Clinical Skills 5 develops clinical reasoning and critical thinking skills, to prepare students entering clinical placement and osteopathic practice. The unit further develops students' skills in case-history taking, clinical examination, osteopathic manual techniques and management of common conditions presenting in osteopathic practice relating to the abdomen. There is a focus on the development of new skills in High Velocity Low Amplitude (HVLA) techniques for junctional regions and visceral manual osteopathic technique. Students participate in clinical placement observation hours alongside this unit which allows students to observe these skills used in practice by senior osteopathic .students.
Unit details
Location:
Study level:
Undergraduate
Credit points:
12
Unit code:
HBS3504
Prerequisites
HBS2304 - Clinical Skills 3 and
HBS2404 - Clinical Skills 4 and
HBS2002 - Clinical Skills 4A and
HBO3008 - Biomedical Science for Osteopathy 8
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Learning Outcomes
| 1. | Demonstrate an understanding of the history taking process and record key components of a presenting complaint relating to the abdomen; | ||
| 2. | Exhibit and interpret a physical examination of the spine, abdomen and selected viscera; | ||
| 3. | Identify common and serious abdominal conditions and determine medical tests that may be used to diagnose them; and | ||
| 4. | Exhibit osteopathic manual techniques and management strategies for conditions of the spine and visceral complaints. |
Assessment
The first assessment is a practical skills demonstration of the abdominal examination that is conducted face to face. In Assessment 2 students will utilise their history taking skills identify and record the details of a patient case in the written history taking activity. The quiz in assessment task 3 will evaluate knowledge relating to the presentation of abdominal conditions including pathophysiology, clinical features, medical testing and patient management strategies. The final assessment is a practical skills demonstration of visceral osteopathic technique and HVLA techniques for junctional regions that is conducted face to face.
80% attendance is required for classes, tutorials and workshops, which develop knowledge, competency and safety in practical clinical assessment and treatment skills. These requirements align with the VU Osteopathic Course documentation to AOAC. The OPSS is a hurdle requirement and as such a minimum pass grade for these assessments is required to satisfactorily complete the unit overall.
| Assessment type | Description | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Practicum | Abdominal examination (hurdle requirement) (20 mins, in-class) | 15% |
| Exercise | History-taking activity (500 words) | 15% |
| Test | Quiz - Multiple Choice (90 mins in-class) | 30% |
| Examination | Observed Performance in a Simulated Setting (OPSS) (hurdle requirement) (45 mins) | 40% |
Required reading
Manipulation of the spine, thorax and pelvis: An osteopathic perspective 4th ed.
Gibbons, P., & Tehan, P. (2016)
Australia: Elsevier.
Where to next?
As part of a course
This unit is studied as part of the following courses. Refer to the course page for information on how to apply for the course.
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