Course Description

This course will explore the major agents of infectious disease in a systems approach. It will provide a knowledge base of the interdisciplinary aspects of infectious disease for expanded roles for clinical laboratory professionals as members of the health care team. Emphasis will be on bacterial agents, with a brief overview of non-bacterial agents (parasites, fungi, viruses). The course will introduce the commonly encountered infectious disease agents, including clinical presentation, pathophysiology, medical laboratory diagnosis, continued monitoring, interdisciplinary aspects of the disease state related to medical laboratory parameters, and treatment options.

Credits/Modes of Instruction

Credits:  3

Students should anticipate spending approximately 135 hours on the course, or an average of 9-12 hours per week for 15 weeks. The course is web-based. Modes of instruction and course format include online instruction, online discussion, live webinars, journal and Internet readings, written assignments, directed study, and a final paper.

Prerequisites

Baccalaureate degree, with course work in Clinical Microbiology and/or work experience in a clinical microbiology laboratory.
Additional Requirements: Students may be required to interact with department supervisors and/or lab administrators, pathologists, physicians, or other healthcare professionals to explore some discussion questions.

Course Goals and Outcomes:

Goals

The general goal of this course is to prepare health professionals to interact in the health care team with knowledge of the interdisciplinary aspects of infectious diseases.

Upon completion of the course, the student will be able to:
Discuss infectious diseases that affect major organ systems including the clinical presentation, epidemiological aspects, and causes, routes of transmission, diagnosis, and treatment options.
Differentiate between different diseases with similar presentations.
Compare and contrast clinical microbiology strategies for diagnosis and monitoring of infectious diseases.
Correlate multidisciplinary clinical laboratory parameters in infectious disease states.