Part A: Course Overview

Course Title: Advanced Medical Informatics and Laboratory Management

Credit Points: 12.00

Terms

Course Code

Campus

Career

School

Learning Mode

Teaching Period(s)

ONPS2449

Bundoora Campus

Postgraduate

160H Medical Sciences

Internet

 Sem 1 2012,
Sem 1 2013,
Sem 1 2014,
Sem 1 2015,
Sem 1 2016

ONPS2449

Bundoora Campus

Postgraduate

173H School of Health and Biomed

Internet

 Sem 1 2017,
Sem 1 2019,
Sem 1 2020

Course Coordinator: Prof Denise Jackson

Course Coordinator Phone: +61 3 9925 7392

Course Coordinator Email: denise.jackson@rmit.edu.au

Course Coordinator Location: 201.09.013


Pre-requisite Courses and Assumed Knowledge and Capabilities

None.


Course Description

In the context of the latest developments in the use of information technology in the practice of laboratory medicine in both the local Australian and global contexts, this course aims to firstly introduce and secondly provide more advanced aspects to the student a number of the management aspects of laboratory medicine and medical research including aspects of change management, laboratory information systems, intellectual property, creative thinking, economics of the healthcare system and pathology services, automation, point of care testing, quality systems, accreditation of laboratory services and legal issues affecting the practice of medical scientists in laboratory medicine.

The Advanced medical informatics component of the course includes the recent development of the practice of digitising and manipulating information, in particular for the purposes of image analysis and interpretation. This Advanced course also examines the role of the Internet in healthcare management, the use of information systems in the laboratory and how knowledge/expert systems can assist in decision making processes.


Objectives/Learning Outcomes/Capability Development

This course contributes to the following Program Learning Outcomes for MC158 Master of Laboratory Medicine:

  • PLO1: Knowledge capability (of discipline of medical informatics and laboratory management including Laboratory Information System, Expert systems, Automation, POCT, Accreditation, Leadership & Management, Business Case, Quality stystems, Telemedicine and E-health
  • PLO 2: Technical capability (in practice of digitising and manipulating information, in particular for the purposes of image analysis and interpretation; and how knowledge/expert systems can assist in decision making processes)
  • PLO 3: Communication skills (in presenting material for Tests, Essays and Final Examination)
  • PLO 6: Research capability (critical analysis, problem solving, in participating in problem-based exercises and case studies about medical informatics and laboratory management at the online group tutorials)


On successful completion of this course, you should be able to:

  1. Be knowledgeable in the discipline of medical informatics and laboratory management including Leadership & Management, Quality Systems, Accreditation, Expert Systems, and Laboratory Information Systems.
  2. Be able to critically evaluate the changing nature of Healthcare and Laboratory Medicine service in Automation, Point of Care testing, Telepathology and E-health.
  3. Be creative and entrepreneurial in applying knowledge of medical informatics and laboratory management and prepare a business case writing applied to a pathology service.
  4. Be able to discuss the role of code of ethics, national regulations and international standards in medical informatics and pathology laboratory management.
  5. Be able to research the literature in medical informatics and laboratory management, extract relevant information and synthesize new communications for group discussion and presentation.


Overview of Learning Activities

This course is designed to provide students with comprehensive coverage of the various topic areas. The lecture program will provide the core around which the topics will be covered. A student-centred approach to the course is adopted with students working and accessing independent learning materials on the Internet. This course involves weekly on-line lectures, on-line tutorials via RMIT's online Learning Management System (LMS) mediated by experienced industry on-line tutors.

Teacher Guided Hours: 18 per semester

Learner Directed Hours: 102 per semester


Overview of Learning Resources

Learning resources in this course include recommended text books, lecture notes (Powerpoint presentations), handouts or references on selected topics. The Learning Hub provides opportunities for students to independently access much of this material and use an asynchronous conference.


Overview of Assessment

This Course has no hurdle requirements.

Assessment Tasks

Assessment Task 1: Online tests

Weighting 20%

This assessment task supports CLOs 1, 2 & 4

Assessment Task 2: Essay 1

Weighting 15%

This assessment task supports CLOs 1, 2, 4 & 5

Assessment Task 3: Essay 2 Business Case writing

Weighting 20%

This assessment supports CLOs 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5

Assessment Task 4: Final exam

Weighting 45%

This assessment task supports CLOs 1, 2, 4 & 5