Healthcare Outbreak Management CPD Award

What is special about this course?

As evidenced by recent healthcare outbreaks, being able to critically appraise, analyse and interpret data is critical to the management of outbreaks and reducing the risk of re-occurrence. 

This CPD Award Healthcare Outbreak Management module will equip you to critically analyse situation-background-assessment-reports, epidemic curves, and line listings, and identify possible errors when presenting data. By critically reviewing a current outbreak, you will examine active failures and defences, categories of organisation and culture, current conditions of work, and the legislative framework. The module draws on the Scottish National Infection Prevention and Control Manual and will equip you with the skills to identify system changes to reduce the risk of outbreaks occurring.

Who should apply?

• NHS staff currently on bands 5 and 6 of the NHS Career Framework Ladder working in Infection Prevention and Control roles
• Healthcare professionals working in roles associated with the control of infection who wish to acquire a better understanding of the healthcare outbreak process in order to influence system change

For more details or informal discussion about the module please contact: 
MSc.ic@uhi.ac.uk.

Special features

• Fully online delivery gives flexible access to study and can therefore fit around work and personal commitments.

Entry requirements

• 2:1 Degree in a relevant healthcare subject and at least 3 years professional experience in a related field OR
• Evidence of study at SCQF level 10 in a healthcare subject and employment in related field

Recognised European or international equivalent qualifications are considered. If English is not your first language, you must have evidence of your English language skills.All non-UK students must have one of the three options below: 
 

• IELTS at 6.5 or above, taken no more than two years prior to the start date of the course
• TOEFL at 90-100, taken no more than two years prior to the start date of the course
• Cambridge English Qualifications: C2 Proficiency

CPD Award

The module will cover:

• The outbreak process
• The HPS Hospital Outbreak Process
• Legal framework and legislation under which outbreak management works
• When to use control measures
• Outbreak recognition and data presentation
• Why outbreaks happen
• How investigators err during an outbreak
• Influenza / respiratory virus outbreaks
• Epi curves
• Line listing    
• Possible errors when presenting data
• Outbreak tools and communication
• What’s in place to detect outbreaks – evaluation of these
• Scoping outbreaks 
• Who needs to know and when
• Internal and external
• Situation-Background-Assessment-Recommendations (SBARs)
• Norovirus outbreaks
• Influenza / respiratory virus outbreaks including Covid 19
• Gram negative bacteria: carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae CPE/CRO
• Group A Strep outbreaks and single unusual pathogens
• Reducing the risk of recurrence, report outbreak
• Outbreak settings where the mode of transmission is initially unknown

Fees

For students normally domiciled in Scotland, with a term-time address in Scotland, the following fees apply:

This includes

• EU nationals with settled or pre-settled status in the UK,
• EEA/Swiss nationals with settled status in the UK
• EEA/Swiss nationals with pre-settled status who are self-employed or migrant workers in the UK.

Rest of UK students

For students normally domiciled in the rest of the UK (England, Wales and N. Ireland) or assessed as rest of the UK for fee status, the following fees apply:

Fees are payable in advance each academic year unless otherwise agreed.

EU/EEA and Swiss nationals without settled or pre-settled status in the UK

Following the UK’s departure from the European Union, the Scottish Government confirmed that EU/EEA and Swiss nationals, who do not have settled or pre-settled status, will be considered as international for fee purposes. These students will get an automatic fee scholarship.

This includes EEA/Swiss nationals with pre-settled status who are not self-employed or migrant workers in the UK.

International students

For students who do not normally reside in the UK or European Union, studying online from their home country, or assessed as international for fee status, the following fees apply:

A no fee increase guarantee is available for self-funding full-time and structured part-time rest of the UK, EU and international postgraduate students for continuous study for the same award, up to the permitted standard time limit for the relevant award.

This course is not available for international students requiring Student Route visa sponsorship to study in the UK.

Funding

UHI has a number of scholarships, bursaries, awards, and discretionary fund opportunities available to new and current students. Please use the A-Z of funds or use the filter to see which ones may be relevant to you. All students are welcome to apply.

Further information on funding your studies is also available, please see the attached link or contact the relevant UHI partner.