Littrell Radiology

Office Phone: (563) 884-5844
Office hours: W315 Office hours: Wednesdays and Thursdays 10:15-12:00, or by appt.
Email: littrell_t@palmer.edu
Website: www.littrellradiology.com

Prerequisites: All 1st-4th trimester courses
Co-requisites: NA
Prerequisite to: Clinic III

Course Description: This course reviews the history of chiropractic and the treatment of mental illness. Consideration is given to the definition of mental illness, assessment, and treatment or referral protocol. Management of stress, communication, and the doctor/patient relationship are also covered in order to facilitate better treatment outcomes.

Goals: Upon successful completion of the Clinical Psychology course, the student will be able to: identify the clinical presentations of various mental illnesses; recognize the effects of mental illnesses on a patient’s physical and psychological health; examine cultural and socioeconomic influences on doctor-patient relationships; perform referrals to mental health care professionals when appropriate; review the history of chiropractic treatment of patients with mental illnesses.

Course Outcomes:

Attitudes students will possess upon completion of the Clinical Psychology course:

A1: Explain the importance of the patient’s psychosocial environment and its effects on health
A2: Describe the influence of psychosocial, economic, and cultural factors on the physical and psychological health of a patient

Knowledge students will possess upon completion of the Clinical Psychology course:

K1: Explain the diagnostic criteria and clinical features of various mental illnesses and know how to perform a referral to a mental health care professional
K2: Assess the impact of psychosocial, economic, and cultural factors on the patient’s ability to accurately report symptoms, comply with instructions or recommendations, and respond to chiropractic care
K3: Discuss chiropractic’s history of treatment of the mentally ill

Skills students will possess upon completion of the Clinical Psychology course:

S1: Identify screening examinations for evaluating a patient’s psychological status
S2: Modify history-taking, physical examination, and chiropractic intervention procedures when caring for a patient affected by mental illness
S3: Record psychosocial, cultural, and economic factors in an accurate and complete manner within the patient’s record

Evaluations: Examinations will be matching, true/false, multiple choice, and/or essay formats and will consist of three (3) 100 point interim examinations. All examinations must be completed in order to receive a grade for the course.

Examination #1: Thursday, December 3rd, 2009
Examination #2: Thursday, January 21st, 2010
Examination #3 (final): Monday, February 22nd, 2010; 1:05 pm, W210 (W216 for overflow only)

Points for the course: 300 points are available from interim examinations. Five points are earned by returning the syllabus receipt on the first day of class only. Additionally, the instructor reserves the right to assign periodic exercises or activities to be completed in and out of the classroom. These additional assignments may be graded and factored into the total grade for the course and may be worth from 10-20 points each.

Grading scale: 90-100% 4 (A)

80-89%   3 (B)
70-79%   2 (C)
0-69%     8 (No Credit)

Quizzes: The instructor will periodically give short answer and essay quizzes during the class period. These quizzes will cover the material discussed during the previous lectures or the current day’s lecture. Quizzes will be unannounced and given periodically and randomly during the lecture periods. Any points earned will be extra credit. Quizzes cannot be made up if missed. Approximately 6-10 quizzes will be given throughout the term and will be worth 1-3 points each. You must bring paper to class.

Bonus multiplier: If a student is in class and submits all the quizzes given during the course, an additional 10 bonus points will be added to the total points for the class. If any of the quizzes are not submitted, no bonus multiplier will be added.

Attendance policy: Attendance will be taken through the submission of the bonus/extra credit quizzes. If a student misses 4 quizzes or more (no matter the total number of quizzes given), he or she will be considered “overcut” for the course and will receive a failing grade (Grade 8) and will be required to repeat the course. It is the STUDENT’S RESPONSIBILITY to keep track of the number of quizzes submitted. The instructor will NOT post the quiz scores until the end of the term, after the final examination is given.

Unfinished Objectives policy: All examinations must be completed in order to receive a passing grade for the course. Failure to sit for an examination will result in a Grade 6 (Incomplete) for the course. The incomplete grade must be completed by the first Friday of the following term in which the student is enrolled. Missed Exams: Make-up examinations are reserved for emergencies and extraordinary circumstances. Only one (1) examination may be made up if missed. If more than one examination is missed, the points for that exam will be forfeited. Examinations may not be missed for reasons of poor preparation. The instructor must be notified prior to the administration of the examination if the student must miss the examination. The student may leave a message on the instructor’s voicemail at 563-884-5844. Documentation of those circumstances may be requested at the instructor’s discretion. The make-up time and date for Examinations #1 and #2 is Wednesday, February 17th, 2010 at 9:20 a.m. in M201. The Final exam make-up must be made up on the first Tuesday of the next trimester (Tuesday, March 10th, 2010) at 9:20 a.m. (room TBA). The format of make-up exams may be essay, short answer, true/false, and multiple choice. No exam will be administered to any individual on a date prior to the date an exam is given to the entire class.
Instructor’s policy concerning examinations: Examinations and quizzes utilized in this class are the property of the instructor and Palmer College of Chiropractic. This instructor does not release old exams. Improper use (possession, sale, or reproduction) of an exam outside of the regularly scheduled testing environment will be treated as an act of academic dishonesty. Please refer to the Statement on Academic Integrity in this syllabus.

