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DEGREE REGULATIONS & PROGRAMMES OF STUDY 2019/2020

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DRPS : Course Catalogue : Deanery of Clinical Sciences : Internal Medicine

Postgraduate Course: Palliative Care & Pain Management (IMED11011)

Course Outline
SchoolDeanery of Clinical Sciences CollegeCollege of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine
Credit level (Normal year taken)SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate)
Course typeOnline Distance Learning AvailabilityNot available to visiting students
SCQF Credits10 ECTS Credits5
SummaryThis course will focus on the role of palliative care and pain management in today's medical practice including end of life care, communication about dying and bereavement support.
Course description This course will provide a detailed knowledge and understanding of palliative care through the study of case scenarios, online lectures and background reading with the aim of improving clinical management of patients requiring end of life care and symptom management. This course will specifically cover; an introduction to palliative care, recognising and managing the end of life experience, talking and planning for death, communicating well with patients ('the difficult conversation'), policy and practicalities of achieving a good death for all, and spiritual dimensions of dying in pluralist societies. In additional aspects of symptom control will be covered with material relating to the pharmacology of analgesia, the analgesic ladder, breakthrough pain and the Liverpool care pathway.
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
Pre-requisites Co-requisites
Prohibited Combinations Other requirements None
Course Delivery Information
Academic year 2019/20, Not available to visiting students (SS1) Quota:  None
Course Start Semester 2
Timetable Timetable
Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) Total Hours: 100 ( Seminar/Tutorial Hours 5, Online Activities 20, Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 2, Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours 73 )
Assessment (Further Info) Written Exam 0 %, Coursework 100 %, Practical Exam 0 %
Additional Information (Assessment) Coursework 100%
The assessment is coursework: written assignment and online asynchronous discussion boards.
Feedback Not entered
No Exam Information
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
  1. Understand what palliative care is and who might benefit (including recognising the dying patient)
  2. Understand the theory behind communication bad news sensitively
  3. Understand the importance of managing end of life issues well, and be aware of policies and guidelines that may help achieve this
  4. Understand the need for sensitivity with regards spiritual and cultural needs of patients
  5. Be aware of the main classes of drugs used for symptom control and their appropriate use and escalation
Reading List
Key articles will be referred to at relevant points during the course.
Additional Information
Graduate Attributes and Skills Within the work to be undertaken this course will provide participants with the opportunity to develop or further develop key graduate attributes:
1. In-depth knowledge of specialist discipline
2. Develop new understanding by exercising critical judgement and challenging knowledge
3. Be a self-directed learner
4. Solve problems effectively taking ethical, professional and environmental issues into account
5. Use information responsibly in a range of contexts
6. Collaborate with others, capitalising on their different thinking, experience and skills
7. Communicate (oral, written, online) effectively, respectful of social and cultural diversity
8. Application of numeracy
9. Application of IT
Keywordspalliative care,end of life,bereavement,pain management,pain
Contacts
Course organiserDr Frances Parry
Tel: (0131 5)37 1822
Email: F.Parry@ed.ac.uk
Course secretaryMr Brian Burgon
Tel: 0131537 2506
Email: Brian.Burgon@ed.ac.uk
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