LSB658 Clinical Physiology

Unit Outline: Semester 2 2024, Gardens Point, Internal

Overview

Clinical Physiology (LSB658) is an advanced unit that will build upon your existing knowledge of disease processes gained in previous units. You will also utilise your accrued background knowledge gained throughout your course in anatomy and physiology, pharmacology and clinical practice to solve, and suggest treatment for, complex clinical cases.

This unit will give you an in-depth understanding of the pathophysiology of a wide range of diseases/disorders with particular emphasis on disorders that are currently identified as areas of national health priority by the Australian National Medical Health and Research Council (NHMRC). The unit will further your skills in managing emergency situations by exposing you to new clinical scenarios with complex background pathophysiology, and assist you in developing new practical skills in clinical physiology instrumentation and data analysis.

Learning Outcomes

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

1. Demonstrate a deep understanding of pathophysiology
2. Demonstrate critical-thinking and complex-reasoning skills necessary for the diagnosis and treatment of diseases
3. Demonstrate practical skills in clinical physiology and the ability to interpret clinical data in a team setting
4. Communicate the relationship between anatomy, physiology, and pathophysiology at a professional standard

Content

Learning Approaches

Each lecture will focus on major diseases of a specific organ system (eg. cardiac disorders, neurological disorders, etc.). Workshops will consolidate and extend the knowledge gained in lectures through the analysis of one or more clinical cases.  Clinical cases will integrate clinical physiology data and other diagnostic modalities with the pathophysiology underpinning disease presentation and progression. The practicals focus on clinical physiology instrumentation methods such as electrocardiography, electroencephalography and spirometry.

Feedback on Learning and Assessment

Students will be given feedback on their work during weekly workshops and practicals through the use of case studies and model assessment questions. This will provide a weekly review process that will prompt students to engage with the lecture content and self assess their progress through the unit.

Assessment

Overview

For this unit, there are three assessment items:
1. Theory examination
2. Clinical physiology  data interpretation and reporting
3. Clinical case study analysis

These assessment items have been developed with the focus on complex reasoning, judgement, practical applications and effective communication. These skills will pave the way for your future professional careers and working in 'the real world'.

Unit Grading Scheme

7- point scale

Assessment Tasks

Assessment: Clinical Physiology Data Interpretation and Reporting

Clinical physiologist use specialised equipment to monitor the function of key physiological systems such as respiratory, cardiovascular and nervous systems.  Drawing on your expertise at obtaining spirometry,  Electrocardiography (ECG) and Electroencephalography (EEG) data from the practical sessions and the interpretation of such data from both practicals and workshops you will be tasked with the interpretation and reporting of clinical physiology measurements.  Moreover, you will be required to interpret the EEG, ECG and spirometry data in the broader context of clinical patient diagnoses and be able to relate the data to the underlying pathophysiology.  The data/interpretation will be presented as a brief health report for clinical colleagues.  You will use data that has been generated during the practical session in addition to exemplar data.  Your technical proficiency in using the physiology instrumentation will be also assessed.  This assessment will be performed during a timetabled practical session.

This assessment is not eligible for extension but is eligible for deferral under appropriate circumstances.

Assessment: Clinical Case Study Analysis

Working as a team you will analyse clinical data associated with a number of patient cases provided during practical sessions.  You will critically evaluate the patient data and use this to generate a diagnosis, report on the current patient health status and relate the diagnosis to the underlying pathophysiology.  

This assessment is not eligible for extension but is eligible for deferral under appropriate circumstances.

Assessment: Theory Examination

The examination will be a combination of short answer and multiple choice questions that will require critical thinking and problem-solving skills describe the pathophysiology of the organ systems, illustrate understanding of mechanisms underpinning pathologies and treatments and/or provide justification of diagnostic decisions.

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.

Requirements to Study

Costs

Cost of lab gowns and safety protection glasses are the students responsibility.

Resources

Resource Materials

Prescribed text(s)

Queensland Ambulance Service Clinical Practise Manual, current edition (also available online)

Recommended text(s)

Any advanced Physiology textbook, such as
Boron WF and Boulpaep EL: Medical Physiology by, current edition Guyton AC and Hall JE Textbook of Medical Physiology current edition

Costanzo LS, Physiology Cases and Problems, Current edition, Lippincott, Williams and Wilkins

Safety and protective equipment

Practicals will require personal protective equipment supplied by each student:

1. Laboratory Gown - Rear fastening 100% cotton or polyester/cotton mix
2. Safety eye protection glasses - selected and used in accordance with Australian Safety Standards
3. Fully enclosed non-slip shoes

Risk Assessment Statement

This unit includes a laboratory component. In order that you become proficient in necessary practical skills, you will be trained in the handling of equipment, materials and specimens normally associated with this discipline. You are required to view a Health & Safety Induction video and complete an online health and safety quiz prior to being permitted into the laboratory, to access please follow this link Health & Safety Induction. A passing score of 10/10 is required and will be checked prior to entry to the first laboratory session. You may repeat the quiz until this score is achieved. You are also referred to the Faculty of Health's Health & Safety Web Site for further information.

If you have an underlying health condition you are encouraged to consult the lecturer in charge of the unit, as you may be required to take additional precautions on occasions.

Course Learning Outcomes

CS43 Bachelor of Paramedic Science

1. Apply scientific knowledge and skills from paramedicine and related disciplines that focus on the needs and holistic care of the individual.
   Relates to: Clinical Physiology Data Interpretation and Reporting, Clinical Case Study Analysis, Theory Examination
2. Perform reflective and safe evidence-based paramedic practice, that informs clinical decision-making across diverse paramedic care settings.
   Relates to: Clinical Physiology Data Interpretation and Reporting, Clinical Case Study Analysis, Theory Examination
3. Access, evaluate, and utilise digital health information that informs holistic paramedic care and assists in intra- and inter-professional communication and clinical decision-making.
   Relates to: Clinical Physiology Data Interpretation and Reporting, Clinical Case Study Analysis
4. Develop and apply critical thinking and clinical reasoning and evaluation skills, that promote and achieve person-centred care.
   Relates to: Clinical Physiology Data Interpretation and Reporting, Clinical Case Study Analysis, Theory Examination
5. Communicate appropriately and with sensitivity to all persons, their families, carers, interprofessional teams and community leaders, to professional standards, both independently and collaboratively, to ensure safe and coordinated care, based on consensual agreement.
   Relates to: Clinical Case Study Analysis