Availabilities:

LocationDomesticInternational
Gold Coast
Lismore

Unit description

Further develops clinical reasoning skills required in the holistic assessment of the individual with particular emphasis on osteopathic physical examination.  Develops students' clinical reasoning skills as they interpret clinical findings and their consequences for clinical practice. Advances students’ ability to integrate neuro-musculoskeletal and other physical assessment into osteopathic clinical practice.

Unit content

  • Mechanical, physiological and biochemical changes found in selected disorders compared to normal anatomy and physiology
  • Signs and symptoms of common conditions of regions and systems of the body
  • Critical analysis of the evidence supporting assessment and diagnosis of common conditions
  • Physical assessment of the regions of the body, integrating the neurological, musculoskeletal and visceral systems
  • Clinical reasoning skills: Interpreting clinical findings and developing individual management plans for patients with a wide range of clinical problems
  • Professional behaviour and ethico-legal requirements for health care practice

Learning outcomes

Unit Learning Outcomes express learning achievement in terms of what a student should know, understand and be able to do on completion of a unit. These outcomes are aligned with the graduate attributes. The unit learning outcomes and graduate attributes are also the basis of evaluating prior learning.

On completion of this unit, students should be able to:
1demonstrate systematic, thorough patient interview and effective communication skills
2contrast the mechanical, physiological and biochemical changes found in selected disorders of the neuro-musculoskeletal system to normal anatomy and physiology
3integrate signs and symptoms of a wide range of diseases of the neurological and musculoskeletal systems to generate relevant lists of differential diagnoses
4demonstrate effective and competent skills in neurological assessment protocols, orthopaedic assessment protocols and musculoskeletal assessment protocols
5use clinical reasoning to select appropriate patient assessment strategies in order to formulate adequate working diagnoses
6construct relevant and comprehensive overall management plans for a variety of working diagnoses

On completion of this unit, students should be able to:

  1. demonstrate systematic, thorough patient interview and effective communication skills
  2. contrast the mechanical, physiological and biochemical changes found in selected disorders of the neuro-musculoskeletal system to normal anatomy and physiology
  3. integrate signs and symptoms of a wide range of diseases of the neurological and musculoskeletal systems to generate relevant lists of differential diagnoses
  4. demonstrate effective and competent skills in neurological assessment protocols, orthopaedic assessment protocols and musculoskeletal assessment protocols
  5. use clinical reasoning to select appropriate patient assessment strategies in order to formulate adequate working diagnoses
  6. construct relevant and comprehensive overall management plans for a variety of working diagnoses

Prescribed Learning Resources

Prescribed Texts
  • Bickley, LS & Szilagyi, PG, 2012, Bates' guide to physical examination and history taking, 11th edn, Wolters Kluwer Health/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Philadelphia, USA.
  • Petty, NJ (D.) 2011, foreword by Alison Rushton, 2011, Neuromusculoskeletal examination and assessment : a handbook for therapists, 4th edn, Churchill Livingstone Elsevier, Edinburgh.
Prescribed Learning Resources may change in future Teaching Periods

Teaching and assessment

Teaching method
Structured online learning 1 hour (12 weeks)
Practical 3 hours (12 weeks)
Practical 30 minutes per week (12 weeks)
Assessment
Performance of systems examinationSR
OSCE50%
Exam: take home30%
Exam: Online20%

Teaching method
Structured online learning 1 hour (12 weeks)
Practical 3 hours (12 weeks)
Practical 30 minutes per week (12 weeks)
Assessment
Performance of systems examinationSR
OSCE50%
Exam: take home30%
Exam: Online20%
Notice

Intensive offerings may or may not be scheduled in every teaching period. Please refer to the timetable for further details.

Southern Cross University employs different teaching methods within units to provide students with the flexibility to choose the mode of learning that best suits them. SCU academics strive to use the latest approaches and, as a result, the learning modes and materials may change. The most current information regarding a unit will be provided to enrolled students at the beginning of the teaching period.

Fee information

Domestic

Commonwealth Supported courses
For information regarding Student Contribution Amounts please visit the Student Contribution Amounts.

Fee paying courses
For postgraduate or undergraduate full fee paying courses please check Domestic Postgraduate Fees OR Domestic Undergraduate Fees

International

Please check the international course and fee list to determine the relevant fees.

+