Evidence Based Healthcare MSc Fellowships. What they are and how to apply

Evidence Based Healthcare MSc Fellowships What they are and how to apply Simon Hay 22 nd January 2014 Supported by Delivered by

Contents What is the Fellowship programme?... 3 Key dates in the Fellowship application process... 4 Fellowship eligibility criteria... 5 Fellowship application process... 6 How to apply... 7 Fellowship selection criteria... 8 EBHC MSc Course eligibility criteria... 10 EBHC MSc Course application process... 12 Appendix A Indicative Fellowship Programme timeline... 14 Appendix B Fellowship Application Form... 15 Wednesday, January 22, 2014 2 of 21 EBHC MSc brochure v3 220114

What is the Fellowship programme? As part of the Oxford AHSN s Continuous Learning programme an Evidence Based Healthcare MSc (EBHC MSc) Fellows programme has been established, in conjunction with The Centre for Evidence Based Medicine (CEBM), and the Department of Continuing Education, University of Oxford. Through the Fellowship the teachings and learnings gathered will position students to integrate the best available research evidence, with their own expertise and patient values, to make better informed decisions in their field of health care. In this way they will become champions for the improvement of health care in their local environment. The Fellowships 1, funded through Health Education Thames Valley, are open to all doctors, nurses & midwives, allied health professionals, pharmacists and healthcare scientists working in the Oxford AHSN geography (Bedfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire). The funding for the EBHC MSc Course, covering the full three years for the first intake of Fellows, has been secured from Health Education Thames Valley. The programme consists of a taught MSc comprising 6 modules and a dissertation project delivered part time over two years followed by a further year of support during which Fellows continue to implement / deliver their change project. In total there are 6 modules one of which may be chosen by the Fellow from a list of 12. As part of this course one of the modules will contain material, and teaching, in relation to Patient and Public Involvement, Engagement & Experience. This will be delivered by Dr Sian Rees, the Oxford AHSN lead in this area. As can be seen in the draft 3 year time plan, at Appendix A, even though the course is delivered part time there is a significant time commitment required from Fellows, estimated, for the MSc component alone, as: 1,260 hours of study in year 1 200+ hours of study in year 2 During the programme all Fellows will become students of Kellogg College 2, Oxford and as such will have the full support of the resources of both the University of Oxford and the College and also have opportunity to participate in College life. 1 At the time of writing there is funding for 8 Fellows though we are currently negotiating to see if we can increase this number 2 Fellows may opt to become members of another College, however if they do so they will need to make all necessary arrangements / applications to facilitate this themselves prior to enrolment on the MSc Wednesday, January 22, 2014 3 of 21 EBHC MSc brochure v3 220114

As the EBHC MSc is an established course, that has been successfully delivered for many years, Fellows will not only interact with each other but also a larger student body drawn from many clinical disciplines from across the world. Overall the Fellowship Programme lasts for 3 years. In addition to the core teaching of the MSc course (delivered over the first 2 years) all Fellows will have to deliver an evidence based project, within their host organisations during years 2 and 3. This project is the basis for their dissertation a key component of the award of the MSc. In addition to the core MSc course teachings in years 1 and 2 the CEBM will also be offering additional support to Fellows, across the entire 3 years of the programme, including: Additional pastoral management in the form of semi annual objective review and personal growth / development mentoring Targeted support in helping understand / overcome organisational and clinical issues Targeted support in terms of presentation & influencing skills The facilitation of a number of Fellowship meetings The facilitation of / some targeted support in relation to developing implementation plans and in actual implementation All Fellows are required to sign a student contract under which the Oxford AHSN reserves the right to recover any fees paid to the CEBM, up to that point, if that Fellow should not complete the MSc. It should also be noted that applying to become a Fellow is an entirely separate process to applying to become a student on the EBHC MSc, as the processes are independent of each other with the former being controlled by the Oxford AHSN and the later by the University of Oxford. Therefore applicants are reminded that being accepted as a potential Fellow does not automatically mean that they have also been accepted on to the EBHC MSc Course. Key dates in the Fellowship application process Fellowship eligibility criteria, the application, and selection, processes are detailed in the following sections, however, applicants are asked to bear the following key dates in mind: 16 th March 2014 closing date for submission of Fellowship applications 30 th March 2014 date of interview for short listed candidates 9 th May 2014 closing date for submission of MSc Course applications Wednesday, January 22, 2014 4 of 21 EBHC MSc brochure v3 220114

