Overview
This unit will develop your knowledge of the application of cardiac ultrasound in the assessment of pericardial and systemic heart disease, preparing you for competent practise in the health workplace as a graduate cardiac sonographer. Knowledge presented will elaborate on the aetiology, pathophysiology and clinical presentations of these disease states. You will identify the role echocardiography plays in the clinical assessment of these disease states. Through discussions of clinical scenarios and case studies you will analyse diagnostic data and provide differential diagnoses within an ethical framework of best practice and patient safety.
Details
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites
Pre-requisite: ECHO28002 Assessment of Cardiac Function
Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework).
Offerings For Term 1 - 2021
Attendance Requirements
All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes - in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).
Recommended Student Time Commitment
Each 6-credit Postgraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 12.5 hours of study per week, making a total of 150 hours for the unit.
Class Timetable
Assessment Overview
Assessment Grading
This is a graded unit: your overall grade will be calculated from the marks or grades for each assessment task, based on the relative weightings shown in the table above. You must obtain an overall mark for the unit of at least 50%, or an overall grade of 'pass' in order to pass the unit. If any 'pass/fail' tasks are shown in the table above they must also be completed successfully ('pass' grade). You must also meet any minimum mark requirements specified for a particular assessment task, as detailed in the 'assessment task' section (note that in some instances, the minimum mark for a task may be greater than 50%). Consult the University's Grades and Results Policy for more details of interim results and final grades.
All University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
You may wish to view these policies:
- Grades and Results Policy
- Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework)
- Review of Grade Procedure
- Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure - Domestic Students
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure - International Students
- Student Refund and Credit Balance Policy and Procedure
- Student Feedback - Compliments and Complaints Policy and Procedure
- Information and Communications Technology Acceptable Use Policy and Procedure
This list is not an exhaustive list of all University policies. The full list of University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
- Differentiate between the aetiology, pathophysiology and echocardiographic assessment processes associated with a variety of pericardial and systemic heart diseases
- Critically analyse case-based clinical information to formulate differential diagnoses and plan patient management
- Perform advanced haemodynamic calculations applied to 2D, colour and spectral Doppler derived echocardiographic data
- Compare and contrast assessment data acquired from a variety of cardiac imaging modalities
- Engage in cardiac ultrasound practice as per external accreditation requirements (Australasian Sonographer Accreditation Registry).
Linked to the Australian Sonographers Accreditation Registry (ASAR) Accreditation Standards for Cardiac Sonography:
Foundation Units of Competence
- Unit 1: Deliver safe, patient centred service
- Unit 2: Practice within professional and ethical frameworks
- Unit 3: Locate, analyse and synthesise information to support evidence based practice
- Unit 4: Contribute to workplace health and safety and quality assurance
- Unit 5: Communicate effectively
Critical Practice Unit of Competence
-
Unit 8: Cardiac
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
| Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
| 1 - Written Assessment - 20% | |||||
| 2 - Online Quiz(zes) - 40% | |||||
| 3 - Online Test - 40% | |||||
| 4 - Learning logs / diaries / Journal / log books - 0% | |||||
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
| Graduate Attributes | Learning Outcomes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
| 1 - Knowledge | |||||
| 2 - Communication | |||||
| 3 - Cognitive, technical and creative skills | |||||
| 4 - Research | |||||
| 5 - Self-management | |||||
| 6 - Ethical and Professional Responsibility | |||||
| 7 - Leadership | |||||
| 8 - First Nations Knowledges | |||||
| 9 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures | |||||
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Graduate Attributes
| Assessment Tasks | Graduate Attributes | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | |
| 1 - Written Assessment - 20% | |||||||||
| 2 - Online Quiz(zes) - 40% | |||||||||
| 3 - Online Test - 40% | |||||||||
| 4 - Learning logs / diaries / Journal / log books - 0% | |||||||||
Textbooks
A sonographer's guide to the assessment of heart disease
- Edition: 1st (2016)
- Authors: Bonita Anderson
- Echotext
- Brisbane Brisbane , QLD , Australia
- ISBN: 978-0-9923222-0-5
- Binding: Hardcover
BASIC to ADVANCED Clinical Echocardiography. A Self-Assessment Tool for the Cardiac Sonographer
- Edition: 1st (2020)
- Authors: Bonita Anderson; Margaret M. Park
- Wolters Kluwer
- Philadelphia Philadelphia , PA , USA
- ISBN: 978-1-975136-27-7
- Binding: eBook
Echocardiography: The normal examination and echocardiographic measurements
- Edition: 3rd (2017)
- Authors: Bonita Anderson
- Echotext
- Brisbane Brisbane , QLD , Australia
- ISBN: 978-0-9923222-1-2
- Binding: Hardcover
Additional Textbook Information
Prescribed Echocardiography textbooks will be utilised across multiple units within the Graduate Diploma of Cardiac Ultrasound program.
