Course overview
- Study period
- Semester 2, 2024 (22/07/2024 - 18/11/2024)
- Study level
- Postgraduate Coursework
- Location
- St Lucia
- Attendance mode
- In Person
- Units
- 2
- Administrative campus
- St Lucia
- Coordinating unit
- Health & Rehab Sci School
The course will provide students with core knowledge of healthy and disease-related ageing processes across musculoskeletal, neurological, and sensory systems in older populations. The course uses a combination of lectures, video presentations, case studies, practical classes, and independent learning packages. Students will gain professional competencies in: conducting client interviews; assessing and identifying changes in movement and posture which are within or outside the expectations of normal ageing parameters; prescribing appropriate management strategies including exercise and; understanding current clinical guidelines, policy and practice related to the older person. Specialty areas addressed in the course include falls prevention, dizziness (vestibular rehabilitation), women’s and men's health, oncology, palliative care, pharmacology, and psychiatry.
Course requirements
Assumed background
Students entering this course will have completed all PHTY coded courses across the prior 2 semesters in the Masters of Physiotherapy Studies program: these courses provide necessary specific background knowledge on which to build new knowledge explored in PHTY7823.
Prerequisites
You'll need to complete the following courses before enrolling in this one:
PHTY7811, PHTY7815
Restrictions
MPhtySt
Jointly taught details
This course is jointly-taught with:
- PHTY2230
This course shares teaching activities which are delivered jointly with the equivalent undergraduate course student cohort (PHTY2230).
Course contact
Course staff
Lecturer
Guest lecturer
Dr Glenda Gobe
Mr Karl Winckel
Professor Paul Hodges
Mrs Emma Mitchell
Ms Sarah Christ
Tutor
Dr Robyn Lamont
Ms Sarah Christ
Timetable
The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.
Additional timetable information
Please check the PHTY7823 Blackboard site on a weekly basis.
Details of occasional online seminars (to be held via Zoom) or any changes to practical class timetables (due to the occurrence of public holidays), will also be available on the PHTY7823 Blackboard site.
Aims and outcomes
This course aims to enable you to:
- Understand and recognise healthy and disease-related ageing processes affecting the musculoskeletal, neurological, and sensory systems, to underpin client assessment and management strategies.
- Demonstrate effective communication skills when managing vulnerable older people, their families/carers, and multidisciplinary team members, in relation to client assessment and management.
- Apply the ICF framework to the assessment of an older person to identify functional limitations, underlying disease processes, and in developing client-centred rehabilitation goals.
- Develop a rationale to justify the selection and implementation of functional goal-oriented management strategies for older populations with age-related degeneration, injury, and disease, including specialist areas of balance, dizziness, bladder and bowel continence, and oncology.
- Understand the key clinical problems, and role of physiotherapy, within the specialist area of Men's Health.
- Develop a rationale to justify the selection and implementation of assessment andﾠtreatment strategies for women during the antenatal and postnatal stages of pregnancy, and for the management of continence, pelvic pain, and menopause.
- Identify major falls risk factors and use clinical reasoning processes to develop effective preventative programs in line with current policy and practice guidelines.
- Understand the role of the physiotherapist and multidisciplinary team in the management of older clients within community, hospital, palliative care, and residential aged care facilities.
- Understand the theoretical underpinning of psychiatry across the lifespan and have knowledge of strategies for dealing with grief and loss.
Learning outcomes
After successfully completing this course you should be able to:
LO1.
Apply knowledge of healthy and disease-related ageing processes affecting the cardiorespiratory, musculoskeletal, neurological, and sensory systems, to select appropriate client assessments, develop and execute tailored treatment programs.
LO2.
Demonstrate clear and coherent communication skills with older people (including those with confusion/dementia), their families/carers, and other health care professionals to clearly transfer information related to the assessment and management of clients, and competently teach treatment techniques.
LO3.
Apply knowledge of the ICF framework to guide and underpin the planning of assessment and development of client-centred rehabilitation goals in older people.
LO4.
Demonstrate the use of critical thinking, initiative and judgement, competent technical and communication skills to develop and execute management strategies (including exercise programs), for older people with multi-pathologies and disability, in line with recent developments in evidence-base and professional practice.
LO5.
Demonstrate knowledge of common health concerns experienced by men and understanding of the role of physiotherapy management in Mens Health.
LO6.
