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Medical Negligence

General Information

Medical negligence is a postgraduate elective subject offered by the Faculty of Law. The course will examine the law of negligence, focusing on its relevance to the practice of medicine specifically and the provision of healthcare generally. Students will also consider in depth the role of medical indemnity insurance in driving the Civil Liability reforms of the early 2000’s and consider the role of class actions related to pharmaceutical and medical device failure.

  • Academic unit: Faculty of Law
    Subject code: LAWS77-815
    Subject title: Medical Negligence
    Subject level: Postgraduate
    Semester/Year: January 2023
    Credit points: 10.000
  • Timetable: https://bond.edu.au/timetable
    Delivery mode: Mixed (Face-to-Face)
    Workload items:
    Attendance and learning activities: The course is delivered using a combination of (1) face-to-face classes delivered as a two-day intensive workshop; and (2) six online modules.| Attendance at the on-campus seminars is mandatory. | The online modules provide the theoretical and doctrinal foundations for the course, while the workshop focuses upon practical application and discussion.
  • Prescribed resources:

    No Prescribed resources.

    After enrolment, students can check the Books and Tools area in iLearn for the full Resource List.
    iLearn@Bond & Email: iLearn@Bond is the online learning environment at Bond University and is used to provide access to subject materials, lecture recordings and detailed subject information regarding the subject curriculum, assessment and timing. Both iLearn and the Student Email facility are used to provide important subject notifications. Additionally, official correspondence from the University will be forwarded to students’ Bond email account and must be monitored by the student.

    To access these services, log on to the Student Portal from the Bond University website as www.bond.edu.au

    Class recordings:

    The primary workload items for this subject will be recorded for the purpose of revision.

    These recordings are not a substitute for attending classes. Students are encouraged to attend all sessions as there may be instances where a session is not recorded due to the presence of a guest speaker, the inclusion of sensitive or protected content, or technical issues. Students are advised not to rely solely on these recordings for revision.

    See the Recording policy for further details.

Academic unit: Faculty of Law
Subject code: LAWS77-815
Subject title: Medical Negligence
Subject level: Postgraduate
Semester/Year: January 2023
Credit points: 10.000

Enrolment requirements

Requisites:

Nil

Assumed knowledge:

Assumed knowledge is the minimum level of knowledge of a subject area that students are assumed to have acquired through previous study. It is the responsibility of students to ensure they meet the assumed knowledge expectations of the subject. Students who do not possess this prior knowledge are strongly recommended against enrolling and do so at their own risk. No concessions will be made for students’ lack of prior knowledge.

Enrolled Learners will need to have a completed Bachelor Medicine Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) or equivalent and be a member of the Australian College of Legal Medicine (ACLIM).

Restrictions:

Faculty approval required: only available to Medical practitioners who are members of the Australian College of Legal Medicine (ACLM).

Assurance of learning

Assurance of Learning means that universities take responsibility for creating, monitoring and updating curriculum, teaching and assessment so that students graduate with the knowledge, skills and attributes they need for employability and/or further study.

At Bond University, we carefully develop subject and program outcomes to ensure that student learning in each subject contributes to the whole student experience. Students are encouraged to carefully read and consider subject and program outcomes as combined elements.

Program Learning Outcomes (PLOs)

Program Learning Outcomes provide a broad and measurable set of standards that incorporate a range of knowledge and skills that will be achieved on completion of the program. If you are undertaking this subject as part of a degree program, you should refer to the relevant degree program outcomes and graduate attributes as they relate to this subject.

Find your program

Subject Learning Outcomes (SLOs)

On successful completion of this subject the learner will be able to:

  1. Deconstruct an emerging negligence dispute, and apply abstract legal principles to predict its resolution
  2. Critically evaluate the law of negligence in the context of a systems-based model of healthcare delivery, and its broader social, ethical and economic context
  3. Devise innovative suggestions for reform of, and education about, medical negligence law.

Generative Artificial Intelligence in Assessment

The University acknowledges that Generative Artificial Intelligence (Gen-AI) tools are an important facet of contemporary life. Their use in assessment is considered in line with students’ development of the skills and knowledge which demonstrate learning outcomes and underpin study and career success. Instructions on the use of Gen-AI are given for each assessment task; it is your responsibility to adhere to these instructions.

