TM5564 - Acute Care in the Resource Poor Environment

Credit points:	03
Year:	2015
Student Contribution Band:	Band 2
Administered by:	College of Public Health, Medical & Vet Sciences

This subject provides students with an overview of the knowledge, skills and attitudes required for the successful provision of acute care in a resource poor environment. The subject would encompass the full spectrum of care provided, from prior program planning and personal preparation through to recognition of problems and alternatives and how difficulties may be avoided, accepted or overcome. The focus for the subject will be on developing a fuller understanding of the difficulties encountered in providing acute care to patients in resource poor environments. It is principally concerned with the provision of care in countries other than Australia, where there are serious limits on the provision of funding for staff, equipment and medicines, such that these limitations directly impact on the provision of care. The subject will build on the theoretical knowledge gained from TM 5564 and will aim to enable the students to take this knowledge and apply it directly in a low resource setting in (country to be advised). The subject will examine the various roles filled by the health care provider in low resource settings, such as clinician, administrator, community leader and even electrician or engineer. It will also consider the level of care which may be available which will often be much lower than in developed countries. Language and culture are critical in providing care 4 in a low resource setting.

Learning Outcomes

• provide an overview of the epidemiology of patient care in resource poor environments and how this differs from standard health care within the Australian setting and examine the factors limiting care and the likely consequences in this setting;
• illustrate the importance of language and cultural factors in provision of acute care in low resource settings and examine specific ethical issues involved in the provision of care in this environment;
• provide a general overview of the clinical conditions (medical, surgical, obstetric and paediatric) likely to require in-patient management and commonly encountered in the resource poor setting;
• provide specific training in resuscitation and critical care at a level appropriate for a low resource setting and an introduction to anaesthetic techniques in this environment;
• examine the inter relationships and mutual benefits of the provision of good acute care on the effectiveness of primary health care in the low resource setting; examine the role of Government funding, non-government funding and the methods for accessing these funds; review the preparation required for those looking to work in the low resource environment.

Availabilities
Townsville, Block, Study Period 4
Census Date 26-Mar-2015
Face to face teaching 02-Mar-2015 to 13-Mar-2015
Coord/Lect:	Dr David Symmons, Ms Amy Radford.
Contact hours:	27 hours lectures 6 hours tutorials 6 hours practicals 15 hours workshops/Seminars
Assessment:	other exams (70%); presentations (20%); assignments (10%).
Special Assessment Requirements:	Students must attend at least 80% of the programmed lectures and the attendance at practical sessions and class presentations is compulsory.
Restrictions:	An enrolment quota applies to this offering.

Note: Minor variations might occur due to the continuous Subject quality improvement process, and in case of minor variation(s) in assessment details, the Subject Outline represents the latest official information.