LQB508 Clinical Physiology and Pathophysiology

Unit Outline: Semester 1 2020, Gardens Point, Internal

Overview

LQB508 Clinical Physiology and Pathophysiology is an advanced unit that will build upon your existing knowledge of disease processes and practical skills gained in LSB111, LQB388 and LQB488.  This unit will give you an in-depth understanding of the pathophysiology of a wide range of diseases/disorders with particular emphasis conditions identified as areas of national health priority by the Australian National Medical Health and Research Council (NHMRC) such as cardiovascular disease, cancer and metabolic syndromes. The lecture content is complemented by case study workshops and the practical component, which will assist you in developing the technical skills required to perform a number of important clinical physiology techniques (including EEG, ECG, and spirometry) as well as understanding the significance of the physiological variables that they report. Critical evaluation and communication of complex pathophysiological research data is also a key component of this unit.

Learning Outcomes

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

1. Demonstrate advanced knowledge of disease processes.
2. Demonstrate critical-thinking and complex-reasoning skills necessary for the diagnosis and treatment of diseases.
3. Demonstrate independent practical skills in several clinical physiology methods and your understanding of the relevance of clinical data obtained using clinical physiology methods.
4. Interpret and communicate scientific data and literature to a professional audience in both written and oral formats.

Content

Learning Approaches

This unit consists of a two-hour lecture and a workshop each week. Each lecture will focus on major diseases generally centred around a specific organ system (eg. cardiac disorders, neurological disorders, etc.). Workshops will corroborate and extend the knowledge gained in lectures. There are two types of workshops: case study workshops and clinical physiology instrumentation (practical) workshops:

Case study workshops: You will undertake workshops where you will work in teams to investigate case studies and problems. You will assume different professional roles in your team and together discuss alternative diagnoses and treatments. Some of these workshops will be conducted at the Simulation Facility, Kelvin Grove, where emergency situations will be simulated using advanced techniques, such as the use of interactive mannequins (which can, for example, display changes in blood pressure and heart rate in response to alternative treatments).

Clinical physiology instrumentation workshops: You will also participate in workshops that will focus on developing practical skills in clinical physiology. These will include electrocardiography, blood pressure recording, spirometry and other clinical methods.

Each workshop will relate to and compliment the lecture material, and together with the lecture content, is associated with an assessment item.

Feedback on Learning and Assessment

You will be given feedback on your work during weekly workshops and online via Blackboard. You are also encouraged to actively seek feedback from the unit coordinator.

Assessment

Overview

For this unit, there are three assessment items:
1. Clinical physiology instrumentation (practical) assessment.
2. Oral presentation of a leading research article in the area of pathophysiology or disease mechanism (Group).
3. Theory Examination (written)

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

Unit Grading Scheme

7- point scale

Assessment Tasks

Assessment: Physiology Instrumentation Quiz

This quiz will include questions related to key clinical physiology techniques using appropriate instrumentation and your ability to analyse and interpret clinical data.

Assessment: Oral Presentation

You will choose and research a recent research article focused on understanding and advancing our knowledge of a disease process. You will communicate your knowledge and critical evaluation of the research manuscript through a group oral presentation in which all group members will be expected to contribute to the development and delivery of the presentation and answering audience questions.

Assessment: Theory Examination

An exam that will assess your understanding of disease processes as well as your ability to use your critical-thinking and complex-reasoning skills to explain the physiological and pathophysiological basis of clinical case studies.

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is a commitment to undertaking academic work and assessment in a manner that is ethical, fair, honest, respectful and accountable.

The Academic Integrity Policy sets out the range of conduct that can be a failure to maintain the standards of academic integrity. This includes, cheating in exams, plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion and contract cheating. It also includes providing fraudulent or altered documentation in support of an academic concession application, for example an assignment extension or a deferred exam.

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.

Breaching QUT’s Academic Integrity Policy or engaging in conduct that may defeat or compromise the purpose of assessment can lead to a finding of student misconduct (Code of Conduct – Student) and result in the imposition of penalties under the Management of Student Misconduct Policy, ranging from a grade reduction to exclusion from QUT.

Resources

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.

This unit includes a laboratory component that involves the observation of potted human donor pathology specimens. Viewing human donor material in this unit is voluntary; should you have any personal objections or cultural sensitivities to undertaking this activity you may choose not to participate in laboratory demonstrations that incorporate this material.

In order that you become proficient in the necessary practical skills, you will be trained in the handling of equipment, materials and specimens normally associated with this discipline. You will be required to review a series of online induction resources and material specific to this unit including the general Gardens Point Laboratory Practice and Cadaver Preparedness online resources, and successfully complete an online quiz associated with each of these inductions, before being allowed access to the laboratory. You are required to adhere to the safety requirements outlined in this material, and exhibit professional and ethical conduct at all times when accessing human donor material. Check your Blackboard site for information on how to access the induction material and quizzes, and complete the student declaration of compliance.

If you have an underlying health condition or have any concerns in viewing human donor material you are encouraged to consult the unit coordinator, as you may be required to take additional precautions on occasions or be offered alternative learning experiences.