Units

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Sample subject outline - Semester 1 2013

Note: Subject outlines often change before the semester begins. Below is a sample outline.

Rationale

Haematology is the study of blood and investigates pathologies associated with non-malignant and malignant blood cell dyscrasias including the anaemias, thalassaemias, haemoglobinopathies, bacterial and viral infections, haemoparasites and leukaemias; as well as abnormalities of the haemostatic system leading to increased risk of bleeding or thrombosis. In order for you to work effectively and with confidence in a clinical diagnostic haematology laboratory it is essential you have knowledge related to the most frequently encountered dyscrasias and the laboratory skills required to identify, diagnose and monitor them. This unit is positioned in the developmental phase of your course and assumes knowledge and proficiency in the laboratory/practical skills developed in your second year units; combined with LSB655 next Semester, LSB555 will prepare you for employment as a medical laboratory scientist in a clinical diagnostic haematology laboratory.

Aims

This unit is in the course to provide you with the knowledge and practical skills to be proficient in the analysis and interpretation of haematological results, and the various laboratory investigations used to identify and diagnose commonly encountered blood cell and haemostatic abnormalities. You will also develop your problem-solving skills relevant to the day-to-day practice of clinical diagnostic haematology and your ability to communicate your learning in spoken and written contexts for a range of purposes and audiences, including international and intercultural communication contexts.

Objectives

On completion of this unit you will demonstrate evidence of:

1. The capacity to analyse and problem-solve in diagnostic clinical haematology including the principle and rationale of various investigations used in the laboratory; as well as potential sources of pre-analytical variation that negatively influence result integrity;


2. Appropriate knowledge and skills base relating to common blood cell dyscrasias and haemostatic abnormalities, the routinely applied laboratory based techniques and investigations used to diagnose and monitor them in the clinical setting;


3. Professional and ethical behaviours and knowledge appropriate for medical laboratory scientists in the workplace and your ongoing studies at QUT; and,


4. Communication skills (spoken and written) that convey your knowledge for a range of purposes and audiences, including international and intercultural contexts, and your ongoing professional development in the workplace.

Content

This unit focuses on frequently encountered abnormalities in clinical diagnostic haematology and aspects of human life in health and illness. It also emphasises the application and interpretation of laboratory investigations used in the identification, diagnosis of disease and ongoing management of patient care; and the importance of QA/QC and OHS in the laboratory. Topics covered include:

• Haemopoiesis, blood cell function, structure, metabolism, kinetics and morphology;


• Anticoagulants and the collection of blood and bone marrows specimens;


• How work flows through the haematology laboratory and the importance of QA/QC and OHS;


• Logical approaches to further testing in the investigation of abnormal results;


• Microcytic anaemias;


• Thalassaemias and haemoglobinopathies;


• Megaloblastic anaemia and common causes of macrocytosis;


• Normocytic anaemias (including haemolytic anaemias);


• Malaria and other haemoparasites;


• Non-malignant and malignant white cell disorders;


• Paediatric haematology;


• Haemostasis and coagulation: laboratory investigation of the coagulation system and monitoring common anticoagulant and antithrombotic therapies.

Approaches to Teaching and Learning

This unit will be taught using 2 hours of lectorials (i.e. combined lecture and tutorial) and a 3 hour practical class each week. Your lectorials and practical classes will focus on the investigation and interpretation of real-life case studies and will allow you to test and apply your knowledge, and demonstrate your practical skill development while obtaining support and feedback from the teaching staff.

In addition to your classroom based activities, you will also be provided with a series of self-directed online learning activities designed to assist you in monitoring your own academic progress. You should also use the laboratory for a minimum of 1-2 additional hours of private study each week outside of your normal classes to practice your morphology and reflect on the case studies and clinical scenarios investigated.

This unit is taught in a way that encourages you to acquire and develop the graduate capabilities highly valued in medical laboratory scientists by employers. These include discipline specific knowledge and practical skills, the ability to troubleshoot and problem-solve, effective written and oral communication skills; as well as the ability to work independently or as part of a team in an ethical, culturally sensitive and professional manner. Consequently, your learning activities (theory and practical) and assessment tasks will be focused on developing and demonstrating these skills and capabilities.

