School of Life Sciences  
 
 
LSC-30009 Clinical Pathology  
Co-ordinator: Prof William Farrell   Tel:01782 674389  
Teaching Team:  
Lecture Time: See Timetable...  
Level: 3 Credits: 15 Study Hours: 150  
School Office: Tel: 01782 734414
 
 
 
Programme/Approved Electives for

Biochemistry Major (Level 3)
Biochemistry Minor (Level 3)
Biology Major (Level 3)
Biology Minor (Level 3)
Human Biology Minor (Level 3)

Available as a Free Standing Elective

No

Prerequisites

LSC-10038 and/or LSC-20050 (pre-requisites). Students who have not taken the prerequisites may in some circumstances, after consultation with the module manager, be allowed to take the course

Barred Combinations

None

Description

The majority of staff that contribute to the module are employees of the University Hospital of North Staffordshire (UHNS). In these cases, their principle responsibilities are towards patient care and well-being. These staff, therefore, hold significant posts across a spectrum of clinical and clinical related areas. Students will benefit from lectures and expertise in Clinical Diagnostic Pathology,Pharmacology, Biochemistry, Genetics and Inflammatory Diseases. Students will gain insight how patients from their initial presentation at the UHNS are managed from the perspective of diagnosis and treatment. The course will cover both standardised testing options and the development of new diagnostic procedures with a particular emphasis on genetic and epigenetic aspects of disease. Student will also gain an appreciation of the cost benefit of particular routes for diagnosis and treatment and the importance of identifying false positive and false negative results. Finally, the students will have the opportunity to perform their own extensive literature review of a disease related topic that is not covered by the course through formal lectures.

Aims

The aims of the module are to illustrate the roles of existing and newly emerging biochemical and molecular techniques including the use of personalised medicines in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases within a hospital pathology department. Students will also gain an appreciation of cost-benefit decisions that are inherent in many of the diagnostic methodologies and their implications for both the patient and the clinician.

Intended Learning Outcomes

An appreciation of the pivotal role played by a modern pathology laboratory in the diagnosis and treatment of various diseases.
Critically discuss the routes available, at initial presentation, to the clinician to establish (a) cause, (b) diagnosis, (c) treatment of particular diseases.
Describe the ways in which personalised medicines might be identified and used in the treatment of specific diseases.
Discuss the ways in which basic research is/has led to an understanding of disease processes.
Discuss the ways in which research into immunological and biochemical mechanisms of inflammation have led to development of new therapies in certain inflammatory conditions.
Evaluate the resource constraints and limitations, with particular reference to false negative and false positive results, of particular tests and techniques.
Make effective use of appropriate database searches for the acquisition of information pertinent to the aims and outcome of the course.
An insight into the variety of techniques used from classical biochemistry through to more recent molecular pathological investigations, identification of person-based drug targets and to techniques and technologies currently under development.
Critically discuss, citing named examples, the types of assessment used on initial presentation and during subsequent treatment.
Understand the role of cost-benefit with respect to resource allocation and cost effectiveness in the diagnoses and monitoring of treatment strategies.


Study hours

15 Hours Lectures
08 Hours Reference retrieval additional reading.
127 Hours Private study

Description of Module Assessment

1: Essay weighted 33%
ESSAY-3000 WORDS


2: 2 Hour Unseen Exam weighted 67%
UNSEEN EXAM - 2 HOURS



Version: (1.06B) Updated: 03/Oct/2013

This document is the definitive current source of information about this module and supersedes any other information.