Palliative Approaches to Symptom Assessment and Management in Advanced Illness

This course focuses on the key concepts relevant to the assessment, management, and treatment of common and difficult symptoms in advanced illness.

The course develops both knowledge and skills in assessing, diagnosing, planning, implementing and evaluating evidence-based interventions and new therapies relevant to your own area of practice.

It reflects the interdisciplinary nature of palliative care, and learning will be facilitated by an interdisciplinary teaching team with extensive specialist clinical experience in hospital, community, and hospice settings.

Who is it for?

This course is designed for any healthcare professional involved in delivering healthcare services to people with advanced or life-limiting illness in any setting.

Benefits

This course will equip healthcare professionals with the knowledge and skills required to assess and manage symptoms effectively using a palliative care approach.

This module is worth 15 credits at Level 7.

By the end of the course you will be able to:

• Critique and synthesise evidence-based knowledge in relation to the pathophysiology of end-of-life disease processes.
• Evaluate the evidence base for managing symptoms using a palliative care approach.
• Critically analyse the use of evidence-based tools and theories of symptom management.
• Critically evaluate the evidence of effectiveness of pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions to guide practice, enhance clinical decisions and manage symptoms effectively.
• Conduct a thorough assessment of distressing symptoms in advanced illness using a palliative care approach.
• Actively contribute to the interdisciplinary team’s clinical decision-making regarding the choice of evidence-based interventions to manage symptoms effectively.
• Champion person-centred care, tailored to needs of patients and their families/carers, integrating physiological, psychosocial and spiritual factors in the assessment and management of distressing symptoms.

Teaching

The course will be delivered online using synchronous (you and the lecturer online at the same time to interact in real time) and asynchronous (you and the lecturer not online at the same time) activities.

Synchronous activities will take place over four study days.

Assessment

The assessment comprises a 3,000-word case study which reflects the assessment and management of symptoms using a palliative care approach.

Award

The pass mark for this assessment is 50% and completion of the assessment is worth 15 credits towards MSc, postgraduate diplomas, or postgraduate certificates in a relevant field.

Credits

This course is worth 15 credits toward eligible programmes.

All applicants should:

• Have a degree in a relevant subject area or be able to demonstrate the ability to study at level 7.
• Work in an appropriate health or social care environment.
• Be registered on a relevant professional register/statutory body and have at least six months’ experience in a relevant area of practice, as appropriate.

English requirements

If your first language is not English, one of the following is required:

• A first degree from a UK university
• A first degree from an overseas institution recognised by City, University of London as providing adequate evidence of proficiency in the English language, for example, from institutions from Australia, Canada or the United States of America.
• International English Language Test Service (IELTS) a score of 7.0 is required with no subtest below 7.0
• Pearson Test of English (Academic) score 72 required
• TOEFL 100 overall with 24 in Writing, 20 in Listening, 19 Reading and 20 Speaking
• Other evidence of proficiency in the English language, which satisfies the board of studies concerned, including registration with your professional regulator.

A suggested reading list will be provided either in advance or during the course.