Clinical Coding—Virtual Work Integrated Learning

Clinical Coding-01.png

Abstract/Snapshot:

The School of Vocational Health and Science have recently begun delivering an Associate Degree in Health Science. In the second year of this two year program, students have a choice to specialize in Health Promotion or Clinical Coding. Clinical Coding is a relatively new job role in the health sector and there is an increasing demand for graduates to fill such roles. Clinical Coders translate medical diagnoses and procedures into codes which capture healthcare data and influence funding allocation to service providers. Consultation with the Department of Health, Workforce Development Unit provides evidence that there is currently a severe workforce shortage of clinical coders and it is anticipated that there will be a growing demand for graduates with these skills in the future. Concerns have
also been expressed that graduates are not “work-ready” when they graduate and require further training in the workplace. Clinical placements which traditionally provide students with “on the job” skills and enable them to become “work-ready” are severely limited and highly contested with other education providers.

To address this issue and ensure the School produces “workready” graduates we have decided to act on advice from our industry partners and design a technology enhanced, simulated workplace environment which will enable students to engage in authentic workplace coding activities and be taught and assessed by industry experts.

Learning Context

This pattern is applicable to a broad range of learners and contexts. It is specifically applicable to contexts where work placements are limited or highly contested and where the relevant knowledge, skills and dispositions can be demonstrated in a technologically enhanced, simulated work environment.

The environment can be utilised by students across a range of disciplines levels and courses.

Rationale

This pattern will provide an synopsis of factors that need to be considered in developing a virtual work integrated, learning experience for students. A well designed environment will ensure that the learning experience is as close to the real work activity as possible and will engage students with industry experts for learning and assessment activities.

Learning Design

This pattern aligns the relevant course learning outcomes, industry expectations of graduates, and student expectations to develop real world skills to enable them to gain employment.

Conditions/Critical Success Factors

The team included Deputy Head of School (L&T), Deputy Head of School (Industry) Program Manager, Health Information Management Educator, WIL expert, Librarian, Project Manager and Learning Designer from the ODLT. This group met on a weekly basis and all meetings were written up as action sheets and progress against activities updated at subsequent meetings.

Resources/Technology

What is a work-ready graduate? Interview with Industry Expert Presentation on Project

Case Studies/Implementation

Agile and Lean project management methodologies were utilised in the planning and development of this project.
This methodology means giving up “control” and reliance on “prescribed models” in favour of a collaborative, inquiry based exploration of what works well for the collective good of students, industry, clients and educational providers.

The focus is essentially on people, communications, the product, and flexibility.
Such methodology espouses the values of:

Individuals and interactions over processes and tools
Working models over comprehensive documentation
Customer collaboration over contract negotiation
Responding to change over following a plan.

This methodology worked well for this project as there was no clear vision of what a virtual work integrated learning environment would look and feel like. The team were fortunate to be working with a new qualification and course so there was a blank canvas for learning design.

Initially it was anticipated that this virtual workplace needed to be operating by Sem 2, 2014, however due to a number of factors including student attrition it will now not be required until Sem 1, 2015.

At the first planning meeting four components were identified that required simultaneous planning and design and these were the focus of subsequent meetings.

Course

Online learning

Virtual worlds

Building graduate attributes

Graduate employability

online work integrated learning.pdf

Search form

Design Pattern