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Rutgers SHP Requirements for Graduation and Course Descriptions

Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences/Medical Laboratory Sciences

Clinical Laboratory Science

CLSC6274 - Infectious Disease

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 epidemiology, 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 11 -12 hours per week for 12 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.

Outcomes

Upon completion of the course, the student will be able to:
Explain historical and current terms used in epidemiology and microbiology.
Discuss the epidemiology and virulence factors associated with food-borne illnesses.
Compare and contrast tick-borne infectious diseases.
Discuss emerging or re-emerging infectious diseases regarding the clinical presentation, epidemiological aspects, causes, routes of transmission, diagnosis, and treatment options.
Discuss current trends in anti-microbial resistance, including causes, and potential treatment responses.
Compare and contrast live (attenuated), killed (inactivate), and subunit or recombinant vaccines as to immune responses generated, strengths, limitations, and relative safety.
Describe the human microbiome in various sites, as well as current understanding and research into the effects of the microbiome on health and disease.
Given a patient case scenario with laboratory data, evaluate the laboratory data to determine the possible diseases, the appropriateness of tests ordered, and the appropriate additional laboratory testing to confirm a diagnosis.
Interpret and analyze data from the scientific literature.