Demonstrate the use of critical thinking, initiative and judgement, competent technical and communication skills to develop treatment strategies for women during the antenatal and postnatal stages of pregnancy, and for the management of continence, pelvic pain, and menopause, in line with recent evidence-base and clinical practice guidelines.
LO7.
Apply advanced knowledge of falls risk factors and use clinical reasoning skills to develop management and preventative programs for complex older patients in accordance with current developments in evidence-base, professional practice guidelines and policy, across community, hospital, and residential aged care settings.
LO8.
Demonstrate an awareness of physiotherapy and multidisciplinary team practice for older people and be able to adapt practice (including technical and communication skills) across diverse contexts related to aged care.
LO9.
Identify psychiatric conditions and demonstrate knowledge of their management across the lifespan, including the ethical implications of cognitive impairment on physiotherapy practice, and strategies for dealing with grief and loss.
Assessment
Assessment summary
| Category | Assessment task | Weight | Due date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reflection |
Reflective Journal Communication with Older People
|
5% PASS/FAIL |
23/08/2024 4:00 pm |
| Examination |
In-Semester Practical Examination
|
30% MUST PASS |
20/09/2024 9:00 am
Where possible, students will be examined in their usual practical class time for this course. The practical exam schedule will be posted to the PHTY7823 Blackboard site, at least one week prior to the exam. |
| Examination |
In-Semester Theory Examination
|
35% MUST PASS |
2/10/2024 9:00 am |
| Examination |
End of Semester Theory Examination
|
30% MUST PASS |
End of Semester Exam Period 2/11/2024 - 16/11/2024 |
A hurdle is an assessment requirement that must be satisfied in order to receive a specific grade for the course. Check the assessment details for more information about hurdle requirements.
Assessment details
Reflective Journal Communication with Older People
- Online
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Reflection
- Weight
- 5% PASS/FAIL
- Due date
23/08/2024 4:00 pm
Task description
Students are required to complete a journal entry, reflecting on their experience conducting a medical interview of a self-sourced older person (completed in Week 4), specifically focusing on their communication skills.
In no more than 500 words, students are expected to describe their experience interviewing an older person. The following points can be used to guide the reflective piece:
- How did the interview go overall? Did you encounter any challenges?
- Did you obtain all the clinical/personal information required? What questions, if any, remained unanswered and why?
- What were your thoughts and feelings during the interview?
- What would you do differently when talking to an older person/client for the first time, who is not familiar to you?
- Did you conclude the interview with a clear understanding of the older person’s (health-related) goals and priorities?
Students are also required to attach a copy of their interview notes – i.e. completed UQ Neurological, Ageing and Balance (NAB) Clinic Assessment Form – to support their journal entry. The interview notes MUST remain anonymous.
This task has been designed to be challenging, authentic and complex. Whilst students may use AI technologies, successful completion of assessment in this course will require students to critically engage in specific contexts and tasks for which artificial intelligence will provide only limited support and guidance. A failure to reference generative AI use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct. To pass this assessment, students will be required to demonstrate detailed comprehension of their written submission independent of AI tools.
Submission guidelines
The Reflective Journal is to be submitted via the PHTY7823 course Blackboard site.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 14 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
In-Semester Practical Examination
- Hurdle
- Identity Verified
- In-person
- Mode
- Activity/ Performance, Oral
- Category
- Examination
- Weight
- 30% MUST PASS
- Due date
20/09/2024 9:00 am
Where possible, students will be examined in their usual practical class time for this course. The practical exam schedule will be posted to the PHTY7823 Blackboard site, at least one week prior to the exam.
Task description
This examination will assess practical skills taught in Weeks 1-6. Each student will complete 2 x 7 minute stations (1 x Balance Assessment/Treatment station AND 1 x Vestibular Assessment/Treatment station).
Each station is worth 15%. Students must achieve ≥55% for EACH station, in order to pass this assessment item overall. Where a safety fail occurs, this will constitute a fail overall for the station concerned.
This is a MUST PASS component of the course.
In this course the recording of an assessment (oral/practical) performance has been waived, a record of student performance will be taken by other means such as audio recording or detailed written notes that can be referred to if a remark is required at a later date.
This assessment task is to be completed in-person. The use of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools will not be permitted. Any attempted use of Generative AI may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Hurdle requirements
This is a MUST PASS exam, in order to pass the course overall.Exam details
| Planning time | no planning time minutes |
|---|---|
| Duration | 14 minutes |
| Calculator options | No calculators permitted |
| Open/closed book | Closed Book examination - no written materials permitted |
| Exam platform | Other |
| Invigilation | Invigilated in person |
Submission guidelines
Deferral or extension
You may be able to defer this exam.
