SAQA

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SOUTH AFRICAN QUALIFICATIONS AUTHORITY

REGISTERED QUALIFICATION:

Advanced Diploma in Health Management

SAQA QUAL ID	QUALIFICATION TITLE
101453	Advanced Diploma in Health Management
ORIGINATOR
Central University of Technology, Free State
PRIMARY OR DELEGATED QUALITY ASSURANCE FUNCTIONARY			NQF SUB-FRAMEWORK
CHE - Council on Higher Education			HEQSF - Higher Education Qualifications Sub-framework
QUALIFICATION TYPE	FIELD		SUBFIELD
Advanced Diploma	Field 09 - Health Sciences and Social Services		Preventive Health
ABET BAND	MINIMUM CREDITS	PRE-2009 NQF LEVEL	NQF LEVEL	QUAL CLASS
Undefined	120	Not Applicable	NQF Level 07	Regular-Provider-ELOAC
REGISTRATION STATUS		SAQA DECISION NUMBER	REGISTRATION START DATE	REGISTRATION END DATE
Reregistered		EXCO 0821/24	2021-07-01	2027-06-30
LAST DATE FOR ENROLMENT		LAST DATE FOR ACHIEVEMENT
2028-06-30		2031-06-30

In all of the tables in this document, both the pre-2009 NQF Level and the NQF Level is shown. In the text (purpose statements, qualification rules, etc), any references to NQF Levels are to the pre-2009 levels unless specifically stated otherwise.

This qualification does not replace any other qualification and is not replaced by any other qualification.

PURPOSE AND RATIONALE OF THE QUALIFICATION

Purpose:
The purpose of this qualification is to provide health practitioners in possession of health professional diplomas with an opportunity to, in addition, obtain health management training. This qualification aims to develop a competent manager with knowledge and skills to develop, plan and manage health care operations and services effectively and appropriately, within health care facilities and across the metro, provincial or private sector.

This qualification will equip the health care manager to competently integrate theory, principles, techniques, systems, practical experience and appropriate skills to finding solutions to well-defined and abstract problems in the selected field of Health Management.

Rationale:
The Public Health institutions in South Africa are struggling to deliver on a number of delivery issues. Some of these crises are the following:

The unprecedented growth in population size over the last two decades.

The efficient recruitment, training and performance management of health workers towards compliance with criteria that reflect best practices in the primary and secondary provision of health care.

The pressure on health systems created by HIV/AIDS.

These crises can be addressed at various levels. The institution has chosen to contribute by training health care practitioners. By doing so, learners will be empowered to function optimally in all complexities of the health environment. Also, this qualification will be the first one in health management registered from the outset as an Advanced Diploma.

This qualification will use a more encompassing approach to the managerial context within which technical health care procedures are operating.

The purpose of this qualification is aimed at providing solutions for the health management crises mentioned above, by:

Contributing to the more effective management of all health and medical delivery units in the feeder area of the CUT and beyond.

Making a contribution to the expressed need by the population and governmental organisations for an improved public health service.

Academically equipping a stream of suitable learners with an appropriate mix of relevant subjects in order to obtain employment or add value to current employment as a health unit manager at either public or private institutions providing any form of health support.

LEARNING ASSUMED TO BE IN PLACE AND RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL):
Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) will be executed according to Institutions policy.

A functional system for RPL is in place at the Institution. RPL applications for the institution are received by the Centre for Assessments and Graduations. The candidates are required to complete a RPL application document. Accompanying the RPL application must be certified copies of all previous qualifications and a comprehensive portfolio of evidence, reflecting their extensive work experience. Once the institution's RPL coordinator has deemed the RPL application as being complete, the portfolio will be sent to the Faculty of Health and Environmental Sciences for assessment. The faculty's RPL committee will assess the candidate's portfolio thoroughly against the relevant learning outcomes.

Entry Requirements:

An appropriate Diploma at Level 6.
Or

Bachelor's Degree at Level 7 with at least 360 credits from any relevant health-related profession, including health sciences, nursing and allied health.

RECOGNISE PREVIOUS LEARNING?

QUALIFICATION RULES

This qualification comprises compulsory modules at Level 7, totalling 120 Credits.

Management Sciences, 30 Credits.

Health Services Administration and Delivery, 30 Credits.

Legislation, Policy and Ethics, 30 Credits.

Social and Health Context, 15 Credits.

Research Methodology, 15 Credits.

EXIT LEVEL OUTCOMES

Exit Level Outcomes:

Evaluate, articulate and reflect on contemporary theories and practices of management and organisational structures and strategies and the application thereof in various health contexts, leadership and administration.

Demonstrate an effective understanding of leadership skills to manage contemporary health care organsations.

Design, implement and evaluate comprehensive and participatory health care qualifications to address contemporary needs.

