Advanced Clinical Assessment and Decision-Making Skills
| Module title | Advanced Clinical Assessment and Decision-Making Skills |
|---|---|
| Module code | HPDM133 |
| Academic year | 2021/2 |
| Credits | 30 |
| Module staff | Dr Rob Daniels () |
| Duration: Term | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration: Weeks | 1 | 2 |
| Number students taking module (anticipated) | 35 |
|---|
Module description
Advanced clinical practice embodies the ability to holistically manage complex clinical care utilising a biopsychosocial approach. It is therefore imperative that Advanced Clinical Practitioners (ACPs) are equipped with knowledge and understanding of pathophysiological processes, advanced patient assessment techniques and complex decision-making theory to support the analysis and synthesis of complex problems and thus enable innovative solutions.
This module therefore aims to prepare you to extend your scope of practice through enhancing your core knowledge and understanding of complex history taking, systems-based physical assessment, diagnostics and decision-making. Using an interactive, multidisciplinary and engaging approach, this module will empower you to work effectively and collaboratively in dynamic clinical environments.
Using a blended learning strategy to include face-to-face workshops, lectures and simulation-based learning sessions alongside a playful and engaging virtual learning environment, you will attend to the 4 pillars of advanced clinical practice though:
- Enhancement of your knowledge and expertise surrounding clinical history taking and assessment skills, invasive and non-invasive diagnostic procedures and management strategies.
- Critical assessment of your learning needs, engaging in directed and self-directed study whilst fostering a community of multidisciplinary educational practice.
- Promoting leadership and management through active engagement in role modelling biopsychosocial, patient-centred practice, engaging in peer-review processes and tackling current challenges in today’s healthcare system.
- Actively analysing and appraising the current research evidence-base to utilise in their advancing practice whilst identifying gaps in research.
Students attending this module will be registered health and care professionals, bringing with them experience of their own clinical practice and clinical environment/s. This module is suitable for those in specialist role or non-specialists aspiring to become specialist / advanced practitioners or to simply develop your knowledge and experience in this area.
Module aims - intentions of the module
This module will support you in the development of advanced communication, history taking, physical assessment and diagnostic decision-making skills essential to advance practice within a biopsychosocial model and you will be able to tailor these skills to your own area of clinical practice. This area of personal and professional development acts as an essential foundation for any clinician wishing to develop into an advanced level of clinical practice. The module will continue to be responsive to core capabilities frameworks aligned to the advance practice agenda for the various clinical professions, ensuring links to employability within their roles.
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
ILO: Module-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 1. Form a critical understanding of the biopsychosocial aspects of disease, including key pathophysiological processes, and utilise this knowledge to underpin your assessment and management of patients.
- 2. Demonstrate critical knowledge and understanding of key decision-making principles and theory outlining how this underpins your assessment and management of patients.
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 3. Analyse and appraise the relevant evidence-base and apply this alongside your clinical experience to form a practical approach to the application and educational dissemination of research in advanced practice.
ILO: Personal and key skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 4. Develop your personal and professional ability to act as a role model through the cultivation and dissemination of experience and evidence-based knowledge and skills applicable to advanced practice.
- 5. Develop your personal and professional ability to act as a role model through the cultivation and dissemination of experience and evidence-based knowledge and skills applicable to advanced practice.
Syllabus plan
Whilst the module’s precise content may vary from year to year, an example of an overall structure is as follows:
- A thorough overview of history taking physical examination techniques for all the body systems and their utility in advanced practice
- Focus on the appropriate use of clinical diagnostics
- An overview of the biopsychosocial aspects of care
- Attention to common illness and injury presentations and their assessment/management tailoring this to your clinical practice
- Focus surrounding underlying pathophysiology including relevant pharmacologic discussion
- Solidifying this knowledge and understanding through partaking in clinical practice under the supervision of your mentor.