In-Semester Theory Examination
- Hurdle
- Identity Verified
- In-person
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Examination
- Weight
- 35% MUST PASS
- Due date
2/10/2024 9:00 am
- Other conditions
- Time limited.
Task description
This paper-based (on campus) 60 minute (+10 minutes planning time) written examination, comprising short answer questions, will cover material pertaining to the following subject areas:
- Ageing Systems & Assessment
- Residential Aged Care
- Dementia & Confusion
- Community Based Rehabilitation
- Falls
- Exercise Prescription
- Pharmacy
- Palliative Care
- Oncology
- Psychiatry
This is a MUST PASS component of the course.
This assessment task is to be completed in-person. The use of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools will not be permitted. Any attempted use of Generative AI may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Hurdle requirements
This is a MUST PASS exam, in order to pass the course overall.Exam details
| Planning time | 10 minutes |
|---|---|
| Duration | 60 minutes |
| Calculator options | No calculators permitted |
| Open/closed book | Closed Book examination - no written materials permitted |
| Exam platform | Paper based |
| Invigilation | Invigilated in person |
Submission guidelines
Deferral or extension
You may be able to defer this exam.
End of Semester Theory Examination
- Hurdle
- In-person
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Examination
- Weight
- 30% MUST PASS
- Due date
End of Semester Exam Period
2/11/2024 - 16/11/2024
- Other conditions
- Time limited.
Task description
This paper-based (on campus) 60 minute (+10 minutes planning time) written examination, comprising long answer questions in response to complex clinical cases, will cover material pertaining to the following subject areas:
- Women's Health: Antenatal and Postnatal Care; Continence; Pelvic Pain; Menopause; Exercise (within the context of Women's Health)
- Men's Health
This is a MUST PASS component of the course.
This assessment task is to be completed in-person. The use of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools will not be permitted. Any attempted use of Generative AI may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Hurdle requirements
This is a MUST PASS exam, in order to pass the course overall.Exam details
| Planning time | 10 minutes |
|---|---|
| Duration | 60 minutes |
| Calculator options | No calculators permitted |
| Open/closed book | Closed Book examination - no written materials permitted |
| Exam platform | Paper based |
| Invigilation | Invigilated in person |
Submission guidelines
Deferral or extension
You may be able to defer this exam.
Course grading
Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.
| Grade | Cut off Percent | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 (Low Fail) | 0 - 34 |
Absence of evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: A cumulative percentage from all assessment of 0 - 34%. |
| 2 (Fail) | 35 - 44 |
Minimal evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: A cumulative percentage from all assessment of 35 - 44%. |
| 3 (Marginal Fail) | 45 - 54 |
Demonstrated evidence of developing achievement of course learning outcomes Course grade description: A cumulative percentage from all assessment of 45 - 54%. A grade of 3 will be awarded to a student who achieves a final mark of 55% or higher but who does not pass 'must pass' assessment items listed. |
| 4 (Pass) | 55 - 64 |
Demonstrated evidence of functional achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: A cumulative percentage from all assessment of 55 - 64% and has passed the 'must pass' assessment items listed. |
| 5 (Credit) | 65 - 74 |
Demonstrated evidence of proficient achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: A cumulative percentage from all assessment of 65 - 74% and has passed the 'must pass' assessment items listed. |
| 6 (Distinction) | 75 - 84 |
Demonstrated evidence of advanced achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: A cumulative percentage from all assessment of 75 - 84% and has passed the 'must pass' assessment items listed. |
| 7 (High Distinction) | 85 - 100 |
Demonstrated evidence of exceptional achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: A cumulative percentage from all assessment of 85 - 100% and has passed the 'must pass' assessment items listed. |
Additional course grading information
Final marks falling between whole percentages will be rounded to the nearest whole percentage. Tie-breaking will be conducted using the round half up method whereby half-way values are always rounded up, meaning, for example, that 89.5% and above will be rounded to 90% and 89.49% and below will be rounded down to 89%.
IMPORTANT NOTE: This course contains ‘must pass’ assessment items, as follows: In-Semester Practical Examination, In-Semester Theory Examination, and End of Semester Theory Examination.ﾠYou must pass this items to pass this course overall, i.e. even if your final percentage mark is 55% or higher the individual ‘must pass’ assessment items must have been passed.
