This unit will introduce you to vascular ultrasound. In this unit you will explore the sonographic assessment of normal and pathological vascular cases. You will apply knowledge of vascular anatomy and physiology, and the physical properties of Doppler ultrasound to clinical scenarios and case studies to critically reflect on sonographic problems. Engaging in this sonographic decision-making process will culminate in the creation of sonographer’s interpretive reports, including a provisional diagnosis.

Each 6-credit Undergraduate 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.

Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.

Feedback from Moodle comments and CC assessment

The prescribed text book was generally thought to be a good resource. Some students felt it was somewhat limited in its explanation and content in some areas but then was very clear and comprehensive in others.

Course Coordinator is working on production of a Customised Solutions Textbook in cooperation with the Elsevier company. This project hopes to create a textbook with certain chapters from different Elsevier publications so the student will have access to chapters that best focus on the specified topic. For example: I plan to use two chapters - The physics of Doppler Ultrasound and Doppler artifacts from Kremkau a dedicated Ultrasound physics textbook, two Chapters from Thrush and Hartshorne on "Factors that influence the Doppler Spectrum" and "Optimising the scan" and then from the current textbook Clinical Doppler Ultrasound inclusion of only the chapters on the required, relevant vascular studies such as Carotids, DVT, Abdominal aorta, Renal Arteries and peripheral arteries. One example of the textbook's limited content is in chapter 5 The Peripheral Veins on page 112 where "other causes of leg swelling ,pain or tenderness" is addressed in one paragraph and two sonograms and the CC knows from 30 years clinical experience that there are many more alternate pathologies encountered that the student needs to be aware of and be able to recognise.

the Customised Solutions textbook is currently being compiled and coordinates with the publisher Elsevier

Feedback from Course Coordinators own experiences and Moodle comments

The tutorials received a fifty-fifty of positive-negative student feedback. A large number of students felt they were a very positive interactive learning tool that helped them grasp a lot of difficult concepts. BUT there were lots of IT issues during tutorial times. For example in a number of these sessions the first 15-20 minutes were taken up with the tutor actually trying just to get onto the collaborate session.

A very similar format of Collaborates will be run to maintain the very positive student reception but they will adhere more closely to the set time frame. The CC now has a new computer. The original desktop was greater than 10 years old and not always capable of handling some of the newer technologies. Also the Collaborate platform will be the latest updated version to be used next offering of the course.

the ZOOM platform for tutorials was introduced and proved to be very successful and popular. In term 3, tutorials will include completion of a sonographic worksheet and creation of an ISBAR communication to the supervisor or the reporting radiologist.

Feedback from Moodle

Some students felt the lectures could have been presented with better organisation or a little more systematically, but they did not mention if it was the individual lectures or the order in which the vascular topics were taught.

This unit requires me to cover the theory of the Deep Vein Thrombosis in extremities in the fisrt 3 weeks and then Cerebrovascula study of the Carotids in weeks 4 & 5. This is to align with the concurrent SSD2 scanning skills unit where theory is learnt prior to applying hands-on scanning practice. Organisation of the individual lectures mostly followed the pattern of an initial presentation of a typical request form, alongside a typical sonographer worksheet to be completed at the end of the US exam. They then proceeded in steps that covered Introduction of the topic, Objectives, Anatomy , Clinical indications - Areas to be examined - Sonographic techniques utilised - Typical Spectral waveforms encountered in both normal and abnormal cases - Sonographic characteristics pathologies involved.

Lectures for term 3, 2017 and term 1 ,2018 will be revised and re-recorded to correlate with the chapters in the

Feedback from "Have your say" Moodle and telephone calls

A large number of students thought that the the group assignment was one of the best parts of the course as they felt that process was helpful to their study and the assessment improved teamwork skills.

As positive teamwork and clear concise communication are both important components of being successful in the profession medical world this assessment item will be maintained in the course. Instructions given to the students will be stream-lined and simplified and explicit.

Instructions were streamlined, topis choices were refined and all groups successfully completed and submitted their presentation in a timely manner.

Feedback from Moodle

Visual learning of unit content

Sonography is essentially a profession that heavily relies on real-time visual recognition of a normal vs abnormal scenario, I feel it is important to provide a list of visual learning resources for the students. These will be streamlined in number and duration for the next unit offering.

The reading guide has now been displayed separately to the list of visual learning content.

Feedback from "Have your say" Responses on Moodle

A number of negative comments were made regarding the navigation through the Moodle page and disorganization of related files.

Complete tidy up of Moodle page with FOLDERS to be used for all related files. To limit the material available on the home page there will be removal of some of the weekly labels such as "Extension Resources" and limit the available quizzes to just one per week.

Moodle page presentation has been revamped, streamlined and was very favourably received in term 1

Additional Textbook Information

Included in the purchase of the hard copy of this textbook is on-line access to the same text as an e-book ISBN: 97807055379.

• CQUniversity Student Email
• Internet
• Unit Website (Moodle)