MCM5507 - Child health - 2017

Primary care involves providing health care to patients across a variety of age groups. It is important to understand, however, that child health issues differ from the health issues of adults. The child health unit will focus on children aged 0-14 years. Health professionals working with children in this age group require knowledge and skills which are different to those skills utilised when managing adults. The child health unit recognises this need and aims to build on the existing knowledge of health professionals who work with children in the primary health care setting. It addresses aspects of child health commonly encountered in primary care and includes the initial management of common paediatric emergencies and developmental assessments. The child health unit focuses on a systematic and evidence-based approach to child health issues, comprehensive management plans that include carers of children and various health professionals, and the assessment and management of children in the context of their psychosocial and physical environment.

The child health unit has been designed for general practitioners, family medicine specialists, nurses and allied health professionals who work with children in the primary health care setting. The child health unit runs over 12 sessions. It is run as an interactive case-based and clinically-focussed unit to ensure relevance to all students of varying health professional backgrounds and geographical location. By the completion of the child health unit, students should be well equipped with the knowledge and skills for the systematic assessment and initial management of common presentations within the student's own primary health care setting.

Upon successful completion of this unit, students should be able to:

1. Develop a systematic and evidence-based approach to the diagnosis and management of child health issues which commonly present in the primary health care setting.
2. Assess child development using valid and reliable assessment instruments, determine deviations from the norm and formulate appropriate management strategies in the primary health care setting.
3. Formulate a comprehensive management plan surrounding child health by collaborating with other health professionals.
4. Analyse the psychosocial and environmental context of children's lives and apply this analysis to child health.
5. Identify paediatric emergencies which commonly present in the primary health care setting and formulate an appropriate initial management plan.
6. Effectively use the available literature to inform ongoing learning needs relating to child health.

• Case report (1,500 words) (20%)
• Case scenario report (1,000 words) (10%)
• Individual structured oral presentation (20 minutes) (30%)
• Clinical decision tasks at the end of each module (up to 2,500 words in total) (10% for each module) (40%) (hurdle)

Hurdle requirement:

Throughout this unit there are a number of activities (eg: discussion forums, individual wikis, group wikis, quizzes and virtual patients).

Satisfactory participation in ALL of these activities is a requirement in order to progress through this unit.

12 sessions (divided into 4 modules).

6 hours per session of directed study and 6 hours per session of self-directed study.

Total: 144 hours.

See also Unit timetable information

Dr Eli Ristevski

MFM1007.