| CODE | MDS4035 | |||||||||||||||
| TITLE | Family Medicine | |||||||||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 04 - Years 4, 5 in Modular UG or PG Cert Course | |||||||||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 6 | |||||||||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 10 | |||||||||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Faculty of Medicine and Surgery | |||||||||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | This study-unit offers the theoretical and practical exposure of the specialty of Family Medicine. Its general aim is to give the student a good conceptual background of the nature and function of Family Medicine and Primary Care. It also makes an emphasis on the process of care that enables patient centred care at all PHC levels. Study-unit Aims: This study-unit offers the theoretical and practical exposure of the specialty of Family Medicine. Its general aim is to give the student a good conceptual background of the nature and function of Family Medicine and Primary Care. It also makes an emphasis on the process of care that enables patient centred care at all PHC levels. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Write down and discuss their reflections on their learning experiences during their community attachment; - Explain the importance of those organizational aspects that support primary care including medical records, continuity of care and the multidisciplinary team; - Explain how gender and sexual health has an impact on disease presentation and management; - Discuss the importance of the patient’s narrative and how it will help the doctor evaluate risks, ideas, concerns, expectations, and impact on life; - Explain the basic tasks in a consultation that enables an efficient and effective use of the available resources; - Discuss the importance of health surveillance and levels of disease prevention; - Explain health promotion and patient education; - Discuss the sociology of health with respect to the sick role, illness behaviour and how these modulate the disease burden in the community; - Summarize end of life issues in relation to community primary care; - Discuss common scenarios and care management in the context of multi-disciplinary teams for the elderly in primary care; - Appreciate those processes of care and the characteristics of primary care that enable cost-effectiveness and equity; - Discuss basic legal obligations and common ethical issues in family medicine; - Discuss with peers on the online forum their observations during the clinical attachment. 2. Skills By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Perform basic medical examination procedures such as the basic parameters, physical examination skills and basic communication skills; - Observe and critically evaluate the communication skills of their respective tutor; - Link the theoretical and conceptual teaching during passive large and small group learning with their observations at their community attachment; - Analyse the communication skills of patients and their carers using the Calgary Cambridge model; - Develop clinical reasoning skills to manage syndromes, clinical scenarios, and reduction in medical error; - Perform basic life support procedures; - Identify the significant differences in the case mix of symptoms and pathologies between hospital and community patient populations; - Apply the concept of a family and the family life cycle especially when analysed though the family systems perspective; - Identify the risk factors associated with and disease presentation in dysfunctional families; - Identify what constitutes an emergency and how to provide basic life support; - By using diabetes and hypertension as model chronic disease, identify the range of skills required to actively manage chronic disease based on evidence and psycho-social context; - Identify patient safety concepts and principles. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: Main Texts - Antonino, C. (2021), ‘European Resuscitation Council (ERC), the 2021 guidelines: BLS - Basic Life Support, Emergency Live’. Available at: https://www.emergency-live.com/health-and-safety/european-resuscitation-council-erc-the-2021-guidelines-bls-basic-life-support/ - 'Communication skills - gp-training.net'. Available at: https://www.gp-training.net/communication-skills/ - Mash, B. (2017), ‘Handbook of Family Medicine’ - McWhinney, I. R., Freeman, T. (2009), ‘Textbook of Family Medicine’ https://books.google.com.mt/booksid=5L34EejcDPIC&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false - ‘Models of the consultation’. Available at: http://www.skillscascade.com/models.htm - Stewart, M., Brown, J. B., Weston, W. W., MacWhinney, I. R., McWilliam, C. L., & Freeman, T. R. (2017), ‘Patient-Centred Medicine: Transforming the Clinical Method’ (3rd ed.) - Viner, R. (2005), ‘ABC of Adolescence (ABC Series)’ Supplementary Readings - Adams, B., Bromley, B. (1998), ‘Psychology for Health Care: Key Terms and Concepts’ - Annandale, E. (2008), ‘Women’s Health and Social Change’ - Burbank, P. M. (Ed.). (2006), ‘Vulnerable Older Adults: Health Care Needs and Interventions’ - Forman, W. B., Kitzes, J. A., Anderson, R. P., & Sheehan, D. K. (2003), ‘Hospice and Palliative Care: Concepts and Practice’ - Greenhalgh, T., Hurwitz, B. (1998), ‘Narrative Based Medicine: Dialogue and Discourse in Clinical Practice’ - Hope, T., Savulescu, J., Hendrick, J. (2003), ‘Medical Ethics and Law: The Core Curriculum’ - Jones, R., Britten, N., Culpepper, L., Gass, D. A., Grol, R., Mant, D., Silagy, C. (2004), ‘Oxford Textbook of Primary Medical Care’ - Rogers, W. A., Braunack-Mayer, A. J. (2008), ‘Practical Ethics for General Practice’ (2nd ed.). - MacLachlan, M. (2006), ‘Culture and Health: A Critical Perspective Towards Global Health’ (2nd ed.). - Mayou, R., Sharpe, M., Carson, A. (2003), ‘ABC of Psychological Medicine’ - Scambler, G. (2008), ‘Sociology as Applied to Medicine’ - Silverman, J., Kurtz, S., Draper, J. (2013), ‘Skills for Communicating with Patients’ (3rd ed.). - Wainwright, D. (Ed.) (2008), ‘A Sociology of Health’. |
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| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Ind Study,Lec,Plac,Practicum,Tut,Onl Lear&Simulation | |||||||||||||||
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2024/5. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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