If you prefer to study with a paper copy, they are available at the CQUni Bookshop here: http://bookshop.cqu.edu.au (search on the Unit code). eBooks are available at the publisher's website.
IT Resources
- CQUniversity Student Email
- Internet
- Unit Website (Moodle)
All submissions for this unit must use the referencing style: Vancouver
For further information, see the Assessment Tasks.
k.cumins@cqu.edu.au
Week 1
Begin Date: 08 Mar 2021Module/Topic
Chapter
See eReading list
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 2
Begin Date: 15 Mar 2021Module/Topic
Constrictive Pericarditis
Chapter
See eReading list
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 3
Begin Date: 22 Mar 2021Module/Topic
Cardiac Tamponade
Chapter
See eReading list
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 4
Begin Date: 29 Mar 2021Module/Topic
Chapter
See eReading list
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 5
Begin Date: 05 Apr 2021Module/Topic
Multi-modality imaging for pericardial disease
Chapter
See eReading list
Events and Submissions/Topic
Vacation Week
Begin Date: 12 Apr 2021Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 6
Begin Date: 19 Apr 2021Module/Topic
Interventional techniques and surgery, prognosis and management of pericardial disease
Chapter
See eReading list
Events and Submissions/Topic
Online Quiz will open at 8:00 am (AEST) on Wednesday 21st April and will close at 8:00 pm (AEST) Friday 23rd April.
Week 7
Begin Date: 26 Apr 2021Module/Topic
Systemic Disorders with Cardiac Manifestations - Systemic rheumatic disease and hereditary diseases
Chapter
See eReading list
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 8
Begin Date: 03 May 2021Module/Topic
Systemic Disorders with Cardiac Manifestations - Endocrine disorders
Chapter
See eReading list
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 9
Begin Date: 10 May 2021Module/Topic
Systemic Disorders with Cardiac Manifestations - Haemolytic, infiltrative and storage diseases
Chapter
See eReading list
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 10
Begin Date: 17 May 2021Module/Topic
Echocardiography in special populations
Chapter
See eReading list
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 11
Begin Date: 24 May 2021Module/Topic
Multi-modality imaging in systemic disease and case studies
Chapter
See eReading list
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 12
Begin Date: 31 May 2021Module/Topic
Revision and Online Test preparation
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Review / Exam Week
Begin Date: 07 Jun 2021Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Exam Week
Begin Date: 14 Jun 2021Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Online Test will open at 8:00 am (AEST) on Sunday 13th June and will close at 8:00 pm (AEST) on Tuesday 15th June.
Unit Coordinator and Contact details
The unit coordinator for ECHO28004 Pericardial and Systemic Heart Disease is Katrina Cumins. The most efficient and preferred method of contacting Katrina is via the Q&A forum located on the unit Moodle site. If your query is of a personal nature, please contact Katrina directly via email (k.cumins@cqu.edu.au) or phone (08 9260 4052). Katrina's office days are; Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.
Unit Tutorials
Tutorials for this unit will be delivered 'live' online using ZOOM (the links required for accessing the tutorials are provided on the Moodle site). The tutorials will focus on answering the weekly study questions and contextualisation of key concepts in preparation for related assessments.
Lectures are used to present the central information for the week’s study, outlining the main theories and principles of the topic under consideration. Tutorials provide an opportunity for discussion and interaction with other students and with your tutor. It is important students make the most of these interactive sessions and participate fully in order to broaden knowledge and experience with the course material.
To help prepare weekly tutorials, please post to the Q&A forum or email the unit coordinator any questions that you might have in relation to the learning material.
Note: Tutorials are recorded for educational purposes. Recordings of Zoom tutorials may be uploaded and appear on YouTube, Moodle and Microsoft Teams. If you have any concerns about being recorded please turn off your webcam or audio, or both, during the session. Your participation will signify your consent to the recording and publication for educational purposes.
Weekly revision material will be provided. Attempting all provided revision material will help you prepare for your assessments. No new lecture material will be presented during week 12 of term. This week will be used to prepare for the online test assessment.
Please ensure that you complete all tasks under the orientation tab on Moodle upon first enrolment.
1 Written Assessment
You are to write an essay, which cites a variety of sources to support your discussion on the following topic:
'There is great value in the identification and monitoring of cardiac involvement in systemic lupus erythematosus, even in patients with no overt manifestations.'
Within your essay:
- Discuss the pathophysiology of systemic lupus erythematosus.
- Compare and contrast assessment data acquired from a variety of cardiac imaging modalities, including echocardiography, identifying how the diagnosis of systemic lupus erythematosus could be supported.
- Briefly discuss the clinical management and prognosis of systemic lupus erythematosus.
- Identify common pharmaceutical interventions used to mitigate complications of the disease.
