Overview
This unit aims to develop your knowledge and understanding of the point of care ultrasound (PoCUS) to identify and diagnose cardiac pathology. To enrol in this unit you must be a graduate of a science or health / medical course. To successfully complete all assessments, you must be able to undertake ultrasound scans in a clinical environment with appropriate supervision. You will use PoCUS to identify cardiac anatomical structures and diagnose pathology to assist patient management. You will learn transducer manipulation techniques and skills to optimise ultrasound images for documentation.
Details
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites
Co-requisite:MEDS20009 Science and Instrumentation of Ultrasound
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 2 - 2019
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).
Residential Schools
This unit has a Compulsory Residential School for distance mode students and the details are:
Click here to see your Residential School Timetable.
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 pass/fail (non-graded) unit. To pass the unit, you must pass all of the individual assessment tasks shown in the table above.
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.
Feedback, Recommendations and Responses
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 In-class feedback
The student appreciated the unit content, zoom content and residential school.
Zoom tutorials and residential school to be continued in the present format.
- Evaluate the benefits and limitations of using diagnostic transthoracic echocardiography in emergency or point of care (PoC) medicine
- Apply safe transthoracic echocardiography techniques to generate optimised diagnostic images of the heart and great vessels
- Integrate transthoracic echocardiography images into the clinical decision making process and patient management.
The International Federation for Emergency Medicine (IFEM) Point of care curriculum guidelines
3.3 Demonstration of how to generate and optimise an image- 2
3.4 Demonstration of good practice in point-of-care ultrasound- 1.2 and 3
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
| Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | |
| 1 - Written Assessment - 0% | |||
| 2 - Portfolio - 0% | |||
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
| Graduate Attributes | Learning Outcomes | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | |
| 1 - Knowledge | |||
| 2 - Communication | |||
| 3 - Cognitive, technical and creative skills | |||
| 4 - Research | |||
| 5 - Self-management | |||
| 6 - Ethical and Professional Responsibility | |||
| 7 - Leadership | |||
| 8 - 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 | |
| 1 - Written Assessment - 0% | ||||||||
| 2 - Portfolio - 0% | ||||||||
Textbooks
There are no required textbooks.
IT Resources
- CQUniversity Student Email
- Internet
- Unit Website (Moodle)
- Microphone, speakers and video camera to attend and participate in the Zoom tutorials
All submissions for this unit must use the referencing style: Vancouver
For further information, see the Assessment Tasks.
a.spermon@cqu.edu.au
Module/Topic
Introduction to FoCUS. Principles, benefits, limitations, safe techniques, and outcomes.
Chapter
Lectures and readings on Moodle.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
FoCUS Protocol and the Normal Heart. Introduction of the three questions: Size? Function? Effusion?
Chapter
Lectures and readings on Moodle.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Residential School 1 (compulsory):
Brisbane 9 am to 4 pm Tuesday 23rd July ***OR*** Perth 9 am to 4 pm Thursday 25th July
Module/Topic
Qualitative Assessment of the Left Ventricle. Size and function.
Chapter
Lectures and readings on Moodle.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Qualitative Assessment of the Right Ventricle. Size and function. Assessment of the Inferior Vena Cava. Size and collapsibility.
Chapter
Lectures and readings on Moodle.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Identification of Pericardial Effusion. Introduction to sonographic signs of tamponade.
Chapter
Lectures and readings on Moodle.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Take this opportunity to revise the content from weeks one to five. Keep working on your portfolio.
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Clinical Applications of FoCUS. Case Studies: Part 1.
Chapter
Lectures and readings on Moodle.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Clinical Applications of FoCUS. Case Studies: Part 2.
Chapter
Lectures and readings on Moodle.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Identification of Gross Valvular Abnormalities. Normal versus suspicious.
Chapter
Lectures and readings on Moodle.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Identification of Intracardiac Massess. Normal versus suspicious.
Chapter
Lectures and readings on Moodle.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Identification of Signs of Chronic Heart Disease. Using FoCUS to assist in identifying acute versus chronic cardiac disease.
Chapter
Lectures and readings on Moodle.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Clinical Applications of FoCUS. Case Studies: Part 3.
Chapter
Lectures and readings on Moodle.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Review of MEDS20014 content.
Chapter
Lectures and readings on Moodle.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Residential School 2 (compulsory):
Brisbane 9 am to 4 pm Tuesday 8th October ***OR*** Perth 9 am to 4 pm Thursday 17th October
Assessments to be finalised at Residential School
Practical Assessment Due: Week 12 Tuesday (8 Oct 2019) 12:00 pm AEST
Portfolio Assessment Due: Week 12 Tuesday (8 Oct 2019) 12:00 pm AEST
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
The unit coordinators for MEDS20014 are Ashley Spermon and Paul Neilsen. The best way to contact Ashley is a.spermon@cqu.edu.au, and Paul is p.neilsen@cqu.edu.au. Please put the unit code MEDS20014 in the subject title. Ashley and Paul have laboratory commitments and are often away from the desk, therefore, it is often best to email and request a scheduled meeting (over the phone, via Zoom, or in person), if necessary.
The first point of contact is the Q&A forum on the unit Moodle site. This forum is monitored and responses will be posted to all students in a timely manner.
