Course program 2009-2011
Myhre Aud February 11th, 2009
4th Nordic Specialist Course in Palliative Medicine, 2009-2011
This course is a joint venture between the Associations for Palliative Medicine in the Nordic countries for a theoretical specialist training course in 6 modules.
Background
During the last decades, an increasing awareness of the need for a defined area of medicine to take care of patients with advanced, life-threatening disease has emerged in all the Nordic countries. Official reports have been published that give recommendations for the establishment of specialist palliative care services nation-wide, and an increasing number of palliative care programs are being set up. So far, however, palliative medicine is not recognized as a medical specialty in any Nordic country, and up to now a very limited number of doctors in the Nordic countries have education and experience in the field. We are facing the situation that new palliative care units and programs might be established without the appropriate medical staffing. This situation, therefore, presents an urgent need to educate doctors in the Nordic countries in palliative medicine at a specialist level.
The Nordic Specialist Course in Palliative Medicine was created in 2001-2002, and the first course started in October 2003. The second course started in 2005, and the third course started in October 2007 and will end in May 2009. Due to the great interest in the course and the ongoing need for more specialists in palliative medicine, a 4th course will start in September 2009. The course content is basically the same, but slightly modified on the basis of evaluations and feedback from students and teachers.
Course Curriculum
The task force group planning the course decided to use the British Curriculum in Palliative Medicine, level C, (1) as the basis for the course content, as all current palliative medicine curricula more or less are based on this. Attention has also been paid to the EAPC Curriculum (2) and the Swedish Curriculum (3).
The course is aimed at doctors in the forefront of palliative medicine, who will play an important part in developing the field in their countries. Research should therefore be an integrated part of their specialist training, and a limited research project is included in the course.
Objective of specialist training in Palliative Medicine
The objective of a training program in palliative medicine is to equip doctors, who have specialist qualifications in relevant specialties, to carry the responsibility of a consultant working full time in a specialist palliative care setting, with responsibility for a substantial number of patients with late stage disease (which may not necessarily be malignant).
This responsibility includes:
a) diagnostic procedures, symptom control, understanding of the biology and natural course of disease, including basic pathophysiological understanding, with emphasis on patients with late or end stage disease, both malignant and non-malignant disease, always considering the four dimensions of symptomatology (physical, psychological, social, and spiritual)
b) daily assessment of the degree to which control of pain and other symptoms has been achieved
c) mobilising the assistance of doctors from other medical specialties for further measures, such as intervention therapy, radiotherapy, surgery, chemotherapy, and specialised investigations
d) actively contributing to teambuilding and to the collaboration of the professionals in a multidisciplinary team (nurses, doctors, social workers, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, psychologists, dieticians, clergy, etc.)
e) teaching and promoting the knowledge and aims of palliative medicine to medical colleagues, other health care professionals, and the general public
f) coordinating relevant interventions for the patient, not only within specialist medical services, but also services from other professionals in collaboration with the patient’s G.P., thus securing a smooth pathway for the patient between institutions and home
g) working with other professionals, with families, as well as patients, in the prevention of bereavement morbidity
h) when asked, advising clinical colleagues in hospitals, or in the community about treatment and management approaches and possibilities for specific patients
i) having the ability to critically evaluate medical research literature, and having the skills to perform clinical research within the field of palliative medicine.
Course program and course content 2009-2011
- Uncategorized
- Comments Off
