End of Life Care

This module provides the opportunity to develop critical understanding of contemporary end-of-life care provision.

This module is designed for all health and social care professionals who support patients, and their families, at the end of life, including: doctors, nurses, social workers, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, health care managers, medical students, medical and pharmaceutical researchers, health care educators, chaplains, volunteers and hospice personnel.

Palliative Care is a global issue. Caring for patients and their families at the end of life is increasingly recognised as a core skill for all health and social care professionals, including those associated with the organisation and delivery of services. The challenges in providing and accessing appropriate End of Life Care are well documented. In 2020, the WHO estimated that 56.8 million people, including 25.7 million in the last year of life, are in need of palliative care, and data from the Lancet Commission Report estimate that 45% of patients experienced significant health related suffering towards the end of their life. Within the UK, the General Medical Council and the Royal College of Nursing  have outlined the challenges, core skills and importance of considered, evidence based care at the end of life, which form the basis for the focus of this module.

START DATEw/c 30th January 2023
MAJOR CODE 

MDSC161

DURATION Second semester
CREDITS 30
CONTACT hlscpd@liverpool.ac.uk

The aims of this course are:

  • to develop students' in-depth knowledge and understanding of effective, evidence based end of life care;
  • to develop students' ability to deal with complex issues relating to dying patients and their families;.
  • To facilitate a critical appreciation of the importance of regional / national / international policy on the care of patients, and their families, at the end of life.

The module uses a blended approach to learning, engaging a mix of online and classroom-based activities, encouraging critical reflection and examination of clinical management and organisational practise. National and international academic and clinical experts lead teaching, with participation from the Academic Palliative and End of Life Care Centre, Liverpool, and from the International Collaborative for Best Care for the Dying Person.

The Centre is the host site for the International Collaborative, which brings together multidisciplinary practitioners in palliative and end of life care from 24 countries, who wish to build the evidence base for best care for dying patients through collaborative knowledge transfer, clinical excellence, research, service innovation and quality improvement.

Classroom based teaching will take place at Liverpool’s School of Medicine, which is ideally located to access some of the UK’s leading specialist clinical units. Students will also benefit from the expertise within the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences research institutes, teaching and research links with the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, and surrounding medical institutions.

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