Access to the internet is required to undertake this unit, as unit materials, tutorials, and updates will be provided via Moodle, email, and Zoom. Weekly resources will include access to relevant websites, activities and readings. To give yourself the best chance of success with this unit, please ensure that you undertake all of the readings and activities that are provided for you. Access to cardiac sonography equipment is required to perform, collect, and present cases for tutorial discussion, and prepare for the portfolio and practical assessments. There is a theoretical and practical element to this unit - students are encouraged to actively participate in the collection of scans to gain the maximum benefit of this unit.
Attendance at the Residential Schools is Compulsory. You must attend the Residential School. Non-attendance must be documented with a Medical Certificate or equivalent. LIVE Zoom tutorials will be held during the term. Specific times and meeting IDs will be posted on the unit Moodle site. Discussions about unit content, assessment, and clinical competency tests are provided in the tutorials. Tutorials are recorded for you for later perusal. Attendance at tutorials is recommended.
As this is a 6 credit point unit, you are expected to spend an average of 12.5 hours each week on study activities for this unit. This time includes reviewing lectures, creating notes to meet learning objectives, researching and working on assessment, and attending the Residential School.
1 Written Assessment
Acquiring, interpreting, and integrating information appropriately in to the clinical decision making process is important in providing quality health care. Ultrasound is an accessible modality that can aid in acquiring new information to be utilised in the clinical decision making process. Ultrasound has good diagnostic accuracy, however this modality is operator dependent, and therefore requires training in the acquisition and interpretation of ultrasound images for appropriate clinical integration of findings.
The clinical competency PRACTICAL ASSESSMENT will evaluate student ability in performing the FoCUS protocol on a live patient model. The assessment will look for competency in the performance of the FoCUS protocol, including patient care, clinical factors including infection control, acquiring cardiac views, image optimisation, interpreting images with correct recognition of anatomy and pathology, appropriate documentation, and clinical integration of findings in to patient management.
THIS IS A PASS/FAIL ASSESSMENT. To be deemed competent, a PASS must be achieved for all criteria. Any FAIL in one or more criteria equates to a fail.
The practical assessment will be conducted at Residential School 2. You will use knowledge from previous weeks as well as skills learned at the Residential Schools to perform the task under the supervision of a Tutor. Results will be uploaded to Moodle within 2 weeks of the assessment.
Week 12 Tuesday (8 Oct 2019) 12:00 pm AEST
Conducted at Residential School 2
Exam Week Friday (25 Oct 2019)
Results will be uploaded to Moodle.
The student will be assessed on their ability in:
- Patient care
- Appropriate use of ultrasound equipment
- Infection control
- Image acquisition
- Image interpretation
- Safe clinical integration into practice
Assessment will be conducted in line with the marking rubric, which is available on the unit Moodle site.
- Evaluate the benefits and limitations of using diagnostic transthoracic echocardiography in emergency or point of care (PoC) medicine
- Apply safe transthoracic echocardiography techniques to generate optimised diagnostic images of the heart and great vessels
- Integrate transthoracic echocardiography images into the clinical decision making process and patient management.
- Knowledge
- Communication
- Cognitive, technical and creative skills
- Self-management
- Ethical and Professional Responsibility
2 Portfolio
Acquiring, interpreting, and integrating information appropriately in to the clinical decision making process is important in providing quality health care. Ultrasound is an accessible modality that requires practical experience to develop the technical skills required to acquire and interpret an ultrasound image. Ultrasound has good diagnostic accuracy, however this modality is operator dependent, and therefore requires training in the acquisition and interpretation of ultrasound images for appropriate clinical integration of findings.
The PORTFOLIO ASSESSMENT will develop and assess proficiency in performing the FoCUS protocol, including defining an appropriate indication for the test, obtaining on-axis cardiac views, image optimisation, recognition of anatomy and pathology, appropriate documentation, and integration of findings in to patient management.
THIS IS A PASS/FAIL ASSESSMENT. To be deemed competent, 25 cases must be collected, interpreted, and reviewed, by student’s supervisor. Students must bring a hard copy of their portfolio, and all FoCUS images from all cases on a USB drive for review (save as .avi or .bmp file). Please ensure that patient privacy is adhered to by de-identifying images.
The portfolio assessment will be due at Residential School 2. Results will be uploaded to Moodle within 2 weeks of the assessment.
Week 12 Tuesday (8 Oct 2019) 12:00 pm AEST
Due at Residential School 2
Exam Week Friday (25 Oct 2019)
Results will be uploaded to Moodle.
The student will be assessed on their ability in:
- Appropriate use of ultrasound equipment
- Image acquisition
- Image interpretation
- Safe clinical integration into practice
- Evaluate the benefits and limitations of using diagnostic transthoracic echocardiography in emergency or point of care (PoC) medicine
- Apply safe transthoracic echocardiography techniques to generate optimised diagnostic images of the heart and great vessels
- Integrate transthoracic echocardiography images into the clinical decision making process and patient management.
- Knowledge
- Communication
- Cognitive, technical and creative skills
- Research
- Self-management
- Ethical and Professional Responsibility
- Leadership
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?
