Not offered in 2019
The Graduate Certificate in Global Point-of-Care Testing is an 18-unit program offered by the College of Medicine and Public Health. The course is only available part-time and can be completed in two semesters.
The Graduate Certificate provides advanced level preparation for health professionals from Australian and international backgrounds wishing to specialise in point-of-care pathology testing and practice as a Point-of-Care Coordinator at a local, national or international level. Particular emphasis will be placed on preparing students for working within a multidisciplinary health care team in remote or Indigenous primary care settings in their country of origin.
The course is particularly relevant for health professionals with qualifications in the fields of health science, medical science, nursing, medicine, nutrition, paramedic science, Indigenous health or public health, and who would normally have experience, or be currently practising, as a health professional. It will also appeal to new graduates in these fields.
Admission requirements
Applicants must normally hold an approved undergraduate degree or an equivalent qualification from an approved tertiary institution.
However, the Dean (Education) may, under certain circumstances and subject to specific conditions, admit others who can show evidence of fitness for candidature.
Course aims
The Graduate Certificate in Global Point-of-Care Testing (POCT) aims to:
- provide Australian and international practising health professionals, particularly those working within the remote and Indigenous context, with advanced skills and specialty knowledge in point-of-care pathology testing (POCT);
- equip practising health professionals with the skills and knowledge required to practice as a Point-of-Care Coordinator (POCC), who is able to manage individual sites or a network of sites conducting quality-assured POCT at a local, national or international level; and
- provide practising health professionals with inter-professional learning opportunities to broaden their skills and knowledge in selected fields where POCT is widely practised and has particular application in a global context; these include remote and Indigenous health, chronic disease management, infectious diseases and disaster management.
Learning outcomes
At the completion of the course, students are expected to be able to:
- describe and critique the scope, application, clinical effectiveness, quality and sustainability of POCT services in a range of clinical settings locally, nationally, and internationally;
- critically appraise the performance of POCT devices, make decisions about fitness for purpose, and provide expertise and leadership in this emerging specialty field in hospital and community-based settings at local, national and/or international levels;
- apply their knowledge and skills to be able to design, develop and optimise POCT services for the diagnosis and management of chronic, acute and infectious disease, in a range of health care settings;
- critically analyse options for quality POCT practices in a range of health care settings;
- identify links between POCT and clinical pathways within a primary health care model of practice, taking into account the social determinants of health and the burden of chronic, acute and infectious disease in remote, marginalised and Indigenous peoples worldwide;
- demonstrate capacity to work collaboratively and productively within a multidisciplinary health professional team who value ethical behaviour and share the common goal of improving the health outcomes in remote, marginalised or Indigenous peoples worldwide; and
- apply their knowledge and skills to advocate for equitable pathology service delivery across the diverse geographical, cultural, social and economic settings in which POCT is applied globally, showing respect to the the ideas and perspectives of Indigenous people and understanding culturally safe practices.
Program of study
To qualify for the Graduate Certificate in Global Point-of-Care Testing, students must complete 18 units with a grade of P or NGP or better in each topic, according to the program of study below.
Core - Year 1 topics
9 units comprising:
MDSC8001 Advanced Point-of-Care Testing 1 (4.5 units)
MDSC8002 Advanced Point-of-Care Testing 2 (4.5 units)
Stream - Year 1 topics
plus 9 units selected from the following streams:
Remote and Indigenous Health
REMH8001 Context of Remote & Indigenous Health (4.5 units)
REMH8002 Remote & Indigenous Primary Health Care (4.5 units)
Chronic Disease
MHSC8112 Implementing Change in Healthcare Systems Supporting Chronic Condition Management (4.5 units)
MHSC8115A Chronic Condition Self Management for Specific Conditions, Contexts or Populations (4.5 units)
REMH8021 Chronic Disease in Remote and Indigenous Primary Health Care (4.5 units)
Emerging POCT Applications
MDSC8003 Disaster Management and the Role of POCT (4.5 units)