Fellowship eligibility criteria In order to be considered for Fellowship funding applicants must fulfill the following criteria: must be a registered clinician (living, and working as such), within the geographic boundaries of the Oxford Academic Health Science Network (Bedfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire) registered clinicians may be drawn from the following grades of staff: o Medical practitioners o Nurses & Midwives o Allied Health Professionals o Pharmacists o Healthcare Scientists the applicant may be employed by: o NHS o Academia o Life Sciences or Bio Sciences industry o Third Sector (Charities) must have written support from their employer (on headed paper from an Executive Director) giving agreement to: o releasing them for the number of days required to fulfil the MSc and Programme and be actively involved in related Oxford Academic Health Science Network activities o cover all necessary out of pocket expenses, in line with their own expenses policy, to allow the applicant to attend the MSc, Programme and related Oxford Academic Health Science Network events / meetings. The funding from the Oxford Academic Health Science Network only covers University of Oxford Tuition Fees o support the set up, delivery and implementation of a project suitable to meet the requirements of years 2 and 3 of the MSc and Programme that the project will be in line with the aims and objectives of the Oxford Academic Health Science Network. If the proposed project impacts one, or more, of the Oxford Academic Health Science Network supported Clinical Networks then this project must be agreed to by the Clinical Network Lead(s) of those Network(s) Wednesday, January 22, 2014 5 of 21 EBHC MSc brochure v3 220114

Fellowship application process Wednesday, January 22, 2014 6 of 21 EBHC MSc brochure v3 220114

How to apply All applicants must complete a Fellowship Application Form see Appendix B. This should then be submitted, along with all other required supporting information, to the Oxford AHSN either by email or post to the following address: Email: oxford.ahsn@ouh.nhs.uk Post: Oxford AHSN Suite 114 John Eccles House Robert Robinson Avenue Oxford Science Park Oxford OX4 4GA Email subject lines / post packages must be clearly marked as EBHC MSc Fellowship Applications The Oxford AHSN reserves the right to disregard any applications that are either incomplete or that arrive after the closing date has passed. Wednesday, January 22, 2014 7 of 21 EBHC MSc brochure v3 220114

Fellowship selection criteria The following selection criteria will be applied to all applicants for funding, at the discretion of the Oxford Academic Health Science Network: applicants whose planned project meets either or all of the criteria below will be given higher priority than those whose projects do not: o impacts the work of one of the Oxford Academic Health Science Clinical Networks o impacts the work of more than one of the Oxford Academic Health Science Clinical Networks o impacts an area of national priority not already supported by one of the existing Oxford Academic Health Science Network Clinical Networks o supports at least two of the Oxford AHSN core objectives, namely: Focus on the needs of patients and local populations and reduce variation of care Speed up adoption of innovation into practice to improve clinical outcomes and patient experience Build a culture of partnership and collaboration Create wealth through co development, testing, evaluation and early adoption and spread of new products and services The above can be seen in the decision tree overleaf. In addition in order to actually receive the funding all Fellowship applicants must also fulfill the following criterion: must have met the academic acceptance criteria of the Centre for Evidence Based Medicine and been offered a place on the MSc course Wednesday, January 22, 2014 8 of 21 EBHC MSc brochure v3 220114

