Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

This is a required course which fulfills a portion of the curriculum for a degree in Ophthalmic Medical Technology.
The extent of transferability or credit allowed for this course would be dependent upon the institution and the program to which the student is transferring.
This course is limited to students admitted to the OMT program.

Upon successful completion students should be able to:

1. Continue to expand knowledge of issues pertinent to the ophthalmology setting including background of healthcare issues.
2. Use principles of blood borne pathogens training to work safely in the clinical setting.
3. Work within ethical and professional parameters of ophthalmic medical practice.

The course is presented by means of lecture, group projects, video presentation and discussion. 

Students will demonstrate learning outcomes by the following tasks conducted individually and in cooperation with other students:
    1.  Students are required to participate in class discussions, small group activities demonstrating an understanding of guest speaker presentations, lectures, handout materials and audiovisual presentations.
   
 The student will be responsible for completing all course work regardless of absenteeism. The student is responsible for materials handed out in class and assignments made during class. Make-up assignments for any classes missed will be at the discretion of the course instructor.

The student will demonstrate understanding of the following themes, issues, concepts and development of the following skills:
THEMES, CONCEPTS, ISSUES:

• History of health care in the United States.
• Medical Ethics, Patient Confidentiality
• Bloodborne Pathogen training
• Ethical Behavior and Professionalism
• Open Forum and Lectures

Competencies and Skill: History of health care in the United States

• Highlight a brief chronological history of medicine.
• Describe historical developments which currently influence the health care industry.
• Distinguish types of medical practices such as individual private practices, partnerships, group practices, health maintenance organizations and government programs.

Medical Ethics

• Explain the principles of ethics of the American Academy of Ophthalmology.
• Define principles involved in ethical care of ophthalmic patients.
• Describe law/policies for the control, use, and release of health information, including the corrective lens prescription.
• Specify procedures for insuring the confidentiality of health information.
• Describe procedures for insuring security of computerized information.
• Respond ethically for requests for patient information.
• Define informed consent and explain its importance.
• Discuss patient confidentiality and define the professional's role in maintaining that confidentiality.
• Identify various torts in medical practice and explain the consensual nature of the physician-patient relationship.

Ethical Behavior and Professionalism

• Define ethical behavior and how it applies in the workplace
• Define professionalism and the characteristics and principles of a professional. 

Open Forum and Lectures

• Provide an opportunity for guest lectures and/or general class discussion on related subjects of interest to the class.
• Provide an open forum for discussion of students clinical activities and the various procedural methods utilized at the clinical affiliation sties.