BIOB2400 Patophysiology and Laboratory Diagnostics Course description

Knowledge of pathophysiological processes, such as inflammation, infection, cell damage, cell death and cancer development is essential to understanding disease processes. Characterising the disturbances in the biological processes, which take place in connection with disease, forms the basis for laboratory diagnostics. Analysis of biochemical markers and cells from different organs is important to the diagnosis and treatment of patients, and the medical laboratory scientist is key in the completion of these analyses.

The course comprises a project in interdisciplinary communication, interaction and supervision

Passed first year of the programme or equivalent.

After completing the course, the student is expected to have achieved the following learning outcomes defined in terms of knowledge, skills and general competence: 

Knowledge 

The student 

• can explain the causes of selected diseases in the liver and the gastrointestinal system, the endocrine system, the cardiovascular system, the respiratory system, the reproduction system, the skeletal-muscular system, the circulatory system, the fluid, electrolyte and acid/base balance, and the kidney and urinary tract system
• can explain biological processes that occur in connection with selected diseases in different organs, and how analyses of biological material can contribute to determine disease
• has knowledge of the relevance and significance of laboratory investigations for preventing, diagnosing and treating disease
• is familiar with methods, laboratory equipment and biomedical laboratory tasks in nuclear medicine and pharmacology
• can describe communication theories relevant to the dissemination of biomedical laboratory practice 
• is familiar with how children and adolescents’ participation and rights can be secured when taking blood samples

Skills 

The student

• can discuss and reflect on the significance of laboratory investigations in diagnostics
• can master cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and use a defibrillator
• can find, assess and follow the applicable guidelines for protection against ionising radiation

General competence

The student

• can disseminate academic knowledge and supervise fellow students across professions

The course consists of the following subject areas, specified below as the number of credits:

• Pathophysiology and laboratory diagnostics, 7 credits
• Interprofessional communication and interaction, 3 credits

Work and teaching methods include lectures, seminars, group assignments and project work.

The teaching methods the flipped classroom and team-based learning (TBL) are used for parts of the course. Digital learning resources or group assignments will be made available to students in advance, and the time they spend at the university will be used to work on assignments and group work.

The interdisciplinary project is carried out in groups including students from other health science programmes, for example supervision of blood sample collection. A course in supervision will be organised before the project. The project is carried out in the fourth semester

In order to be permitted to take the exam, the following must have been approved: 

• a minimum of 80 per cent attendance at seminars
• a minimum of 80 per cent attendance in scheduled project work
• a completed course in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and the use of a defibrillator

Combined assessment:

• Part 1 - Pathophysiology. Supervised individual written exam, 3 hours
• Part 2 - Project work. Written report from project in groups of 3-5 students, 1,500-2,500 words. The report is submitted at the end of the project.

Students must pass both parts of the exam to pass the course.

Resit exam: If the student(s) is(are) awarded a fail in one part of the exam, this part must be retaken. Groups that fail Part 2 (project work) are given one (1) opportunity to submit a reworked version.

Part 1: No aids are permitted.

Part 2: All aids are permitted, as long as the rules for source referencing are complied with.

Part 1: A-F.

Part 2: Pass/fail

All exam papers are assessed by two examiners. A minimum of twenty per cent of the exam papers will be assessed by an external examiner. The external examiner’s assessment shall benefit all students.

4 credits overlap with the course BIO2000 Medical Biochemistry and Laboratory Diagnosis

3 credits overlap with the course BIOPRA1.