Palliative Care

Code:

OPT77

Acronym:

CP

Keywords
Classification	Keyword
OFICIAL	Medicine

Instance: 2018/2019 - 2S (of 11-02-2019 to 12-07-2019)

Active?	Yes
Responsible unit:	Department of Community Medicine, Information and Health Decision Sciences
Course/CS Responsible:	Integrated Master in Medicine

Cycles of Study/Courses

Acronym	No. of Students	Study Plan	Curricular Years	Credits UCN	Credits ECTS	Contact hours	Total Time
MIMED	55	Mestrado Integrado em Medicina- Plano oficial 2013 (Reforma Curricular)	4	-	3	28	81

Teaching language

Portuguese

Objectives

The learning outcomes of the curricular unit include the acquisition of skills that enable the student to become an ethical and human palliativist with regards the care of the terminal ill patient and his her family.  . By palliative care it is meant the global, active care delivered to patients who do not respond to curative treatment, to provide him/her and the family, the best possible quality of life.

 Other learning outcomes are

that the students will gather the necessary skills for a responsible exercise of medical profession in the setting of modern palliative medicine philosophy. Some emphasis is put in the high tech end-of-life setting of modern hospitals.

Learning outcomes and competences

The syllabus is in accordance with the curricular unit’s intended learning outcomes due to the fact that the main themes from a conceptual and practical approach are presented enabling the student to to an adequate performance level in palliative medicine.  In this way coherence with the curricular unit’s intended learning outcomes is demonstrated since the syllabus is a necessary condition so that the student acquires the adequate skills for a true capacitation in this area.

Working method

Presencial

Program

Palliative care in Portugal and in Europe. History, philosophy, concepts, objectives and threats. The Hospice Movement at the United Kingdom. Palliative care and the translation from a curative medicine to a palliative medicine. The ethics of care. Interpersonal relationships in palliative care. Continuous and support care. Psychology and quality of life in chronic illness. Palliative care in advanced chronic illnesses. Pain management and therapeutics in palliative care. Palliative care in specific diseases: cancer, chronic respiratory diseases, cardiac diseases, HIV/AIDS infection, chronic degenerative diseases, and chronic renal failure. Palliative care in children. The role of primary care. Family support. The living will and withholding and withdrawing of life support treatment. Spiritual support of palliative care patients. Education and training in palliative care.

Mandatory literature

Hanks, G., Cherny, N.I., Christakis, N.A., Fallon, A., Kaasa, S., & Portenoy, R.K. ; Oxford Textbook of Palliative Medicine , Oxford University Press, 2011
Pfund, R. & Fowler-Kerry, S.; Perspectives on Palliative Care for Children and Young People, Radcliffe Publishing Ltd, 2010
Gonçalves, J.F. ; Controlo de Sintomas no Cancro Avançado , Coisas de Ler , 2011
Carvalho, R. ; Manual de Cuidados Paliativos, Academia Nacional de Cuidados Paliativos, Diagraphic, 2009

Teaching methods and learning activities

Total of 28 horurs of contact employing the following pedagogic modalities: a) Seminars: Prepared and guided discussion of pre-defined specific themes, with the participation of professors and students; b) Group Work: Analysis and problem solving, orientated by the professors and actively prepared by the students; c) Presentation of Case-Problems by the students; and d) fellowship at a palliative care unit. 

Evaluation Type

Distributed evaluation without final exam

Assessment Components

Designation	Weight (%)
Participação presencial	30,00
Trabalho escrito	70,00
Total:	100,00

Amount of time allocated to each course unit

Designation	Time (hours)
Frequência das aulas	28,00
Trabalho escrito	53,00
Total:	81,00

Eligibility for exams

The group supervising professor also performs the continuous assessment to include the whole pedagogical process and evolution of each student: evolution in the communication skills and human relationship, regular attendance, interest and participation in the process and the theoretical and practical knowledge. In small groups, of interactive nature, the student will elaborate a monograph as a final report, on a selected case. The Final Assessment of the curricular unit is made by the continuous assessment of the discipline.

Calculation formula of final grade

30 % presence 
70% written work