- Include several illustrative echocardiographic images within your essay to support the discussion.
Your target audience is fellow clinical technical staff and student peers.
This assessment is to be undertaken as an individual. As with all other university assessments, colluding with other students on non-group work tasks is considered academic misconduct, and may lead to action being taken by the Deputy Dean of Learning and Teaching HMAS.
Students are advised to refer to the 'Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework), document for additional university guidelines regarding assessments.
Week 10 Friday (21 May 2021) 5:00 pm AEST
Results will be made available within two weeks of assessment due date.
You will be assessed on your ability to:
- Locate and critically evaluate information.
- Produce a scholarly essay that is well written, and evidence-based.
- Use appropriate technical terms, spelling, grammar, and referencing.
- Address key points as outlined in the task description.
- Minimum 5 peer-reviewed journal articles must be cited.
- Literature titles must be current (<5 years of age), excepting seminal works.
Word count: 1800 words count +/- 10%.
Word count does not include references, diagram explanations, and labelling.
A detailed marking rubric can be found on the Moodle site.
- Differentiate between the aetiology, pathophysiology and echocardiographic assessment processes associated with a variety of pericardial and systemic heart diseases
- Critically analyse case-based clinical information to formulate differential diagnoses and plan patient management
- Compare and contrast assessment data acquired from a variety of cardiac imaging modalities
- Knowledge
- Communication
- Cognitive, technical and creative skills
- Research
- Ethical and Professional Responsibility
2 Online Quiz(zes)
The quiz will assess your understanding of the content presented within this unit as outlined below.
- Questions may be drawn from lectures, additional resources provided (e.g. prescribed readings), or tutorial presentations.
- Questions will be drawn from a resource bank, to allow tests to be different for each student.
Questions may include multiple-choice, short answer, or image interpretation format.
- It is recommended that you have a calculator available when sitting a quiz.
Quiz can be accessed through the assessment tab on Moodle at the assigned time.
Students will have 80 minutes to complete the quiz.
Once started, the quiz cannot be paused or restarted. Only one attempt per quiz is permitted.
Please note:
- It is the student's responsibility to commence the online quiz before 6:40 pm Friday 23rd April 2021 (AEST).
- The quiz will automatically close and submit completed student answers once the allocated time has elapsed.
- The duration of the quiz is tailored to promote recall of fact, rather than research of answers unknown.
Students are reminded that IT support from the university Information and Technology Division (TASAC) is only available during AEST business hours (Monday to Friday).
This assessment is to be undertaken as an individual. Colluding with other students on non-group work tasks is considered academic misconduct, and may lead to action being taken by the Deputy Dean of Learning and Teaching HMAS.
Students are advised to refer to the 'Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework)' document for additional university guidelines regarding assessments.
1
Other
The Online Quiz will open at 8:00 am (AEST) on Wednesday 21st April and will close at 8:00 pm (AEST) Friday 23rd April. The quiz will assess the topics covered during weeks 1 to 5.
Results will be made available within two weeks of assessment due date. The Online Quiz question pool in its entirety will not be released to students.
Students will be required to answer a variety of online questions.
Question responses will be assessed according to the:
- Use of appropriate terminology and descriptors as well as grammar and spelling.
- Student’s ability to appropriately interpret presented sonographic images and cardiac assessment data.
- Student's ability to succinctly respond with accurate answers.
The number of marks allocated for each question will be indicated within the quiz. Question marks are allocated based on the accuracy, depth and breadth of required responses.
Your score from the quiz will contribute 40% to your final grade.
- The specific date that the quiz opens and closes is outlined in the due description.
- Please note that the quiz must be completed before the due date time listed.
- In the absence of an approved extension, there will be no opportunity to complete the task after this date, and there will be no opportunity to apply a late penalty of five percent per day.
- Students will receive a mark of zero (or fail) for this assessment, if you have not completed it by the scheduled date and time and do not have an extension.
- Differentiate between the aetiology, pathophysiology and echocardiographic assessment processes associated with a variety of pericardial and systemic heart diseases
- Critically analyse case-based clinical information to formulate differential diagnoses and plan patient management
- Perform advanced haemodynamic calculations applied to 2D, colour and spectral Doppler derived echocardiographic data
- Compare and contrast assessment data acquired from a variety of cardiac imaging modalities
- Knowledge
- Communication
- Cognitive, technical and creative skills
- Research
3 Online Test
The online test will assess your understanding of the content presented within this unit. Questions may be drawn from lectures, additional resources provided (e.g.prescribed readings), or tutorial presentations.
- Perusal time and online test duration will be 80 minutes in total.
- It is recommended that you have a calculator available when sitting the online test.
This assessment is to be undertaken as an individual. Colluding with other students on non-group work tasks is considered academic misconduct and may lead to action being taken the Deputy Dean of Learning and Teaching HMAS.