Assessment

General Assessment Information
Due to the applied clinical laboratory nature of LSB555 and requirements of course accreditation, you must attend and complete all of your practical classes for this unit. To demonstrate you are eligible for the practical section of the final exam you will submit your completed laboratory training/maintenance record at the end of practical class in week 13. Students with incomplete laboratory training/maintenance records will not be eligible to sit the practical componant of the final exam. A minimum of 50% in both theory and practical assessment tasks is required to succesfully complete this unit. This unit will will use Assignment Minder for the submission of your Haematology Case Study Portfolio (CSPF).

Practical Class Attendance and Assessment
Participation in the practical classes is an integral part of your learning experience in LSB555. If you are unable to attend a practical session, you should inform the unit coordinator by email and provide supporting documentation for your absence the following week at the start of practical class, e.g. medical certificate. In the case of unapproved absence from practicals, no marks will be given for related assessment.

Late Submission and Requests for Extensions
Assessment tasks will not be accepted if they are more than one working week late (five days) or the material has been subsequently reviewed in class. For assessment tasks submitted late where an extension has not been sought and approved, 20% from the total mark available will be subtracted for each day or part day of lateness until five working days have passed. A mark of zero and did not complete will then be recorded as your final result. If you need an extension it must be requested before the due date by emailing the unit coordinator, with supporting documentation attached, outlining why you need an extension and how long you are seeking. Requests for extensions received after the due date without appropriate supporting evidence will not be approved.You will be provided with feedback on your learning and progress via your case study portfolio, oral presentation and by participating in and completing learning activities with your classmates or teaching staff. You can also receive immediate feedback by completing the self-directed learning activities available to you on BlackBoard. You should use these resources to identify areas you might need to focus your studies.

During and at the end of Semester you will have the opportunity to share your experiences and thoughts by providing your feedback on the teaching and content of this unit. Your ideas and suggestions may be used to make changes to the unit (e.g. classroom activities, practicals or assessment) where appropriate to improve the learning outcomes for you and future students.

Assessment name: Haematology Case Study Portfol
Description: You will submit your laboratory training/maintenance record and complete a practical report, unknown case studies and clinical case study quizs which combined with your other week to week practical activities, form your haematology case study portfolio. (Formative)
Relates to objectives: 1, 2 and 4.
Weight: 40%
Internal or external: Internal
Group or individual: Individual
Due date: Week 4, 9 and 11

Assessment name: Oral Presentation
Description: You will form a group and give a 10 minute presentation on a negotiated topic in a format appropriate for oral scientific communication within the field of clinical diagnostic haematology and medical laboratory science. (Formative).
Relates to objectives: 2, 3 and 4.
Weight: 20%
Internal or external: Internal
Group or individual: Group
Due date: Week3 & 9 or10 or 12

Assessment name: Haematology Examination
Description: You will complete a two part examination that will provide you with the opportunity to demonstrate your theoretical knowledge and practical/laboratory based skills in the clinical diagnostic haematology context. Note, you must submit your completed laboratory training/maintenance record form at the end of practical class in week 13 to demonstrate you are eligible to sit the practical/laboratory section of this final examination (Summative).
Relates to objectives: 1, 2, 3 and 4.
Weight: 40%
Internal or external: Internal
Group or individual: Individual
Due date: Exam Period

Academic Honesty

QUT is committed to maintaining high academic standards to protect the value of its qualifications. To assist you in assuring the academic integrity of your assessment you are encouraged to make use of the support materials and services available to help you consider and check your assessment items. Important information about the university's approach to academic integrity of assessment is on your unit Blackboard site.

A breach of academic integrity is regarded as Student Misconduct and can lead to the imposition of penalties.

Resource materials

You will be referred to appropriate peer reviewed journals, scientific articles/reports, websites and online resources via the LSB555 BlackBoard site where required.

The recommended texts for this unit are:

• Rodak, B.F., Fritsma, G.A. & Keohane, E. (2011) Hematology: Clinical principles and applications (4th ed.), Elsevier Saunders.


• Rodak, B.F. & Carr, J.H. (2012) Clinical Hematology Atlas (4th ed.), Elsevier Saunders.