Apply diverse knowledge to develop arguments and make sound judgments in accordance with the basic theories and concepts associated with the health service demand and delivery systems in private and public sectors.

Develop, plan, manage and monitor health care operations and services within health care facilities and across the health care systems by adhering to sustainability principles.

Display research skills in solving work-related matters and ethical dilemmas.

ASSOCIATED ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

The Associated Assessment Criteria are applied in an integrated way to the Exit Level Outcomes:

Integrate knowledge and understanding of the key principles and practices of business, financial and human resource management across the health care sectors and the way in which those principles have developed.

Evaluate, articulate and reflect on contemporary theories and practices of management and organisational structures and strategies and the application thereof in various health contexts.

Develop, plan, manage and monitor health care operations and services within health care facilities and across the health care systems.

Demonstrate an effective understanding of leadership skills to manage contemporary health care organisations.

Design, implement and evaluate comprehensive and participatory health care qualifications to address contemporary needs.

Display and awareness of the moral, legal, cultural and ethical responsibilities related to the patient and the health management environment.

Integrated Assessment:
The qualification follows an integrative approach to assessment where it is envisaged that a variety of assessment methods and opportunities exist to cater for learners' different learning styles. In addition, the integration of themes from the different modules is encouraged. Assessment methods are designed to suit the outcomes being assessed and formative assessment allows for the collection of evidence to be integrated with the learning process.

Formative and Summative Assessment:
Formative and continuous assessment for theory and practical will take place during the year. Summative assessments are conducted for theory at the end of term 2 and 4 and practical at the end of term 4.

Assessors are required to adhere to and maintain strict security guidelines during the compilation of assessment question papers and memoranda. This qualification will adopt a peer review system for formative and summative assessment. The lecturer responsible for the module will compile the assessment paper and randomly select a colleague in the qualification to check the papers for spelling, language and cognitive levels. This process ensures that papers are set at the appropriate cognitive levels, and that the papers are only printed once quality checks have been done.

Each staff member keeps an electronic record of the formative assessment results and maintains a module file where the assessment results are available. At given deadlines, the records of the learners' assessment results will be given to the Dean's office via the Senior Administrative Assistant for capturing on the ITS system. The records of learner progress will be placed on the notice board using learner numbers for identification.

INTERNATIONAL COMPARABILITY

The primary objective of designing the qualification in Health Management was to meet the needs of the Free State and South African (SA) community as identified by the National Department of Health. The South Africa needs in health care are unique and not specifically compatible with international needs, demand or international standards.

It is relevant to note that this kind of qualification is fairly common, however in most cases the qualification is a Master's Degree qualification, a certificate qualification or a flexible qualification for continuous professional development that does not carry credits. Also entry requirements for studying at a university in the Unites States, Australia or England are different compared to South Africa. In addition, the practicality of studying at a university in another country may be questioned.

In the section below qualifications for universities in the US, Australia, and India are used for the comparison.

United States:
The University of Vermont (UVM) presents a Certificate of Graduate Study in Healthcare Management and Policy (18 Credits). The certificate qualification introduces students to a range of policy, finance and management issues impacting healthcare and public health in the current changing and challenging health environment. It also provides students with a foundation in public health and healthcare policy, finance and leadership applicable to the current public health and healthcare marketplace.

The outcomes are:

Identify the main components and issues of the organization, financing and delivery of health services and public health systems in the U.S.

Understand the legal and ethical basis for public health and healthcare services.

Apply the principles of program planning, development, budgeting, management and evaluation.

Discuss the policy process for improving the health status of populations.

Use systems thinking and apply quality and performance improvement concepts to address organisation issues.

Prepare for further graduate study or research in healthcare, public health, and related fields.

The Health Care Management Department at Wharton University of Pennsylvania offers the Health Care Management and Policy 'concentration' to undergraduate students who wish to learn about health care markets and factors that significantly influence decision making both at the policy level and at the level of the organization. The concentration in health care management and policy focuses on the management, financing, and economics of the health care sector. Students learn about health care markets and factors that significantly influence decision making both at the policy level and at the level of the firm or organization. The health care sector includes government agencies, non-profit institutions, major private corporations, medical practices and partnerships, and many small and early-stage health care service and product firms. The concentration prepares students for careers as managers in health care companies or health care service firms such as consulting, banking or health care IT companies, or in government agencies. Students planning careers in the health professions such as medicine, nursing, or dentistry have found the concentration very useful in understanding the context in which they will be working.

Comparison with the Wharton University of Pennsylvania qualification:
The content and delivery of the qualification compares well with the Advanced Diploma in Health Management. The differences are the larger selection of modules, more flexibility in module selection as well as the healthcare context and policy in the US. In addition, this qualification is designed for undergraduate students and students can also use the modules to access a Master's Degree qualification.

