Palliative Care: Foundations and Research module (GM51005)

Palliative care provides support for people living with serious or life-shortening illnesses. It focuses on helping them live as well as possible.

On this module you will get a working understanding of palliative care. This helps you identify patients who could benefit from a palliative care approach. It also helps you manage common symptoms.

There can often be communication issues related to clinical research in this area. You will learn the skills needed to deal with these. This will cover topics such as:

• patient-centred consent
• dealing with distress
• engaging professionals
• reducing gatekeeping
• separation of the clinical role from a research role

You will learn how to describe and reflect on research governance issues. You will also reflect on challenges specific to palliative care research.

What you will learn

In this module, you will:

• learn how to identify patients with palliative care needs
• learn to use assessment tools in symptom evaluation
• learn specific symptom management strategies
• practice communication skills for researchers in palliative care
• observe clinical working in a hospice or day hospice
• reflect on the challenges of researching in palliative care environments
• understand governance and ethics in palliative care.

By the end of this module, you will be able to:

• describe the diversity of patients who could benefit from palliative care
• analyse a range of tools for assessment of symptoms in palliative care populations
• assess evidence for the management of common symptoms in palliative care populations
• reflect on challenges in palliative care research
• describe and apply communication skills relevant to clinical research
• show an understanding of research ethics, governance and challenges in palliative care research

Assignments / assessment

• 2,500-word written assessment (100%)

This module does not have a final exam.

Teaching methods / timetable

Lectures (online and face-to-face) and tutorials will involve interactive teaching and roleplay.

The majority of teaching takes place in Ninewells Hospital and Medical School teaching rooms. However, teaching can happen at Roxburgh House in Dundee, a specialist palliative care unit. You may also experience reflective observation in a hospice environment.

You will get support from staff in practical sessions, and on a one-to-one basis where needed.