This programme provides training for healthcare providers:

• doctors
• nurses
• clinical risk advisors/manager
• hospital managers/directors
• administrators and others working in the fields of patient quality
• safety and clinical risk management and health care lawyers

The qualification may also be suitable to those in the fields of claims management and those specialising in healthcare law.

Course Description

The course will provide training for clinical and managerial healthcare professionals in the area of clinical risk management and leading to the award of a postgraduate NUI Graduate Diploma. This is an appropriate qualification for professionals practising in the field of clinical risk management and healthcare in addition to, or as part of, their work.

The skills learned will provide the basis for participation in clinical risk management and risk management committees and for further training as a risk / patient safety advisor/manager. The knowledge acquired will be applied to the improvement of patient safety and care, to the prevention and management of legal claims and to healthcare delivery in general. The qualification may also be suitable to those in the fields of claims management and those specialising in healthcare law.

Course Aims

The Diploma covers the following areas: Structure and organisation of the healthcare system, healthcare finance and personnel, the legal system, the legal framework of the healthcare provider-patient relationship, EU legislation, medical records, patient consent, medical negligence, ethical issues, medico-legal reports and court evidence, definition of risk, risk identification, risk of clinical risks (general and applied to specialties and departments), management of non-clinical risks, safety at work legislation, risk insurance and indemnity, claims investigation and management, implementation of the risk management process.

Modules

Module One: 15 ECTS - CORE

Taught Course. Teaching sessions relating to the medico-legal aspects of clinical risk management (September to December) with a programme of attendance (part of continuous assessment as attendance is required to the specialist lectures), self directed learning; case-study based group sessions, legal specialist sessions, clinical risk management/patient safety specialist sessions, critical discussion events, workshops and other learning sessions. Assessment by exam in December.

Module Two: 15 ECTS - CORE

Taught Course - involving 19 part-time (3.5 hours) (66.5 hours) teaching sessions relating to the medical speciality aspects of clinical risk management (January to April) with a programme of attendance (part of continuous assessment as attendance is required to the specialist lectures), self directed learning; case-study based group sessions, medical specialist sessions, clinical risk management/patient safety specialist sessions, critical discussion events, workshops and other learning sessions. Assessment by exam in May

Module Three: 10 ECTS - CORE

Medico-legal/Clinical risk management Group presentation. This is a particular and specialist clinical risk management / medico-legal scenario which is based on the specialist topics presented through the taught programme. The presentations are thus, part of the continuous assessment of the course but the presentation is carried out and assessed in December.

Module Four: 20 ECTS - CORE

Presentation in April before peers and external examiners of a professional pilot project (work for which commences in September when students are presented with project guidelines. In January, the students present a preliminary outline of the pilot which idea is refined by consultation with the subject head and course co-ordinator. From January to April students research and pilot the project. This presentation is this part of a continuous assessment project). In addition, the students are required to submit an essay of 2000 words which comprises of the written aspect of the professional pilot project and thus commences in September, is given a preliminary evaluation in January and is researched from January to April and submitted towards the end of April.

• Modules 1 and 3 are assessed in December (Semester 1)
• Modules 2 and 4 are assessed in April/May (Semester 2)

Course Structure

The aims and goals of the programme are to equip students with the vital general and specialist knowledge of the main aspects of clinical risk management and to enable students to be able to present their ideas, with coherence within a specialist healthcare environment, especially in relation to professional aspects of risk management. The course utilises a mix of teaching, continuous assessment evaluations, case-study presentations and a pilot project which is orally presented and evaluated by external examiners.

Examinations

The Graduate Diploma is divided into four core modules totalling 60 ECTS. This will potentially enable students to proceed to a fourth module (30 ECTS) to attempt to gain an MSc in Healthcare Risk Management and Quality.

The taught modules will be assessed by continual assessment and written examinations at the end of each module.

The assessments will consist of:

• A written assessment in December and May (Modules 1 & 2).
• Presentation of case studies in December (Module 3) and a written project which is also presented by the participants (Module 4).

• Modules 1 and 3 are assessed in December (Semester 1)
• Modules 2 and 4 are assessed in April/May (Semester 2)

Location

The course is held in the UCD School of Medicine and Medical Science, University College Dublin, Health Sciences Centre, Belfield, Dublin 4.

Overview

• Doctors, nurses, dentists, physiotherapists and radiographers must have a minimum of three years’ post qualification experience.
• Other healthcare personnel and professionals must have a basic qualification in one of the health sciences or hold such other qualifications as approved by the School of Medicine and Medical Science and have a minimum of three years’ clinical or healthcare managerial experience or other relevant experience.

International applicants should contact the academic programme director for a full list of entry requirements.

A list of FAQs for international applicants is available here.

The Course Co-Ordinator is:

Mr. Asim Sheikh,Forensic and Legal Medicine,
UCD School of Medicine and Medical Science,Health Sciences Centre,Belfield, Dublin 4.
Telephone: + 353 1 7166647

legal.medicine@ucd.ie

• For more information on course fees please visit the Fees & Grants Office website.
• Fees are correct at the time of writing and subject to change.