- Once started, the online test cannot be paused or restarted. Only one attempt is permitted.
- The online test will automatically close and submit completed student answers once the allocated time has elapsed.
- The duration of this test is tailored to promote recall of fact, rather than research of answers unknown.
- You will be required to answer a variety of online questions. Questions may include multiple-choice, short answer, essay style, or image interpretation format.
The number of marks allocated for each question will be indicated within the online test. Question marks are allocated based on the accuracy, depth, and breadth of required responses.
Students are reminded that IT support from the university Information and Technology Division (TASAC) is only available during AEST business hours. It is recommended that the online test is completed during business hours.
Students are advised to refer to the 'Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework), document for additional university guidelines regarding assessments.
Online Test will open at 8:00 am (AEST) on Sunday 13th June and will close at 8:00 pm (AEST) on Tuesday 15th June.
Results will be made available within two weeks of assessment due date. The Online Test question pool in its entirety will not be released to students.
Students will be required to answer a variety of online questions.
Question responses will be assessed according to the:
- Use of appropriate terminology and descriptors as well as grammar and spelling.
- Student’s ability to appropriately interpret presented sonographic images and cardiac assessment data.
- Student's ability to succinctly respond with accurate answers.
The number of marks allocated for each question will be indicated within the online test. Question marks are allocated based on the accuracy, depth and breadth of required responses.
- Differentiate between the aetiology, pathophysiology and echocardiographic assessment processes associated with a variety of pericardial and systemic heart diseases
- Critically analyse case-based clinical information to formulate differential diagnoses and plan patient management
- Compare and contrast assessment data acquired from a variety of cardiac imaging modalities
- Knowledge
- Communication
- Cognitive, technical and creative skills
- Research
4 Learning logs / diaries / Journal / log books
- All hours spent in attendance within the echocardiography laboratory (either observing, participating, or performing related activities) must be documented.
- These hours must be signed off on and approved by your ASAR registered clinical supervisor or appropriately qualified medical practitioner, verifying the accuracy of entries.
- A student is required to complete a total of 2200 hours of clinical attendance prior to graduation and ASAR registration as a qualified sonographer.
- It is recommended that a student complete a minimum of 270 hours of clinical attendance per term of course enrolment.
A template for the Clinical Attendance Log Book is supplied in a word document format on the Moodle site. Students were supplied this same Clinical Attendance Log Book at the time of course enrolment.
- The word document is designed to facilitate easy electronic submission at various checkpoints throughout unit and course enrolment. The clinical supervisor's digital signature can be used to verify the authenticity of entries on the word document.
- Alternatively, the word document can be printed, manually completed and scanned to a digital file format for submission.
Review/Exam Week Friday (11 June 2021) 5:00 pm AEST
Results will be made available within two weeks of assessment due date
To be awarded a PASS, all documentation must be completed and submitted by the corresponding due date and time.
The Clinical Attendance Log Book must demonstrate:
- that minimum training requirements have been met and verified by ASAR registered clinical supervisor or appropriately qualified medical practitioner
- hours of attendance have been documented appropriately.
- Engage in cardiac ultrasound practice as per external accreditation requirements (Australasian Sonographer Accreditation Registry).
- Knowledge
- Communication
- Cognitive, technical and creative skills
- Self-management
- Ethical and Professional Responsibility
As a CQUniversity student you are expected to act honestly in all aspects of your academic work.
Any assessable work undertaken or submitted for review or assessment must be your own work. Assessable work is any type of work you do to meet the assessment requirements in the unit, including draft work submitted for review and feedback and final work to be assessed.
When you use the ideas, words or data of others in your assessment, you must thoroughly and clearly acknowledge the source of this information by using the correct referencing style for your unit. Using others’ work without proper acknowledgement may be considered a form of intellectual dishonesty.
Participating honestly, respectfully, responsibly, and fairly in your university study ensures the CQUniversity qualification you earn will be valued as a true indication of your individual academic achievement and will continue to receive the respect and recognition it deserves.
As a student, you are responsible for reading and following CQUniversity’s policies, including the Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure. This policy sets out CQUniversity’s expectations of you to act with integrity, examples of academic integrity breaches to avoid, the processes used to address alleged breaches of academic integrity, and potential penalties.
What is a breach of academic integrity?
A breach of academic integrity includes but is not limited to plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, cheating, contract cheating, and academic misconduct. The Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure defines what these terms mean and gives examples.
Why is academic integrity important?
A breach of academic integrity may result in one or more penalties, including suspension or even expulsion from the University. It can also have negative implications for student visas and future enrolment at CQUniversity or elsewhere. Students who engage in contract cheating also risk being blackmailed by contract cheating services.
Where can I get assistance?
For academic advice and guidance, the Academic Learning Centre (ALC) can support you in becoming confident in completing assessments with integrity and of high standard.
What can you do to act with integrity?