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EBHC MSc Course eligibility criteria As noted above the EBHC MSc application process, and eligibility criteria, are completely separate to that for Fellowships. As can be seen in the process charts above receipt of Fellowship funding is contingent upon being accepted, by the University of Oxford, on to the EBHC MSc. The high level eligibility criteria for the EBHC MSc are as follows: successful candidates will satisfy the requirements of the OUDCE summary admissions policy as well as the minimum required English language criteria set by the University. be a graduate or have successfully completed a professional training course have at least two years' professional work experience in the health service or a health related field identify a work based problem for which they will be seeking evidence (AHSN Project topic) be able to combine intensive classroom learning with the application of the principles and practices of evidence based health care within the work place have a good working knowledge of email, internet, word processing and Windows applications (for communications with course members, course team and administration) show evidence of the ability to commit time to study and an employer's commitment to make time available to study, complete course work and attend course and university events and modules Successful candidates will normally provide evidence of all of the following: A general interest in evidence based health care, evidenced by prior experience, interest and work Motivation and ability to complete the course A clear and well argued understanding of the benefits of the course to the success of OAHSN English is the language of instruction and students whose native tongue is not English must be sufficiently fluent in English to enable them to work without disadvantage. If your first language is not English, or if your first language is English but you are not a national of the UK, Ireland or a majority English speaking country recognised by the UKBA, you must supply suitable evidence that you have reached the higher level of English proficiency before any offer of a place can be confirmed. Further details can be found on the University of Oxford website. Wednesday, January 22, 2014 10 of 21 EBHC MSc brochure v3 220114

Full details of the student specification and eligibility criteria for the EBHC MSc can be found at: http://www.conted.ox.ac.uk/courses/detailspopup.php?details=selectioncriteria&id=48 Wednesday, January 22, 2014 11 of 21 EBHC MSc brochure v3 220114

EBHC MSc Course application process Applications to the programme require the completion of an application form, payment of a small non refundable fee 34, statements of support from three referees (OAHSN Clinical lead, Workplace line manager, previous line manager/tutor) together with evidence of support from the OAHSN, and an interview, conducted face to face or by telephone with at least two members of the teaching team and representation from the OAHSN executive board. The application form includes requests for information about: relevant prior or current work experience a statement of current role and duties in their organization details of any prior higher education career names of referees willing to offer an opinion on the suitability of the candidate for entry to the course evidence of employer commitment in the form of a signed statement, from a named individual within the company, of willingness to release the employee for attendance at the programme a statement by the student of their objectives in attending the course and their reasons for seeking to register References are to be secured before discussion with the applicant takes place. A telephone or face to face interview may be arranged, at the discretion of the University, for all of those who appear to fulfill the basic requirements for entry to the course. Applications may be rejected without further direct contact with the applicant, although candidates whose applications are deemed insufficient for entry to the course may, on request, receive feedback upon their application. The purpose of the interview, if one is deemed necessary, is to: establish the applicant s level of interest, motivation and potential to benefit from the course of study clarify any uncertainties about compliance with requirements ensure that candidates are fully informed of the standard of achievement and level of commitment required by the course of study A successful candidate will normally provide evidence of all of the following: a demonstrated interest in evidence based health care motivation and ability to complete the course 3 At the time of writing this fee is 50, though this is subject to change at the discretion of the University of Oxford 4 This fee is payable by the applicant and will not be reimbursed by the Oxford AHSN Wednesday, January 22, 2014 12 of 21 EBHC MSc brochure v3 220114

a clear and well argued understanding of the benefits of the course to the candidate s current employment situation and future prospects prior academic achievement a health related discipline at undergraduate or Master s level, or successful completion of a professional training course or at least two years professional work experience in the health service or a health related field applicants will be expected to demonstrate an approach to their study which includes demonstrable skills of critical analysis, wide contextual knowledge and the ability to manage their own time. Formal evidence of prior academic achievement is required. Applicants are asked to bear the following key dates in mind: 9 th May 2014 closing date for submission of MSc Course applications Mid July 2014 confirmation of whether or not an applicant has been accepted on to the EBHC MSc from the University of Oxford 1 st October 2014 release of Fellowship funding 1 st October 2014 enrolment on the EBHC MSc Full details of the application process for the EBHC MSc can be found at: http://www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/postgraduate_courses/apply/application_guide/ Wednesday, January 22, 2014 13 of 21 EBHC MSc brochure v3 220114