Additional helpful texts and resources for this unit include:

• Abraham, S., (2011) The hands-on guide to data interpretation. John Wiley & Sons. [e-book]


• Bain, B.J. & Matutes E. (2010) An atlas of investigation and diagnosis: myeloid malignancies, Clinical Publishing. [in library and e-book]


• Bain, B.J., Bates, I., Laffan, M.A. & Lewis, S.M. (2011) Dacie and Lewis: practical haematology (11th ed), Churchill Livingstone. [in library and e-book]


• Bogusz, M.J. (2011) Quality assurance in the pathology laboratory: forensic, technical and ethical aspects, CRC Press. [e-book]


• Bunn, F.H. (2011) Pathophysiology of blood disorders, McGraw-Hill Medical. [e-book]


• Daniel, D.A. (2011) Bone Marrow: a practical manual, Landes Bioscience. [e-book]


• Estlin, E., (2011) Pediatric hematology and oncology: scientific principles and clinical practice, John Wiley & Sons. [e-book + 2010 edition 618.9215 21]


• Grody, W.W. (2009) Molecular diagnostics: techniques and applications for the clinical laboratory, Elsevier. [e-book]


• Hoffbrand, V.A., (2011) Essential haematology (6th ed.), John Wiley & Sons. [e-book]


• Hoffbrand, V.A., Pettit, J.E. & Vyas, P. (2010) Color atlas of clinical hematology. (4th ed.), Mosby/Elsevier. [616.15 28/4]


• Matutes, E., Bain, B.J. & Wotherspoon A. (2010) An atlas of investigation and diagnosis: lymphoid malignancies, Clinical Publishing. [in library and e-book]


• Nathan, D.G. & Orkin, S.H. (2009) Nathan and Oski's hematology of infancy and childhood, Saunders/Elsevier. [618.9215 20/7]


• Okpala, I.E. (2007) Practical manual of haemoglobinopathies, John Wiley & Sons. [e-book]


• Pallister, C. (2011) Hematology (2nd ed.), Scion. [616.15 191/2]


• Protcheva, M.A. (2011) Diagnostic pediatric hematopathology, Cambridge University Press. [e-book]


• Rogers, G. & Young, N., (2010) Bethesda handbook of clinical hematology (2nd ed.), Wolters Kluwer Health/Lippincott. [616.15 189/2]


• Rozenberg, G. (2011) Microscopic haematology (3rd ed.), Elsevier Saunders.Smith, G. (2010) Problem solving in haematology, Oxford Clinical Publishing. [e-book]


• Steinberg, M.H. (2009) Disorders of haemoglobin: genetics, pathophysiology and clinical management, Cambridge University Press. [e-book]


• Swerdlow, S.H., Campo, E., Harris, N.L., Jaffe E.S., Pileri, S.A., Stein, H., Theile, J. & Vardiman J.W. (2008) WHO classification of tumours of haemopoietic and lymphoid tissues (4th ed.), World Health Organisation. [616.9944 6/4]


• Turgeon, M.L. (2012) Clinical hematology: theory and procedures (5th ed.), Wolters Kluwer Health/Lippincott. [616.15 195/5]


• Weatherall, D. (2010) Thalassaemia, Oxford University Press. [e-book]


• World Health Organisation (2010) Basic malaria microscopy, World Health Organisation, [e-book]


• World Health Organisation (2010) Guidelines for the treatment of malaria, World Health Organisation, [e-book]


• World Health Organisation, Pacific Regional Office (2010) Malaria microscopy quality assurance manual V1, World Health Organisation, [e-book]

Risk assessment statement

This unit includes a laboratory component where you will be required to handle or prepare blood samples and reagents that may be potentially infectious. In order that you become proficient in the necessary practical skills required in the workplace and at QUT you will be trained in the handling and disposal of equipment, materials and specimens in a manner associated with good laboratory practice and OHS.

You are also required to complete the online Student Health and Safety Quiz available on QUT Virtual before classes commence at the beginning of Semester. You should then provide a printed hard-copy of your certificate of completion for the quiz to your unit coordinator in your first practical class. You are referred to the university's health and safety web site and for further information. You are required to adhere to and follow the safety procedures at all times.

If you have an underlying health condition you are encouraged to consult the unit coordinator, as you may be required to take additional precautions on occasions.

Disclaimer - Offer of some units is subject to viability, and information in these Unit Outlines is subject to change prior to commencement of semester.

Last modified: 11-Feb-2013