THE UNIVERSITY of EDINBURGH

DEGREE REGULATIONS & PROGRAMMES OF STUDY 2021/2022

Information in the Degree Programme Tables may still be subject to change in response to Covid-19

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DRPS : Course Catalogue : Deanery of Clinical Sciences : Pain Management

Postgraduate Course: Treatment of Migraine and Other Headache Disorders (PAMA11042)

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
SummaryThe treatment of headache needs to be individualised for each patient due to the heterogeneity of attacks (especially migraine), the different needs of each patient¿s lifestyle and the wide variety of available therapies, both pharmacological and non-pharmacological.

The content of the course has been chosen and structured to develop your understanding of some of the treatment methods available for headache disorders.
The course will detail the main medications commonly used and will introduce you to alternative forms of treatment such as biofeedback and manual therapy.

You will study pharmacologic interventions for headache and learn that they are divided into two major groups: acute and preventive. Acute medications are utilized to reverse the attack of headache once it has started, to relieve pain, and to restore function. Preventive medications are taken on a daily basis, whether or not headache is present, to prevent future attacks or to reduce the frequency of attacks. In other words, acute medications alter individual attacks of headache while preventive medications change the pattern of headache. Everyone with headache seeking care needs some form of acute treatment. For patients with severe or frequent headache, both acute and
preventive treatments are often used in concert.

This is a 5-week distance learning course worth 10 credits. Students are expected to spend 20 hours per week on this course. Students will be given a brief overview of the course and will then be provided with relevant materials and resources. Specific tasks and online exercises relating to each weeks topic will be set. A final submitted assessment will be required for the course.

This is an elective course and may not be available every academic year. This will be subject to student numbers and availability of academic staff.
Course description Not entered
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
Pre-requisites Co-requisites
Prohibited Combinations Other requirements None
Additional Costs No
Course Delivery Information
Academic year 2021/22, Not available to visiting students (SS1) Quota:  None
Course Start Block 2 (Sem 1)
Course Start Date 01/11/2021
Timetable Timetable
Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) Total Hours: 100 ( Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 2, Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours 98 )
Assessment (Further Info) Written Exam 0 %, Coursework 100 %, Practical Exam 0 %
Additional Information (Assessment) Key principles that will underpin assessment activities are based upon current theory and practise. The principle of constructive alignment will underpin all assessments. This will ensure the assessment tasks are aligned with the specific course objectives, the content of the course and the teaching methods employed.
Online learning resources covering all the key background information will be provided for the student to work through at their own pace. Online learning sessions will include small formative assessments where the student will receive instant feedback on their contribution, enabling effective monitoring of progress. .

Assessment will consist of a combination of summative written assessment and online assessment incorporating a variety of activities.

This will encourage critical analysis of the course material and subject, and will allow the application of knowledge gained during the module in order to contextualise the material learned.
Feedback Not entered
No Exam Information
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
  1. Identify if a patient should be receiving preventative treatments in conjunction with acute forms of treatment and offer a managemtn plan tailored to the patient
  2. Be able to recognise if the patient has been provided with an appropriate treatment plan to match their headache condition and offer meaningful intervention if this is not the case
  3. Be able to advise the patient if he/she is taking the treatments properly and recognise that pharmacologic therapy is not the only form of treatment available. Be able to plan and recommend alternative and complemetray treatments
Reading List
None
Additional Information
Graduate Attributes and Skills During the course students will have to demonstrate the ability to work both independently and collaboratively with others. Their knowledge and understanding of the topic will improve but they will also learn generic approaches/skills. As the course is distance learning, it will contribute to their IT, writing and communication skills which can be applied to both clinical and academic environments. Finally, they will be expected to be able to bring together and draw from the information provided through the course during their assignment writing. Competences such as structuring of work and accurate referencing should also improve.
Special Arrangements None
KeywordsNot entered
Contacts
Course organiserDr Christopher McKenzie
Tel: 0131 242 6130
Email: Christopher.McKenzie@ed.ac.uk
Course secretaryMrs Moira Henderson
Tel: (0131) 242 7355
Email: Moira.Henderson@ed.ac.uk
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