De Vry University Keller Graduate School of Management in New York, USA present MBA qualifications in Health Services Systems and Health Management and Clinical Administration respectively. The MBA in Health Services provides the opportunity to develop fundamental understanding of the healthcare system. The courses focus on legal and ethical issues in healthcare from a managerial perspective; unique features of healthcare finance; the relationship between healthcare economics and public policy; development of managed care approaches; and insurance and risk management-related concerns. Trends and issues impacting the evolution of health insurance and managed care are also addressed.

Comparison with the De Vry University Keller Graduate School of Management qualification:
The focus of the qualification at De Vry University Keller Graduate School of Management may be similar to the intended advanced diploma in Health Management. The difference is that this qualification is presented at MBA level as well as the healthcare context and policy in the US.

Australia:
Monash University presents a postgraduate diploma in Management specialising in HIV/AIDS and Health. This is a 120-Credit qualification. The focus is to manage clinical health care systems by attention to human resource, financial, information, medico-legal, political, cultural, economic, ethical, industrial, technological and psychosocial issues.

Upon successful completion of this course it is expected that students will be able to:

Demonstrate a detailed understanding of principles of financial, resource and information management in clinical health care systems.

Demonstrate a detailed understanding of medico-legal issues in clinical health services management.

Demonstrate a detailed understanding of basic elements of health care systems.

Demonstrate a detailed understanding of health care quality assurance and quality improvement.

Demonstrate a detailed understanding of factors which influence the design and implementation of health programs.

Demonstrate a detailed understanding of epidemiological and statistical skills necessary for the understanding of evidenced based medicine, quality improvement and health program evaluations.

Be familiar with research initiatives in clinical health policy and clinical health policy and clinical health services planning.

Demonstrate skills in working in a team and team leadership.

Demonstrate skills in literature review, report writing, oral presentations, verbal and visual communications and the basic use of computers.

Demonstrate skills in analysis of the economic, political, cultural, ethical, industrial, technological and psycho-social determinants of clinical health care systems and their relationship to health policy initiatives.

Comparison with the Monash university qualification:
The level, content, outcomes and courses in the qualification compares well with the Advanced Diploma in Health Management. The differences are the larger selection of modules, more flexibility in module selection as well as the healthcare context and policy in Australia.

India:
In India the Max Institute of Healthcare Management presents the Healthcare Management qualification (HMP). The qualification was developed after a wide spread consultation with the healthcare delivery industry to ensure its relevance to the needs of the industry. HMP is designed as a one-year modular qualification for mid-career clinicians and administrators who want to understand the management of healthcare delivery institutions. It is a 12-month part-time qualification delivered through a blended learning format that minimises disruption at work and personal pursuits. Managers need to be equipped with the necessary skills and competencies relating to multiple disciplines such as strategic thinking, finance, economics, law, data analytics, and quality.

The outcomes of the qualification are:

Envisioning the future and developing strategic plans.

Understanding multiple disciplines and their linkages.

Understanding outcomes at different levels - financial, process and patient.

Handling multidisciplinary teams.

Coordinating effectively and securing outcomes.

Dealing with uncertainty and risks.

Communicating, advocating, marketing and negotiating effectively.

Garnering resources to achieve optimal outcomes in tight scenario.

Comparison with the Max Institute of Healthcare Management qualification:
The level, content, outcomes and courses in the qualification compares well with the intended advanced diploma in Health Management. The differences are the larger selection of modules, as well as the healthcare context and policy in India.

A search for similar qualifications in Africa did not yield results other that what is available at the universities in South Africa.

ARTICULATION OPTIONS

The qualification offers systemic articulation with the following qualifications offered by other institutions, provided the learner meets the minimum entry requirements:

Horizontal Articulation:

Advanced Diploma: Health Services Management and Leadership at Level 7.

Vertical Articulation:

Postgraduate Diploma in Health Management at Level 8.

MODERATION OPTIONS

N/A

CRITERIA FOR THE REGISTRATION OF ASSESSORS

N/A

NOTES

N/A

LEARNING PROGRAMMES RECORDED AGAINST THIS QUALIFICATION:

NONE

PROVIDERS CURRENTLY ACCREDITED TO OFFER THIS QUALIFICATION:

This information shows the current accreditations (i.e. those not past their accreditation end dates), and is the most complete record available to SAQA as of today. Some Primary or Delegated Quality Assurance Functionaries have a lag in their recording systems for provider accreditation, in turn leading to a lag in notifying SAQA of all the providers that they have accredited to offer qualifications and unit standards, as well as any extensions to accreditation end dates. The relevant Primary or Delegated Quality Assurance Functionary should be notified if a record appears to be missing from here.

1.	Central University of Technology, Free State