Clinical Skills Certificate Course:

History Taking and General Medical Knowledge

 

Course level:

This course is intended for ophthalmic assistants, technicians and technologists.

Course structure:

This course consists of short, illustrated reading segments. There is a quiz at the end of the course. Upon passing the quiz, the user will receive a certificate of completion.

Estimated time to complete:

One hour.


Short Course Description:

The course section on history taking includes discussion of chief complaint, history of present illness, review of systems, past medical history, medications, allergies, family history, social history, pertinent questions, triage, confidentiality, SOAP, and OPQRSTA. The course section on general medical knowledge includes discussion of the cardiovascular, respiratory, nervous, and endocrine systems. Anatomy, physiology, diseases and treatments are covered in overview.
 

For the Detailed Course Description, see below

The course can be purchased via Paypal (you don't need a Paypal account) by using the button below, $7 for 2 months of access. More than one course can be purchased at the same time by going to the course catalog. Courses can also be purchased via Authorize.net from the course catalog.

After purchase, the course can be accessed immediately by using the "courses" tab on the top menu bar to link to your "my courses" page.


Detailed Course Description

History Taking

  Chief Complaint
  History of Present Illness
  Review of Systems
  Past Medical History
  Medications
  Drug Allergies
  Family History
  Social History
  Pertinent Questions
  SOAP
  OPQRSTA
  Confidentiality (HIPAA)
  Triage
  Additional documentation and considerations
  More pertinent questions

General Medical Knowledge

The Nervous System

  • The Central Nervous System (CNS)

    • the brain

      • brainstem

      • cerebellum

      • cerebral cortex (cerebrum)

    • the spinal cord

  • The Peripheral Nervous System 

    • the cranial nerves

      • neurotransmission

      • the optic nerve

The Respiratory System

The Upper Respiratory Tract
   respiration
   nasal septum
   nasolacrimal duct
   sinus cavities
   pharynx
   esophagus
   epiglottis
   larynx

The Lower Respiratory Tract

   trachea
   bronchi
   bronchioles
   alveoli
   pleura
   diaphram
   ventilation

Common Respiratory Diseases

   asthma
   chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
   chronic bronchitis
   emphysema
   lung cancer
   pneumonia
   tuberculosis (TB)

The Cardiovascular System

Blood

   plasma
   erythrocytes
   leukocytes
   platelets

Blood vessels

   arteries
      arterioles
      aorta
      carotid
      subclavian
      organ
      iliac

veins
   venules
   vena cava

capillaries

The heart

   right side
      vena cava
      right atrium
      right ventricle
      tricuspid valve
      pulmonic valve
      pulmonary arteries

   left side
      pulmonary veins
      left atrium
      left ventricle
      mitral valve
      aortic valve
      aorta

   coronary arteries

Physiology

   systole
   diastole
   pulse rate
   sympathetic / parasympathetic
   bleeding
      vessel constriction
      coagulation
      platelets

Cardiovascular diseases
   hypertension
      common medications
   carotid artery disease
      amaurosis fugax
      ophthalmodynamometry
   arteriosclerosis and atherosclerosis
      cholesterol
      common cholesterol reducing drugs
   endocarditis
   mitral valve prolapse

The Endocrine System

   Exocrine glands / endocrine glands
   The Pituitary Gland
      regulates other glands
      pituitary tumor
         optic chiasm
      pituitary adenomaL
         optic nerve compression
         bitemporal hemianopsia
   The Thyroid Gland
      controls rate of metabolism
      hyperthyroidism (Grave's disease)
         ocular effects
      hypothyroidism
         ocular effects
   The Parathyroid Glands
      regulates blood calcium levels
   The Adrenal Glands
      regulate blood volume, heart function, and sexual characteristics
   The Pancreas
      secretes digestive enzymes and regulates blood glucose levels with insulin and glucagon
   Diabetes
      types I and II
      diabetic eye diseases
      diabetic retinopathy
      common drugs