PALL8437 Palliative Clinical Management A

This topic is designed to provide an opportunity for various health care professionals to broaden their knowledge and understanding of a number of aspects of palliative clinical management. The topic is divided into five sections; the phenomenon of palliative care, clinical assessment and decision making, the clinical management of commonly encountered symptoms in an evidence-based framework, disease trajectories and the terminal phase. The topic aims to be interdisciplinary; the case examples and assessment requirements are not focussed on any particular discipline. The content is designed to heighten the awareness of the various contributions that all health care workers make to the holistic care of person living with a life limiting illness.

This topic aims to provide an overview of the assessment, diagnosis and management of common symptoms and disease trajectories that occur within the palliative care context. This aim will be accomplished through critical reading of the evidence, group discussions and the application of palliative care principles to particular case examples.

1. Describe the context for providing palliative care, together with the differing models and settings for service delivery
2. Distinguish key elements involved in clinical assessment and decision making in palliative care
3. Describe the pathophysiology of common symptoms in palliative care and outline the systematic assessment and management of these, with consideration of the many cultural/ social factors that affect care
4. Identify the features/issues involved in the terminal phase of an illness and describe the clinical strategies commonly used during this time
5. Compare and contrast common disease trajectories encountered in the palliative setting and describe the significance of these to the care of a person with a life limiting illness
6. Identify ongoing learning needs