OPN263 Primary Care Clinic 8

Unit Outline: Semester 2 2024, Kelvin Grove, Internal

Overview

This unit continues clinical optometric practice in the primary care area within the Optometry Clinic of the QUT Health Clinics. Through clinical practice, students will further develop specific problem solving strategies, and further develop problem specific examination techniques, reinforcing and refining clinical skills developed in previous units. This unit continues the transfer of theoretical and practical skills to the clinical situation. Students will take on a gradually increasing responsibility for clinical decision making and management and begin demonstrating strategies that enable ongoing self-reflective, culturally safe practice in a professional context.

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. Design and perform under supervision problem-specific eye examinations in a technically competent manner, while justifying choices in test applications;
2. Evaluate social determinants of health for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islanders and scrutinise different forms of racism and the concept of white privilege;
3. Differentially diagnose vision disorders;
4. Formulate treatment interventions and implement management plans for patients, observing professionalism and applying strategies for ongoing reflective practice;
5. Apply effective verbal and written communication skills to patients and other health professionals in a caring, culturally safe and ethical manner.

Content

Learning Approaches

This unit will involve lectures and practical sessions.  The practical sessions will be held in the clinic and will be a combination of learning new clinical skills (specialist testing) and performing eye examinations on clinic patients (under supervision of qualified and registered optometrists). Clinical skill development and practice will be supported by a guest lecture series with emphasis placed on specialist assessment techniques, case management and problem solving, differential diagnoses, with reference to current and developing clinical management strategies. You will be expected to take increasing responsibility for the management of your patients.

You will receive additional training from the Faculty of Health Student Success Group on preparing for external placement.

Expected Clinical Conduct:
Clinical attendance is mandatory for all students.
Clinical hours are documented to demonstrate fulfilment of Optometry Council of Australia and New Zealand course accreditation requirements. Absence from a scheduled clinic session due to illness requires a medical certificate sighted by the unit coordinator and clinic coordinator. In addition, any clinical hours missed must be completed in the next scheduled semester break clinic.
In some exceptional circumstances, prior approval may be obtained from the unit and course coordinator to alter a student's individual clinical timetable. However, supporting evidence is required to justify the need for any timetable alterations.
Students are required to comply with the policies and procedures of the QUT Health Clinics Optometry clinic at all times. Failure to comply with relevant policies and procedures may lead to exclusion from the QUT Health Clinics and inability to complete the unit.

Feedback on Learning and Assessment

Feedback on your development of specialist clinical skills, and diagnostic and management skills will take place during clinical practice sessions on an ongoing basis.  You are encouraged to communicate with the clinical supervisors if you require any specific feedback on clinical skills and to communicate with the unit coordinator if you have any questions or concerns about the assessment items.

Summative feedback on your clinical performance and case study will be provided in written format within 2 weeks of the assessment.

Assessment

Overview

Patient encounters are assessed in both formative and summative ways to provide feedback regarding the development of clinical competency. Clinical skills competency assessments and summative assessment of patient consultations 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 consultations will require knowledge of industry-specific digital technology used to evaluate anterior and posterior eye health.  A written case study analysis will be held towards the middle of semester and a written examination will be held at the end of semester during the exam period.  

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: Clinical examinations

As a student optometrist, you will undertake routine eye examinations on QUT Health Clinics Optometry Clinic patients. Across three different patient consultations across the semester, you will be assessed on different components of the eye examinations, concentrating on your ability to solve clinical problems through a problem-oriented clinical routine, and the ability to communicate effectively with a patient. In Week 8, you will be assessed on your technical ability to undertake advanced specialist testing on your colleagues in an optometric environment.

Threshold Assessment:

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.

Assessment: Case study analysis

This assessment will require you to reflect on the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and cultural safety content and develop a response to a case study question. The assessment is completed in-class and is closed book.

Threshold Assessment:

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.

Assessment: End of semester exam

The exam will cover all content delivered across the semester except content delivered in Module 2 (ULO 2): Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and cultural safety.  Exam will comprise of both multiple choice and short answer questions.

Threshold Assessment:

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.

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

Blue Card

A blue card is required to complete this unit. A blue card confirms that you have passed a screening of your criminal history (the Working with Children Check) and have been approved to work with children and young people. For more information on the blue card and how to apply please visit the QUT website.

Resources

Risk Assessment Statement

This unit will involve practice of clinical techniques on fellow students and on 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: Clinical examinations, Case study analysis, End of semester exam
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   Relates to: Clinical examinations, Case study analysis, End of semester exam
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   Relates to: Clinical examinations, Case study analysis, End of semester exam
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   Relates to: Clinical examinations, Case study analysis, End of semester exam
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   Relates to: Clinical examinations
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    Relates to: Clinical examinations, End of semester exam

2: Communication and Patient History

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   Relates to: Clinical examinations
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3: Patient Examination

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   Relates to: Clinical examinations
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4: Diagnosis and Management

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   Relates to: Clinical examinations
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5: Health Information Management

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   Relates to: Clinical examinations
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Course Learning Outcomes

OP85 Master of Optometry

1. Theoretical optometric knowledge, cognitive, clinical and technical skills and research methodology in vision science
   Relates to: Clinical examinations, Case study analysis, End of semester exam
2. Apply critical thinking and researchable questions to generate solutions to complex conditions in clinical and research settings
   Relates to: Clinical examinations, End of semester exam
3. Apply clinical skills to conduct assessment, diagnose and implement a management plan safely and effectively
   Relates to: Clinical examinations, Case study analysis
4. Acquire and transfer complex knowledge to patients, professionals within multiple environments
   Relates to: Clinical examinations
5. Practise independently and collaboratively as an ethical, socially responsible health care professional within legal and professional frameworks
   Relates to: Clinical examinations