Curriculum Development

Postgraduate Diploma in Health Systems Management

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Postgraduate diploma in health systems management

(PDHSM) curriculum was designed and developed to equip medical doctors

with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes required to manage health systems

and resources for quality patient care and safety.

OBJECTIVES: Describe processes and steps to design and develop a

new curriculum using the development of PDHSM as a guide by identifying

learning needs; using the six-step approach to curriculum development;

incorporating quality assurance and quality enhancement frameworks;

and identifying evaluation methods.

METHODOLOGY: Four (4) subject content experts in health policy,

planning, and management and experienced public health physicians at

the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria deliberated,

determined, and compiled learning needs that were incorporated into

the design and development of the new curriculum for PDHSM. The

learning needs, informal data on key learning issues in health system

management and specific challenges in the context and operational

environment were analyzed. Triangulation of information from these

different perspectives and opinions was aligned with medical doctors’

educational needs to acquire competency in managing health systems.

The derived instructional needs, assessment methods, and resources were

incorporated into the design, development, and evaluation of the PDHSM

curriculum. The outline of the curriculum was developed using the

curriculum matrix table.

RESULTS: The contents of the developed curriculum in PDHSM includes

the purpose, organization of the programme, educational experience,

and evaluation of the curriculum. The curriculum was structured into

modules. Each module has intended learning outcomes (ILOs) of major

subject areas of HSM and teaching and learning activities that outline

methods of instruction and assessments. The Indicative contents of

each module are topics of each subject area of the PDHSM. The assessment

formats in the curriculum included both formative and summative

assessment methods and types. The resources required for instructional

and assessment activities were identified. The evaluation methods of

the curriculum will be through reviews of assessment results and

performance evaluation of students, tutors, and the PDHSM programme.

CONCLUSION: The educational needs of medical doctors to function

as managers in the health systems determine the development of intended

learning outcomes, teaching and learning activities, indicative contents,

resources required, and evaluation of the PDHSM curriculum. Quality

assurance and quality enhancement should be part of curriculum design

and development. WAJM 2023; 40(9): 887–901.

Keywords: Curriculum, Design, Development, Evaluation, Quality

assurance.