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PU5517: ILLNESS, DISABILITY AND INTERACTIONS WITH HEALTHCARE (2016-2017)

Last modified: 28 Jun 2018 10:27


Course Overview

This course aims to explore the psychological side of illness and disability and learn how Health outcomes (e.g. quality of life, death, disease) depend to a large extent on people’s beliefs, perceptions, decisions and actions.  Over the course, students will learn how these factors can change how symptoms are interpreted and reported, how risk is perceived, how illness and disability are experienced, whether help is sought from medical professionals, and whether recommended treatments are adhered to over time.  Students will also study contemporary models of disability and explore how disability behaviour influences health outcomes.

Course Details

Study Type Postgraduate Level 5
Term Second Term Credit Points 15 credits (7.5 ECTS credits)
Campus None. Sustained Study No
Co-ordinators
  • Dr Clare Cooper

Qualification Prerequisites

None.

What courses & programmes must have been taken before this course?

  • Any Postgraduate Programme (Studied)
  • MSc Health Psychology (Studied)

What other courses must be taken with this course?

None.

What courses cannot be taken with this course?

None.

Are there a limited number of places available?

No

Course Description

At the end of the course students will be able to:

• Assess  how beliefs influence illness and disability

• Use theoretical models to understand how individuals cope with long term health conditions and terminal illness.

• Identify the key factors influencing health related quality of life, and debate their changing relevance over the lifespan

• Design strategies to monitor and modify adherence in illness and disability

• Evaluate measures of quality of life, impairment, activity limitations and social participation in order to select the most appropriate instrument in a range of contexts

•  Develop and justify recommendations for the management of illness and disability related factors (e.g. pain, pre-hospitalisation anxiety) based on psychological evidence /theory

•  Interpret and code patient descriptions of symptoms and illness beliefs using psychological theory.

 

Topics covered by the course include:

• Illness and symptom perceptions

• Health related quality of life

• Risk perception

• Self efficacy, control beliefs and individual attributions.

• Patient decision making

• Hospitalisation and preparation for medical procedures

• Coping with long term health conditions and disability

• Theories of pain and pain management

• Adherence and compliance

• The role of family in health and illness

 


Contact Teaching Time

Information on contact teaching time is available from the course guide.

Teaching Breakdown

More Information about Week Numbers


Details, including assessments, may be subject to change until 30 August 2024 for 1st term courses and 20 December 2024 for 2nd term courses.

Summative Assessments

1x two hour written exam (60%) + continous assessment (40%)[2,500 word written assignment]

Formative Assessment

There are no assessments for this course.

Feedback

None.

Course Learning Outcomes

None.

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