- Reviewing evidence and experience-based practices
- Cultivating a community of practice within your student group and encouraging dissemination to the wider healthcare system
- Understanding application of the taught content to the 4 pillars of advanced practice
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 30 | 270 | 0 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled learning and teaching activities | 30 | 5 x 6-hour contact days. A mixture of lectures, workshops and group-based learning. In the event that face-to-face teaching is not possible due to COVID-19, lectures and group-based learning may be replaced by short pre-recorded videos for each topic (15-20 minutes) and/or brief overview lectures delivered via MS Teams/Zoom with breakout discussions and consolidated by self-directed learning resources and ELE activities. Skills workshops may be replaced by short pre-recorded videos as pre-learning; or workshops via Teams/Zoom. |
| Guided independent study | 135 | Engaging in your chosen clinical environment to gain practical experience of assessing and managing patient systems, |
| Guided independent study | 135 | Engaging with online learning resources |
Formative assessment
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Practice OSCE | 1 hour | 1-2 | Oral feedback |
Summative assessment (% of credit)
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 50 | 0 | 50 |
Details of summative assessment
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portfolio-based assessment (Pass/Fail) | 0 | A portfolio demonstrating competency in assessing and making management plans for presentations of each of the body systems | 1-5 | Written |
| OSCE - In the event that face-to-face assessment is not possible due to COVID-19, an online OSCE examination will take place and physical assessment will be assessed through your portfolio. | 50 | 90-minute OSCE assessing competency in the physical assessment and management of system-based patient presentations | 1-2 | Written |
| Poster and presentation - In the event that face-to-face assessment is not possible due to COVID-19, an online poster presentation will be organised. | 50 | A poster of publication quality relating to clinical assessment and decision making | 3-5 | Written |
Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portfolio-based assessment (0%) | A portfolio demonstrating competency in assessing and making management plans for presentations of each of the body systems | 1-5 | 8 weeks |
| OSCE (50%) - Please see above description for COVID-19 mitigation. | 90-minute OSCE assessing competency in the physical assessment and management of system-based patient presentations | 1-2 | 8 weeks |
| Poster and presentation (50%) - Please see above description for COVID-19 mitigation. | A poster of publication quality relating to clinical assessment and decision making | 3-5 | 8 weeks |
Re-assessment notes
In the event of you failing any of the assessments, the module will be capped at 49 until the assessment is passed.
Portfolio - if you fail to complete enough competencies to pass the portfolio component you will be required to submit any outstanding areas within eight weeks of the original submission date
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
Textbook based resources
Macleod's Clinical Examination: With STUDENT CONSULT Online Access, 13e Paperback – 21 Jun 2013 by Graham Douglas BSc(Hons) MBChB FRCP(Ed) (Author)
Primary Care for Paramedics – Class Professional Publishing – in press
Hopcroft & Forte (2019). Symptom sorter, 5th Ed. London, Radcliffe.
Clinical Skills by T.A. Roper – 2nd Edition
Cooper, N. & Frain, J (2017) ABC of Clinical Reasoning. West Sussex, John Wiley & Sons
Trenoweth, S & Moone, N (2017) Psychosocial assessment in Mental Health. London, Sage
Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources
Virtual Learning Resources:
The Exeter Online Learning Environment (ELE) – College to provide hyperlink to appropriate pages
Video Masterclasses on clinical decision making and physical assessment – Exeter Medical School
Web based and electronic resources:
There are numerous Free Online Access to Medical Education (FOAMEd) resources. Whilst many of these resources may not be peer reviewed, there are some that have excellent peer review and are making their way into mainstream education. Examples include:
Gpnotebook- https://gpnotebook.com/en-gb/
Emergency Medicine Case - https://emergencymedicinecases.com/
Geeky Medics - https://geekymedics.com/
East Midlands Emergency Medicine Educational Media - https://em3.org.uk/
Stat Dose Podcast - http://statdosepodcast.co.uk/
Life in the Fast Lane - https://litfl.com/
RCEM - https://www.rcemlearning.co.uk/foamed/
EMCrit - https://emcrit.org/
Indicative learning resources - Other resources
Other e-Resources
Kumar & Clark's clinical medicine [electronic resource] / edited by Parveen Kumar, Michael Clark
Oxford handbook of clinical examination and practical skills / edited by James Thomas and Tanya Monaghan
Stockley's drug interactions pocket companion 2016 [electronic resource] / edited by Claire L. Preston
Primary Care and Urgent Care RAP Podcast
NICE Core Knowledge Summaries
British National formulary - https://bnf.nice.org.uk/
Acute GP - https://www.acutegpcornwall.com/
| Credit value | 30 |
|---|---|
| Module ECTS | 15 |
| Module pre-requisites | N/A |
| Module co-requisites | N/A |
| NQF level (module) | 7 |
| Available as distance learning? | No |
| Origin date | 03/02/2020 |
| Last revision date | 29/09/2021 |
