Clarification details
Updated December 2017. This document has been updated to address issues that have arisen from moderation.
Health practices, criticality and evidence
Health practices will be evaluated in relation to a selected health circumstance, situation or condition. The health circumstance can be existing or one which could be prevented. The health practices need to be currently used in New Zealand. Three health practices must be evaluated, with at least one from Western Scientific Medicine (WSM) and one from Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) or Traditional Medicine (TM).
At all levels, a critical perspective is needed. This means that students might: identify and challenge taken-for-granted assumptions about the practices, explore who is advantaged and disadvantaged by aspects of their use, focus on the ‘key’ aspects to the health practices, and/or make explicit links to the underlying concepts of the learning area.
The evaluation needs to be evidence-based. Supporting evidence may be sourced from, for example, interviews with health practitioners or people who have used a health practice, the internet (EPIC databases, websites). Referencing is not assessed, however it is important for the assessor to be able to distinguish between a student’s own ideas and where evidence has been used to support the evaluation.
Evaluate health practices
Students will explain the underpinning philosophy of each practice (in relation to WSM, CAM or TM) and the procedures used in applying each practice to the identified health circumstance. Procedures may involve, for example, diagnosis and a treatment plan - details of the treatment, duration and frequency of treatment.
Students will explain the advantages and disadvantages of each practice in relation to well-being. For example, this could involve an explanation of side effects, effectiveness, benefits/risks to well-being (short-term and long-term), costs, availability, interpersonal and/or societal considerations.
Evaluate, in depth, health practices
Students will compare the advantages and disadvantages of the selected practices and draw conclusions supported by reasoned arguments. This means that it needs to be clearly explained which health practice(s) are more suitable for the health circumstance (based on weighing up the advantages and disadvantages).
Analyse, perceptively, health practices
Students will make thoughtful connections to the underlying concepts and draw justified conclusions. A clear, evidence-based and coherent evaluation needs to be provided which considers the key/crucial aspects of the health practices when applied to the selected health circumstance.