Appendix A Indicative Fellowship Programme timeline 5 Year 1 Oct 14 Nov 14 Dec 14 Jan 15 Feb 15 Mar 15 Apr 15 May 15 Jun 15 Jul 15 Aug 15 Sep 15 1260 hours of study AHSN Fellow intro M1 The Practice of Evidence Based Health Care Evidence Based Diagnostics & Screening Optional Module Knowledge into Action Mixed Methods in Health Research End of modules review meeting AHSN Dissertation title Seminar M2 Introduction to Study Design and Research Methods Monitoring & Evaluation 6 month update meeting Evidence Live 2015 Workplace Seminar Monitoring & Evaluation 12 month update meeting Year 2 Oct 15 Nov 15 Dec 15 Jan 16 Feb 16 Mar 16 Apr 16 May 16 Jun 16 Jul 16 Aug 16 Sep 16 200 hours of individual study Supervisor meeting Dissertation guidance DPCHS seminar Supervisor meeting Dissertation guidance Conference attendance Supervisor meeting Dissertation guidance AHSN seminar Intro to implementation plan Workplace seminar Intro to implementation plan Supervisor meeting Dissertation guidance Fellow meeting Fellow meeting Monitoring & Evaluation 18 month update meeting Monitoring & Evaluation 24 month update meeting Year 3 Oct 16 Nov 16 Dec 16 Jan 17 Feb 17 Mar 17 Apr 17 May 17 Jun 17 Jul 17 Aug 17 Sep 17 Implementation planning workshop Supported work place internal strategic planning meeting Implementation planning workshop Fellows meeting brainstorming and review of individual plans Work place internal strategic planning meetings Monitoring & Evaluation 36 month update meeting Implementation planning workshop Work place internal strategic planning meetings Supported workplace implemetation seminar AHSN implemetation seminar Final report including longterm strategy/change implementation Monitoring & Evaluation closure meeting 5 At the time of writing we believe this to be accurate however it should be noted that the above is indicative only and may be subject to change especially in relation to the contents of year 3 Wednesday, January 22, 2014 14 of 21 EBHC MSc brochure v3 220114

Appendix B Fellowship Application Form SECTION A Applicant Details Applicant details Title: Surname: Forename: Job Title: Work Address: Email: Tel: Experience in designing and using research: Ability to lead and influence change: Wednesday, January 22, 2014 15 of 21 EBHC MSc brochure v3 220114

Experience in clinical area: Applicant employer organization details Trust: Organisation: Address: Web address: Tel: Details of applicant workplace line manager / supervisor Title: Surname: Forename: Organisation: Work Address: Email: Wednesday, January 22, 2014 16 of 21 EBHC MSc brochure v3 220114

Tel: I can confirm that I have the support of my line manager and able to commit to the programme Yes No A full written letter of support on official headed paper has been provided by an Executive Director Yes letter included No SECTION B Project Details Project title: Project short name: Oxford AHSN Clinical Network the project will be a part of (if relevant): Does this project add to any existing research within the Oxford AHSN Wednesday, January 22, 2014 17 of 21 EBHC MSc brochure v3 220114

SECTION C Local Project Details & Justification Background information / justification why is this project needed Remit: Background: PPI involvement: Relevance: Summary: References: Wednesday, January 22, 2014 18 of 21 EBHC MSc brochure v3 220114

Study goals and objectives Study Design/Methods Wednesday, January 22, 2014 19 of 21 EBHC MSc brochure v3 220114

SECTION D Nominated Referees Please provide at least 3 names. One must be your current employer supporting your application and ability to commit time to study. Surname: Title: Forenames: Post Held: Organisation: Email: Tel: Surname: Title. Forenames: Post Held: Organisation: Email: Tel: Wednesday, January 22, 2014 20 of 21 EBHC MSc brochure v3 220114

Surname: Title: Forename: Post Held: Organisation: Email: Tel: Wednesday, January 22, 2014 21 of 21 EBHC MSc brochure v3 220114