OPN262 Specialist Clinic 8

Unit Outline: Semester 2 2024, Kelvin Grove, Internal

Overview

This unit begins clinical practice in the specialist areas of contact lens practice and binocular vision and low vision. Students will begin development of clinical case management and problem solving strategies in these specialist areas of clinical practice. They will also develop higher level clinical examination techniques, reinforcing and refining clinical skills developed in the previous specialist clinical units in these areas.

This is a designated unit which is essential to your course progression. Designated units include professional experience units, units requiring the development of particular skills, and units requiring demonstration of certain personal qualities. If you fail to achieve a satisfactory level of performance in a designated unit, you may be excluded from enrolment or will be put on academic probation. If you fail a designated unit twice within your course, you may be excluded. Supplementary assessment is not available on designated units.

Learning Outcomes

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

1. Demonstrate technical proficiency in the specialist areas of contact lens practice, binocular vision, and low vision rehabilitation.
2. Plan problem-specific eye examinations in areas of specialist optometric practice, and implement these in a technically competent manner;
3. Design treatment and management plans for patients under your care in the areas of specialist optometric practice;
4. Give advice to patients in a caring and ethical manner;
5. Communicate effectively with other health care professionals.

Content

Learning Approaches

Development of clinical skills in the specialist areas of contact lens clinic, binocular vision clinic, paediatric optometry and the vision rehabilitation clinic under the supervision of qualified and registered optometrists. Practice of clinical skills in these areas will be supported by tutorials with emphasis placed on case management and problem solving, differential diagnoses, with reference to evidence-based clinical management strategies in these areas of practice.

Feedback on Learning and Assessment

Specialist clinical skills are assessed in both a formative way to provide feedback regarding the development of technical skills during practical sessions, and in a summative way towards the end of the unit. Clinical skills competency assessments and summative assessment of clinical skills and management strategies must each be passed to complete the unit, and repeat (supplementary) assessment will be undertaken until the required competency is demonstrated. Skills competency assessment and assessment of patient management strategies may include an oral examination component, slide exams, written reports, and final written exams. Formative feedback on your development of skills in designing patient management strategies and solving clinical problems will also be provided through case discussions in practical sessions.

Assessment

Overview

Specialist clinical skills are assessed in both a formative way to provide feedback regarding the development of technical skills during practical sessions, and in a summative way towards the end of the unit. Clinical skills competency assessments and summative assessment of clinical skills and management strategies must each be passed to complete the unit, and repeat (supplementary) assessment will be undertaken until the required competency is demonstrated. Skills competency assessment and assessment of patient management strategies may include an oral examination component, slide exams, written reports, and final written exams. Formative feedback on your development of skills in designing patient management strategies and solving clinical problems will also be provided through case discussions in practical sessions.

The unit requires students to demonstrate satisfactory performance of a range of clinical skills critical to the practice of optometry in these areas of clinical practice in order to complete the unit and progress through the course.

Satisfactory performance in each of the assessment items is a condition for passing this unit. The Faculty of Health Threshold Assessment Policy will apply where student performance in an assessment item is unsatisfactory.

Unit Grading Scheme

7- point scale

Assessment Tasks

Assessment: Demonstration

Clinical skills competency assessments.
Individual core clinical skills will be examined, assessing technical ability and the ability to communicate instructions in a patient care setting. Skills examined will be techniques of investigation and/or treatment in specialty areas, performed on fellow students in the Optometry Clinic.

Assessment: Examination (theory)

Written examination and case reports. End of semester examination.
This will focus on your technical knowledge of contact lens practice, binocular vision, and low vision rehabilitation including the diagnosis and management of clinical scenarios. You will be required to develop written clinical management strategies based on case studies and to present oral case presentations of patient management, with critical analysis of your investigation and management of the patient in each of the specialist areas.

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

This unit will involve practice of clinical techniques on fellow students or people from the general public who present as patients to the QUT Optometry Clinic. High standards of hygiene and safe practices are required. You are required to be proficient in cardio- pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and first-aid. You will be informed of relevant Standard Operating Procedures of the School of Optometry as they pertain to this unit.

Blue card
The Commission for Children and Young People and Child Guardian Act (2000) requires that students undergo a criminal history check and be issued with a blue card by the Commission prior to undertaking field experience in a school or centre, or undertaking activities in any unit which may involve contact with children. You will require a blue card for clinical placement/practicum in this unit. You should apply for a blue card at least 12 weeks before any clinical placement/practicum. Current blue card holders must register their card with QUT. More information is available online.

Standards/Competencies

This unit is designed to support your development of the following standards\competencies.

Entry-Level Competency Standards for Optometry 2014

1: Professional Responsibilities

1. 
   Relates to: Demonstration, Examination (theory)
2. 
   Relates to: Demonstration, Examination (theory)
3. 
   Relates to: Demonstration
4. 
   Relates to: Demonstration
5. 
   Relates to: Demonstration, Examination (theory)
6. 
   Relates to: Demonstration, Examination (theory)
7. 
   Relates to: Demonstration, Examination (theory)

2: Communication and Patient History

1. 
   Relates to: Demonstration
2. 
   Relates to: Demonstration
3. 
   Relates to: Demonstration
4. 
   Relates to: Demonstration
5. 
   Relates to: Demonstration

3: Patient Examination

1. 
   Relates to: Demonstration
2. 
   Relates to: Demonstration
3. 
   Relates to: Demonstration
4. 
   Relates to: Demonstration
5. 
   Relates to: Demonstration
6. 
   Relates to: Demonstration
7. 
   Relates to: Demonstration
8. 
   Relates to: Demonstration

Course Learning Outcomes

OP85 Master of Optometry

1. Theoretical optometric knowledge, cognitive, clinical and technical skills and research methodology in vision science
   Relates to: Demonstration, Examination (theory)
2. Apply critical thinking and researchable questions to generate solutions to complex conditions in clinical and research settings
   Relates to: Examination (theory)
3. Apply clinical skills to conduct assessment, diagnose and implement a management plan safely and effectively
   Relates to: Demonstration