LQB883 Intercultural Health in Pathology Practice

Unit Outline: Semester 2 2024, Gardens Point, Internal

Overview

Medical laboratory scientists, like all health professionals, are increasingly required to work in diverse environments and communities. This unit introduces the principles of cultural safety such as self-awareness and biculturalism, transcultural interaction and communication, which form the basis of all human, patient and health professional exchange. The prevalent pathologies, health outcomes and testing environments encountered in remote and low resource environments, and those experienced by Indigenous Australians, differ in many respects from the urban-based approaches and laboratory contexts covered in the course to date. This unit will broaden your knowledge of the application of pathology testing and professional attributes in these settings, including in the implementation of point of care testing.

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit you will be able to:

1. Describe, reflect upon and evaluate the importance of culture, self, diversity and Indigenous perspectives appropriate for practicing medical laboratory scientists and allied health professionals;
2. Describe and produce knowledge for the delivery of pathology testing in diverse settings including the application, implementation and evaluation of point of care testing;
3. Appraise, critically review and synthesise from scientific literature, data and information relevant to Indigenous, international and intercultural contexts;
4. Demonstrate professional and ethical behaviours, including effective participation in a team environment;
5. Communicate your knowledge of cultural perspectives and new and emerging technologies in a range of media for various audiences.

Content

Learning Approaches

The content of this unit is taught using a series of weekly, but self-directed modules and presentations that require engagement and reflection.  You will explore and apply reflective practice on how the learning concepts are, and have been, related to your studies and future career and practice as a medical laboratory scientist.  A laboratory component is included to develop skills in point of care testing.  In the laboratory section, you will work collaboratively in team/peer groups; learning to competently operate and produce training materials for a point of care device.  Your attendance at these practicals is required.  This unit requires developed skills to self-manage and organise your learning and submission of assessment tasks.

Feedback on Learning and Assessment

You will be provided with verbal and written feedback on your learning and progress as you prepare your literature review and by participating in discussion forum reflections and learning activities with your classmates or teaching staff.

During and at the end of Semester you will have the opportunity to share your experience and learning by providing your feedback on the teaching and content of this unit. Your ideas and suggestions may be used to make changes to the unit to improve the learning outcomes for you and future students.

Assessment

Overview

Each assessment item is designed to demonstrate and measure your ability to apply the knowledge and skills stated in the unit learning outcomes.

You are required to submit all written assignments through Canvas for collation and content matching checks.

Unit Grading Scheme

7- point scale

Assessment Tasks

Assessment: Discussion Forum and Reflection

You will be asked to reflect on your learning and the content of the unit by posting a 300-400 word reflection in a Canvas discussion forum. You will also consider and reply to at least one other response written by your classmates in enhancement of the discussion.  From the discussion, you will submit a 500 word reflection on the basis of your discussion forum contribution and insights from the discussion.

To participate in the discussion forum, prerequisite completion of a cultural safety module is required.

Due to the interactive requirement of the discussion forum, this assignment is not eligible for extension.

Assessment: Literature Review

You will prepare a 3,500 word literature review on a topic related to pathology testing and the content in this unit.

For formative feedback, early in the semester you will submit a brief outline of your chosen literature review and research approach to receive feedback on the appropriateness of the scope and content.

This is an assignment for the purposes of an extension.

Assessment: PoCT - Training and operator tools

Working in a small team on an assigned point-of-care testing device, you will prepare and produce (i) a training video and (ii) a written standard operating procedure (SOP) for the purposes of training a health professional in the correct and safe operation of the device.

Due to group work, moderated marking and peer review, this assessment is not eligible for extension.

Academic Integrity

Students are expected to engage in learning and assessment at QUT with honesty, transparency and fairness. Maintaining academic integrity means upholding these principles and demonstrating valuable professional capabilities based on ethical foundations.

Failure to maintain academic integrity can take many forms. It includes cheating in examinations, plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, and submitting an assessment item completed by another person (e.g. contract cheating). It can also include providing your assessment to another entity, such as to a person or website.

You are encouraged to make use of QUT’s learning support services, resources and tools to assure the academic integrity of your assessment. This includes the use of text matching software that may be available to assist with self-assessing your academic integrity as part of the assessment submission process.

Further details of QUT’s approach to academic integrity are outlined in the Academic integrity policy and the Student Code of Conduct. Breaching QUT’s Academic integrity policy is regarded as student misconduct and can lead to the imposition of penalties ranging from a grade reduction to exclusion from QUT.

Resources

Risk Assessment Statement

There are no anticipated risks associated with learning in this unit.

Course Learning Outcomes

LS47 Bachelor of Medical Laboratory Science

1. Discipline Knowledge
   Relates to: Literature Review, PoCT - Training and operator tools
2. Professional (including OHS and QA) Knowledge
   Relates to: PoCT - Training and operator tools
3. Ethical knowledge
   Relates to: Discussion Forum and Reflection
4. Technical proficiency
   Relates to: PoCT - Training and operator tools
5. Interpretation and application of protocols
   Relates to: PoCT - Training and operator tools
6. Analysis and interpretation of data
   Relates to: Literature Review
7. Synthesis, judgement, and explanation
   Relates to: Discussion Forum and Reflection, Literature Review
8. Scientific communication skills including information literacy and numeracy
   Relates to: Literature Review
9. Cultural Communication and Safety
   Relates to: Discussion Forum and Reflection, Literature Review
10. Quality assurance
    Relates to: PoCT - Training and operator tools
11. Professional behaviours
    Relates to: Discussion Forum and Reflection
12. Team work/Group work
    Relates to: PoCT - Training and operator tools
13. Peer Review
    Relates to: Discussion Forum and Reflection
14. Self-evaluation and reflective practice
    Relates to: Discussion Forum and Reflection