Supplementary assessment
Supplementary assessment is available for this course.
Additional assessment information
Use of Generative AI in Assessments
Assessment tasks in this course evaluate students' abilities, skills, and knowledge without the aid of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Students are advised that the use of AI technologies to develop responses is strictly prohibited and may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Resubmission/Resit of Assessment Items
The School of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences supports the concept of resubmission or resitting of failed assessment items in specific and defined circumstances. In this course, the In-Semester Practical Examination and In-Semester Theory Examination are eligible for consideration of the resit option if the assessment item was submitted/completed on time.
After resubmission or resit, the maximum result is a pass mark for that assessment component. Students who are granted a resubmission/resit for an assessment item and do not submit by/attend on the scheduled date will not be granted an extension/permitted to reschedule the assessment.
Deferred exams
Students may be eligible for a deferred exam if there are exceptional or unavoidable circumstances, or as a one-off discretionary request. Deferred exam requests should be submitted as soon as possible, and no later than five calendar days after the date of the original exam.
Further details, including how to apply, can be found at -ﾠhttps://my.uq.edu.au/node/189/0#0. Please also email the Course Coordinator to advise of the deferred exam request.
Submitting assessment in Blackboard and Turnitin
When assessment is submitted through ﾠBlackboard ﾠyou will receive a confirmation page as a digital receipt.ﾠThis information will also be sent to your student e-mail account.ﾠPlease ensure you keep this email.
When assessment is submitted throughﾠ Turnitin ﾠyou will receive a confirmation page displaying “Submission Complete” and can then proceed to download your digital receiptﾠfrom yourﾠ Assignment inbox.ﾠ It is suggested that you save a copy of the receipt for your personal records.
Instructions on how to submit assignments through Blackboard and Turnitin are available at: ﾠhttps://web.library.uq.edu.au/library-services/it/learnuq-blackboard-help/learnuq-assessment. Please review this information so you understand how to successfully submit your assessment items.
Learning resources
You'll need the following resources to successfully complete the course. We've indicated below if you need a personal copy of the reading materials or your own item.
Library resources
Find the required and recommended resources for this course on the UQ Library website.
Additional learning resources information
The Blackboard site for PHTY7823 contains learning resources covering all themes for this course. ﾠPlease refer to the Course Details forﾠ PHTY7823 for the full ﾠrecommended reading lists.
ﾠ
Learning activities
The learning activities for this course are outlined below. Learn more about the learning outcomes that apply to this course.
Filter activity type by
Please select
| Learning period | Activity type | Topic |
|---|---|---|
Multiple weeks From Week 1 To Week 13 |
Practical |
Practical Classes Weekly practical classes will enable students to apply knowledge and skills to clinical scenarios, encompassing the assessment and delivery of treatment techniques in older populations, women during pregnancy, and adults with life-limiting illness. |
Multiple weeks From Week 1 To Week 2 |
Lecture |
Vestibular Rehabilitation This lecture series will provide students with knowledge of assessment and treatment techniques for clients with vestibular pathologies. |
Multiple weeks From Week 3 To Week 4 |
Lecture |
Ageing Systems & Aged Care This lecture series will provide students with knowledge of ageing systems in health and disease; physiotherapy assessment techniques, with an emphasis on communication skills; and the role of physiotherapy practice for older people in the community and residential aged care. |
Multiple weeks From Week 5 To Week 6 |
Lecture |
Balance, Falls & Exercise This lecture series will provide students with knowledge of assessment and treatment techniques for clients with balance problems, including strategies to identify and prevent accidental falls in older people. |
Multiple weeks From Week 7 To Week 9 |
Lecture |
Oncology & Palliative Care This lecture series will provide students with knowledge of oncology and palliative care, including physiotherapy assessment techniques and multidisciplinary management approaches (including psychiatry) and; advanced communication skills for interacting with clients with life-limiting illness. |
Multiple weeks From Week 10 To Week 13 |
Lecture |
Women's & Men's Health This lecture series will provide students with knowledge of physiotherapy assessment and management techniques for the antenatal and postnatal stages of pregnancy, continence, pelvic pain, and menopause. Students will also develop knowledge of health concerns specific to men. |
Policies and procedures
University policies and procedures apply to all aspects of student life. As a UQ student, you must comply with University-wide and program-specific requirements, including the:
- Student Code of Conduct Policy
- Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy and Procedure
- Assessment Procedure
- Examinations Procedure
- Reasonable Adjustments - Students Policy and Procedure
Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.