HLST273 / HLST280: Leadership, Evidence-Based Practice, and Service Improvement

Assessment Brief – 2025 Academic Year

This assignment evaluates your understanding of leadership in healthcare, evidence-based decision-making, and the design of improvement projects in public health or long-term condition management. You are expected to demonstrate critical thinking, integration of theory and practice, and awareness of interdisciplinary collaboration.

Assessment 1: Service Improvement Proposal (2,500 words)

Task

Develop a proposal for a small-scale service improvement project within a healthcare or community setting. The project should target an issue related to long-term condition management, patient safety, or population health.

Requirements

1. Identify a problem area supported by current evidence and local/national data.
2. Critically analyze leadership approaches that could support change implementation.
3. Apply an evidence-based model (e.g., PDSA, Kotter’s 8-Step, or Lewin’s Change Theory).
4. Discuss stakeholder engagement, barriers, and facilitators to change.
5. Integrate ethical and patient-centered considerations.
6. Conclude with expected outcomes and evaluation measures.

Assessment Criteria

• Depth of evidence-based analysis (30%)
• Leadership and change management application (25%)
• Critical reasoning and structure (20%)
• Relevance, clarity, and academic style (15%)
• Referencing and synthesis (10%)

Submission Format

• Word count: 2,500 (±10%)
• APA or Harvard referencing
• Submit via institutional VLE (Turnitin)

Learning Outcomes

1. Evaluate leadership theories relevant to service improvement.
2. Apply evidence-based frameworks in healthcare practice.
3. Critically appraise current literature on public health and long-term condition care.
4. Demonstrate reflective insight on professional development and interprofessional teamwork.

This brief mirrors UK university assessment frameworks for nursing and public health modules emphasizing leadership, research-informed care, and continuous improvement. It reflects 2025 curriculum trends integrating service transformation with evidence-based clinical leadership.

Write a 2,500-word service improvement proposal focusing on leadership, evidence-based practice, and public health or long-term conditions. Analyze change models, stakeholder roles, and ethical considerations while applying current research.

References / Learning Materials

1. West, M. A., & Chowla, R. (2020). Compassionate leadership for compassionate health care. BMJ Leader, 4(3), 102–107. https://doi.org/10.1136/leader-2019-000144
2. Rycroft-Malone, J., et al. (2021). Using implementation science to improve care: A systematic review. Implementation Science Communications, 2(1), 72. https://doi.org/10.1186/s43058-021-00164-4
3. Willis, E., Henderson, J., & Toffoli, L. (2023). Leadership and change in nursing practice. Journal of Nursing Management, 31(1), 45–58. https://doi.org/10.1111/jonm.13785
4. Greenhalgh, T., & Papoutsi, C. (2019). Spreading and scaling up innovation and improvement. BMJ, 365, l2068. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.l2068
5. O’Hara, J. K., et al. (2024). Embedding patient voices in healthcare improvement. Health Expectations, 27(2), 395–409. https://doi.org/10.1111/hex.13712