| Title: |
Laboratory Systems and Public Health in Resource-Limited Settings (LAB-SPHERE) |
| Keywords: |
Public Health
Laboratory
Health systems
Disease prevention & control
Communicable diseases (in general)
|
| Country: |
Germany
|
| Institution: |
Germany - Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine (BNITM)
|
| Course coordinator: |
Dr Daniela Fusco
|
| Date start: |
2021-09-06 |
| Date end: |
2021-09-17 |
| About duration and dates: |
The course covers a period of 2 weeks, in which students engage full-time in face-to-face teaching and learning activities, including lectures, individual- and group-based practical sessions |
| Classification: |
advanced optional
|
| Mode of delivery: |
Face to face
|
Course location:
Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine (BNITM)
Bernhard-Nocht-Str. 74
20359 Hamburg
Tel: +49 40 42818 243
Email: shortcourse@bnitm.de
Website: www.bnitm.de
tropEd representative: Dewi Ismajani Puradiredja
Email: puradiredja@bnitm.de |
|
| ECTS credit points: |
3 ECTS credits
|
SIT:
90 SIT (incl. 51 hours lectures/contact time + 27.5 hours group-based assignment + 10 hours of self-directed learning + 1.5 hour individual assessed assignment) |
|
| Language: |
English
|
Description:
At the end of this module the student should be able to:
i. Develop strategies to build sustainable laboratory systems in limited-resource settings (i.e. low and middle income countries, rural areas, remote regions) based on a combination of clinical, social and operational research methods
ii. Design a holistic implementation plan for new diagnostic approaches within the context of public health in limited-resource settings taking into consideration the multidisciplinarity of public health (i.e. medicine, socio-anthropological sciences, biology and epidemiology)
iii. Assess key concepts of laboratory services within the context of health services and systems and in response to humanitarian emergencies
iv. Explain elements of the laboratory management system, differentiating between different types of laboratories (e.g. diagnostic, research, and reference laboratories)
v. Demonstrate awareness of the relevance interdisciplinary
cooperation across the fields of laboratory medicine, medical sciences and public health in response to infectious disease threats, natural disasters, war and conflict, and other humanitarian emergencies |
|
Assessment Procedures:
- Individual written assignment: 1.5 hour – multiple choice question-based exam (60%)
In order to assess LOs iii, iv
- Group assignment: oral presentation on the implementation of a diagnostic strategy in a fictional setting (40%)
In order to assess LOs i, ii, v
If a student fails to reach the pass grade of 60%, s/he will be provided with a re-sit written essay-based assignment (ca. 1500-2000 words) to be submitted 3 weeks after receiving the assessment results. |
|
Content:
Well-functioning and sustainable laboratory services are key components of strong health systems and crucial for improving public health and research capacities of countries. This course aims at describing the role of laboratory systems in strengthening health services and research capacity with a special focus on low and middle-income countries (LMIC). The emphasis is on explaining the structure and functions of laboratory systems and their effective and efficient management. Moreover, areas where laboratory systems overlap and/or complement are being considered.
Topics to be covered include:
• Introduction to laboratory systems
• Elements of public health as applied to laboratory systems
• Development of laboratory strategic plans at national, regional, local and mobile levels
• The role of reference laboratories in the management of infectious diseases
• Laboratory management systems, including concepts of biosafety and biosecurity
• The role of diagnostic vs. research laboratories
• Vertical laboratory system approaches (e.g. blood banking)
• Epidemiological methods as applied within the context of laboratory systems (e.g. surveillance methodologies, evaluation of diagnostic tools)
• Qualitative research methods and socio-anthropological aspects of laboratory medicine
• Interdisciplinary communication strategies |
|
Methods:
Teaching methods will include lectures (60%), individual- and group-based practical sessions, including case study table top exercises, field operational and biosafety/biosecurity training elements (30%), as well as problem solving exercises (10%). |
|
Prerequisites:
No previous formal training in laboratory science and/or medicine is required. However, students should have either a basic training in public health or the diagnosis of infectious diseases. The course is intensive and a strong command of the English language equivalent to English TOEFL test 550 or 213 computer-based or 79/80 internet-based or IELTS band 6.0 is essential. |
|
Attendance:
25 (max. 15 tropEd students) |
|
Selection:
LAB-SPHERE strives to have a diverse student group. Selection criteria include:
- Time of submission of application
- Motivational statement
- Previous professional and academic experience
- Country of origin (low, middle or high income country)
- tropEd student status |
|
Fees:
General admission: 1100 €/900 € (early bird registration*)
tropEd students and applicants from low and middle-income countries: 800 €/600 € (early bird registration*)
* early bird registration = within 2 weeks after acceptance |
|
Scholarships:
Participants from low and middle-income countries can apply for an Ortrud Mührer Travel Grant. For more details and the application form, please contact: shortcourse@bnitm.de |
|
tropEd accreditation:
First accredited at Online tropEd GA (“Hamburg”), June 2020. This accreditation is valid until June 2025. |
|
Remarks:
Students will have access to the BNITM virtual learning environment (Moodle). The Moodle-based EPICID course room will be the main means of communication with the group and for sharing key course-related information and training materials, such as lecture hand outs, practice data sets, and R-Scripts.
Recommended readings include:
Giesecke J, (2017). Modern Infectious Disease Epidemiology. 3rd Ed. Hodder Arnold. ISBN: 9781444180022.
Krämer A, Kretzschmar M, Krickeberg K (Eds); Modern Infectious Disease Epidemiology: Concepts, Methods, Mathematical Models And Public Health. Statistics for Biology and Health. New York: Springer
Rothman KJ, Greenland S, Lash TL (Eds). Modern Epidemiology 3 rd Edition. Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins 2008 ISBN 031675780-2.
Kirkwood B. Sterne J. Essential Medical Statistics. 2nd Edition Blackwell Scientific 2003. ISBN 0865428719.
Heymann, DL (Ed.). Control of Communicable Diseases in Man (19th Edition). American Public Health Association 2008 ISBN 087553189X |
|
| Email Address: |
puradiredja@bnitm.de |
| Date Of Record Creation: |
2020-09-21 05:22:50 (W3C-DTF) |
| Date Of Record Release: |
2020-09-21 10:35:41 (W3C-DTF) |
| Date Record Checked: |
2020-09-21 (W3C-DTF) |
| Date Last Modified: |
2020-10-30 15:47:17 (W3C-DTF) |
