subject-related problem involving safety incidents and clinical governance.
- Present reasoned evidence addressing improvement methods and measurement.
Main topics
- Care quality
- Patient experience
- Safety incidents
- Clinical governance
- Improvement methods
- Measurement
Practical task
Review a de-identified service-quality case using approved data.
Assessment
Submit a measurable quality-improvement proposal.
Health Service Operations and Supplies
Study patient flows and capacity as foundations for health service operations and supplies. The subject develops procurement and stock control, then examines equipment support and service continuity. Analyse a health-service flow or supply problem using teaching records.
Learning outcomes
- Explain patient flows and capacity using an appropriate example.
- Analyse a subject-related problem involving procurement and stock control.
- Present reasoned evidence addressing equipment support and service continuity.
Main topics
- Patient flows
- Capacity
- Procurement
- Stock control
- Equipment support
- Service continuity
Practical task
Analyse a health-service flow or supply problem using teaching records.
Assessment
Submit an operational improvement and continuity plan.
Project Planning and Management
Examine scope, work breakdown and their relationship within project planning and management. The subject develops scheduling and resources, then examines risk and progress control. Build and update a plan for a realistic technical or service project.
Learning outcomes
- Explain scope and work breakdown using an appropriate example.
- Analyse a subject-related problem involving scheduling and resources.
- Present reasoned evidence addressing risk and progress control.
Main topics
- Scope
- Work breakdown
- Scheduling
- Resources
- Risk
- Progress control
Practical task
Build and update a plan for a realistic technical or service project.
Assessment
Submit a project plan, risk register and progress-review case.
Programme Monitoring and Evaluation
Develop your understanding of programme monitoring and evaluation through programme logic and indicators. The subject develops routine information and process evaluation, then examines outcome evaluation and learning use. Build an evaluation framework for a public-health teaching programme.
Learning outcomes
- Explain programme logic and indicators using an appropriate example.
- Analyse a subject-related problem involving routine information and process evaluation.
- Present reasoned evidence addressing outcome evaluation and learning use.
Main topics
- Programme logic
- Indicators
- Routine information
- Process evaluation
- Outcome evaluation
- Learning use
Practical task
Build an evaluation framework for a public-health teaching programme.
Assessment
Submit an indicator matrix and evaluation design.
Stage 3: Supervised research or applied integration
Research Methods
Study research questions and literature review as foundations for research methods. The subject develops study design and data collection, then examines ethics and interpretation. Prepare a feasible investigation proposal with a defined evidence need.
Learning outcomes
- Explain research questions and literature review using an appropriate example.
- Analyse a subject-related problem involving study design and data collection.
- Present reasoned evidence addressing ethics and interpretation.
Main topics
- Research questions
- Literature review
- Study design
- Data collection
- Ethics
- Interpretation
Practical task
Prepare a feasible investigation proposal with a defined evidence need.
Assessment
Submit a proposal, methods rationale and ethics considerations.
Project Development and Feasibility
Examine problem definition, evidence review and their relationship within project development and feasibility. The subject develops requirements and method selection, then examines feasibility and evaluation criteria. Develop an approved discipline-specific project proposal with a supervisor.
Learning outcomes
- Explain problem definition and evidence review using an appropriate example.
- Analyse a subject-related problem involving requirements and method selection.
- Present reasoned evidence addressing feasibility and evaluation criteria.
Main topics
- Problem definition
- Evidence review
- Requirements
- Method selection
- Feasibility
- Evaluation criteria
Practical task
Develop an approved discipline-specific project proposal with a supervisor.
Assessment
Submit a proposal, evidence review and evaluation plan.
Integrated Project and Technical Report
Develop your understanding of integrated project and technical report through implementation and evidence collection. The subject develops analysis and verification, then examines limitations and communication. Complete the approved project and maintain an auditable evidence record.
Learning outcomes
- Explain implementation and evidence collection using an appropriate example.
- Analyse a subject-related problem involving analysis and verification.
- Present reasoned evidence addressing limitations and communication.
Main topics
- Implementation
- Evidence collection
- Analysis
- Verification
- Limitations
- Communication
Practical task
Complete the approved project and maintain an auditable evidence record.
Assessment
Submit the final project, report and individual oral defence.
Instructors