  • Type Task % Timing* Outcomes assessed
    Computer-aided Test (Open) Completion of online exercises (6 x 5%) 30.00% Ongoing 2
    Assignment Legal problem-solving assignment 50.00% In Consultation 1
    Student Engagement Workshop participation 20.00% To Be Negotiated 3
    • * Assessment timing is indicative of the week that the assessment is due or begins (where conducted over multiple weeks), and is based on the standard University academic calendar
    • C = Students must reach a level of competency to successfully complete this assessment.
  • Assessment criteria

    High Distinction 85-100 Outstanding or exemplary performance in the following areas: interpretative ability; intellectual initiative in response to questions; mastery of the skills required by the subject, general levels of knowledge and analytic ability or clear thinking.
    Distinction 75-84 Usually awarded to students whose performance goes well beyond the minimum requirements set for tasks required in assessment, and who perform well in most of the above areas.
    Credit 65-74 Usually awarded to students whose performance is considered to go beyond the minimum requirements for work set for assessment. Assessable work is typically characterised by a strong performance in some of the capacities listed above.
    Pass 50-64 Usually awarded to students whose performance meets the requirements set for work provided for assessment.
    Fail 0-49 Usually awarded to students whose performance is not considered to meet the minimum requirements set for particular tasks. The fail grade may be a result of insufficient preparation, of inattention to assignment guidelines or lack of academic ability. A frequent cause of failure is lack of attention to subject or assignment guidelines.

    Quality assurance

    For the purposes of quality assurance, Bond University conducts an evaluation process to measure and document student assessment as evidence of the extent to which program and subject learning outcomes are achieved. Some examples of student work will be retained for potential research and quality auditing purposes only. Any student work used will be treated confidentially and no student grades will be affected.

Type Task % Timing* Outcomes assessed
Computer-aided Test (Open) Completion of online exercises (6 x 5%) 30.00% Ongoing 2
Assignment Legal problem-solving assignment 50.00% In Consultation 1
Student Engagement Workshop participation 20.00% To Be Negotiated 3
  • * Assessment timing is indicative of the week that the assessment is due or begins (where conducted over multiple weeks), and is based on the standard University academic calendar
  • C = Students must reach a level of competency to successfully complete this assessment.

Study Information

Submission procedures

Students must check the iLearn@Bond subject site for detailed assessment information and submission procedures.

Policy on late submission and extensions

A late penalty will be applied to all overdue assessment tasks unless an extension is granted by the subject coordinator. The standard penalty will be 10% of marks awarded to that assessment per day late with no assessment to be accepted seven days after the due date. Where a learner is granted an extension, the penalty of 10% per day late starts from the new due date.

Academic Integrity

The University’s Academic Integrity Policy defines plagiarism as the act of misrepresenting as one’s own original work: another’s ideas, interpretations, words, or creative works; and/or one’s own previous ideas, interpretations, words, or creative work without acknowledging that it was used previously (i.e., self-plagiarism). The University considers the act of plagiarising to be a breach of the Student Conduct Code and, therefore, subject to the Discipline Regulations which provide for a range of penalties including the reduction of marks or grades, fines and suspension from the University.

Bond University utilises Originality Reporting software to inform academic integrity.

Feedback on assessment

Feedback on assessment will be provided to students within two weeks of the assessment submission due date, as per the Assessment Policy.

Accessibility and Inclusion Support

If you have a disability, illness, injury or health condition that impacts your capacity to complete studies, exams or assessment tasks, it is important you let us know your special requirements, early in the semester. Students will need to make an application for support and submit it with recent, comprehensive documentation at an appointment with a Disability Officer. Students with a disability are encouraged to contact the Disability Office at the earliest possible time, to meet staff and learn about the services available to meet your specific needs. Please note that late notification or failure to disclose your disability can be to your disadvantage as the University cannot guarantee support under such circumstances.

Additional subject information

Trigger warning- some of the content is confronting, dealing with significant personal harm, suicide, indigenous stolen generations, and child sexual abuse. Students with concerns about the content of any subject are encouraged to discuss this with the subject coordinator and consider how best to prepare themselves to examine challenging material in a way that is appropriate for them. | Students may be asked to respond to questions from the subject coordinator regarding the content of their assessments. Students are expected to keep evidence of drafting and research.

Subject curriculum

Approved on: Oct 24, 2022. Edition: 1
Last updated: Jan 9, 2023