PHR3042 · Acute care: Inquiry cases

Overview

Acute care is where a patient receives active treatment for a severe injury or episode of illness, an urgent medical condition, or during recovery from surgery. This unit will provide you with the knowledge and skills required for the diagnosis and therapeutic management of patients presenting with acute care conditions. The unit will explore conditions affecting a range of patient groups and will include, but is not limited to, acute infectious illnesses, oncological disorders and solid organ transplantation. This unit will relate the pathophysiology and epidemiology of these conditions with the rational design and quality use of medicines. The unit will integrate knowledge of pathophysiology, pharmacology, therapeutics and evidence-based practice to guide therapeutic decision making. This unit will enable you to apply and refine your critical thinking and problem-solving skills, as well as oral and written communication skills.

Offerings

Assessment

The Handbook lists an examination for this unit.

In-semester assessments 70%; Final examination 30% This unit contains one or more competency hurdle assessment tasks that you must successfully complete to be able to pass the unit. You have one attempt, plus an additional assessment capped at 50% of the available marks for the task, to demonstrate your competency in the competency hurdle assessment task. If you fail to meet the hurdle requirement, you will receive a fail grade for the unit regardless of the total marks you achieve.

Assessment details may change. Please refer to the assessment information in Moodle closer to the start of the teaching period.

Requisites

Learning outcomes

1. Describe the epidemiology and clinical aspects of management to acute care illnesses
2. Describe the signs, symptoms, and diagnostic methods relevant to acute care illnesses
3. Explain mechanisms of action for drugs used in the treatment of a variety of acute care illnesses, and relate this to disease management and possible side effects
4. In the context of familiar or unfamiliar acute care illnesses, evaluate a patient's condition and create a patient centred care plan (Monash Model of CARE plan) which applies established clinical guidelines and evidence-based principles to address medication-related problems (i) Gather and integrate information concerning the chemistry and pharmacology of medicines, patient specific factors as well as evidence-based literature to identify potential management options to treat acute care illnesses (ii) List and prioritise drug and non-drug therapy options for the management of these conditions (iii) Incorporate patient specific factors and evidence-based principles to rationalise and defend recommended management options. (iv) Develop a strategy to evaluate response to recommended patient management plan. (v) Evaluate and justify when referral for medical assessment is required, with a particular emphasis on symptoms indicative of referral when appropriate (vi) Develop, apply and communicate education strategies that provide support and optimise patient-centred relationships and outcomes
5. Reflect on the development and implementation of the Monash Model of CARE plan
6. Using a multidisciplinary healthcare team approach, develop and articulate appropriate clinical and communication strategies to: (i) Manage immediate complications of acute care illnesses (ii) Respond to medication related questions (iii) Ensure continuity of disease management at important transitions of patient care.
7. Demonstrate proficiency in simulated clinical settings by applying clinical reasoning and collaborative decision making to communicate a medication management plan that optimises patient outcomes

Workload

• One hundred and forty-four hours of independent study • Thirty-six hours of pre-learning activities (up to 4 hours per week) • Thirty-eight hours of active learning lectures (4 hours a week) • Thirty-six hours of small group classes including assessment (4 hours per week) • Two hours of interprofessional practice

Student experience, not official rules. Nothing here changes what the Handbook says.