Announcements and grades will be posted at www.littrellradiology.com. Students may review their examinations during this instructor’s office hours. Examinations must be reviewed within two weeks of the examination date. According to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), students may request that grades be omitted from public posting. The student must submit a written retraction of his or her permission to post grades to the Registrar’s office and the instructor.

Academic Adjustments for Qualified Students with Disabilities: Palmer College of Chiropractic makes reasonable academic adjustments for qualified students with disabilities, as required by law. Any qualified student with a disability who requires a reasonable academic adjustment to perform the academic and technical standards requisite to participation in this course is to contact the Office of Student Learning and Development (1st floor, West Hall 128B, extension 5408) to request such an academic adjustment.
Student religious observances: In order to accommodate an individual student’s participation in religious observances, Palmer College requires that the student advises each of their instructors, in writing, at the beginning of an academic term the holiday and date of observance the student is requesting relief from their course(s). This policy does not in any way release the student from the responsibility of satisfying all requirements necessary for the successful completion of any course.

Inclement weather: If inclement weather forces the cancellation of class, the material to be covered on the cancelled class day (including scheduled examinations) will be covered when classes resume.

Notice for 9th and 10th trimester students: Students who are scheduled to graduate with the current 9th or 10th trimester class must notify the instructor within the first 10 days of the term so that grades may be submitted to the Registrar in a timely manner.

Academic Integrity: Students are expected to comply with Palmer’s Student Code of Ethics. Students are strongly encouraged to carefully read the entire Student Code of Ethics as published in the Student Handbook. Cheating, plagiarism, other acts of dishonesty and/or any other violations of Palmer’s Student Code of Ethics may result in the filing of a charge of misconduct under the Student Disciplinary Code as described in the Student Handbook. Sanctions up to and including suspension or dismissal from the College may be imposed upon students found to have violated the Code of Student Ethics. Please refer to the Palmer Student handbook or contact the Office of Adjudication/Compliance (4th floor, Administration Building, extension 5476) should you have any questions.

Test-out policy for Clinical Psychology: Credit for this course may be given if the student has earned a bachelor’s or master’s degree in Psychology, with an emphasis in Clinical Psychology. Equivalent coursework must not have been used to meet prerequisite requirements. Test-out is not available for students without psychology-related degrees earned prior to matriculation to Palmer College of Chiropractic. Please see the instructor within one week of the start of the course to determine eligibility for test-out.

Children in the classroom: Children are not permitted in the classroom, with the exception of emergency situations in which childcare cannot be arranged (snow cancellation, child care provider’s illness, etc.). UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES may a child be permitted in the classroom during an examination.

Electronic equipment: The use of laptops, cell phones, and recording equipment is prohibited in the classroom.

Text: There is no required text.

Note set: www.littrellradiology.com

The examinations will cover all the material within the note sets for that unit, regardless of the amount of material covered in class.

Recommended Texts/Resources:

Alder B (1999) Psychology of health: applications of psychology for health professionals, 2/e. Amsterdam: Harwood Academic Publishers.
Feldman M. and Christensen J. (1997). Behavioral Medicine in Primary Care: A Practical Guide. Lange.
Palmer D.D. ( 1910). The Chiropractor’s Adjuster, Portland Printing House Co.
Strang. V.V. (1985). Essential Principles of Chiropractic, Palmer College of Chiropractic.
American Psychiatric Association. (2000). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders: DSM-IV-TR. Washington, DC.

Course Outline:

Unit 1:

Psychology of Health

Introduction to health psychology: perceptions and communication; Therapeutic relationships; Health models of behavior; Illness behavior and perception of illness; Health disparities; Questioning and self disclosure; Adherence and non-adherence; Stress management

Unit 2:

Psychological Disorders

Introduction to the psychosocial assessment; Mental Status Exam; Schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders; Mood disorders; Suicide: Risk factors and management; Anxiety disorders; Somatoform disorders; Referral protocol

Unit 3:

The history of chiropractic and the treatment of mental illness