SE761-7-PS-CO:
First Contact Musculoskeletal Practice
2020/21
Sport, Rehabilitation and Exercise Sciences (School of)
Colchester Campus
Spring & Summer
Postgraduate: Level 7
Current
Sunday 17 January 2021
Friday 02 July 2021
30
17 February 2020
Requisites for this module
(none)
(none)
(none)
(none)
(none)
This module will explore the key skills required to achieve competence as a First Contact Musculoskeletal Practitioner. It is suitable for clinicians already working in First Contact Practitioner (FCP) roles within primary care or for those working towards a future FCP role.
The module will be taught online for four weeks via our online learning platform, Moodle. There will be 3 subsequent consecutive days of face to face teaching at the University of Essex, Wivenhoe campus.
Taught sessions online (including forum discussions) and face to face (including lectures, workshops and peer learning discussion), will cover topics including:
Person-centred approaches to care
Assessment, investigation and Diagnosis
Condition Management, Interventions and Prevention
Service and Professional Development
It is expected that enrolling clinicians will already have clinical expertise in the field of musculoskeletal health.
As the majority of clinicians enrolling on this module are likely to be in full time clinical roles and located some distance from the university, this module has been designed to be as accessible as possible, allowing for remote study and having three consecutive taught days to minimise clinical disruption.
Students will be required to complete independent study to meet the module assessment requirements.
Assessment will be via an evidence-based portfolio developed in response to your personal development plan (70%), meeting learning outcomes A, B, C, D & E and an evidence-based oral presentation of your assessment and management of a complex patient (30%), meeting learning outcomes A and B.
This module will enable you to identify your learning needs in relation to the skills required to commence or improve in a First Contact musculoskeletal role.
The taught content and assessment strategies will provide tools for you to address and meet these learning needs in line with the ‘Musculoskeletal Core Capabilities Framework for First Point of Contact Practitioners’ (1).
1. Health Education England (2018) Musculoskeletal Core Capabilities Framework for First Point of Contact Practitioners.
On successful completion of the module, students should be able to:
1. Demonstrate an advanced level of patient assessment, clinical reasoning and decision making relevant to a musculoskeletal first contact role, including choice of appropriate investigations, treatment, care planning (including onward referral as appropriate).
2. Demonstrate an advanced understanding of the role and application of the wider determinants of health within a musculoskeletal first contact role, including return to work, health promotion, prevention & lifestyle interventions, social prescribing, self-management and behaviour change.
3. Demonstrate the ability to critically reflect on your personal professional, developmental and educational needs in relation to embarking on or fulfilling a musculoskeletal first contact role.
4. Demonstrate and advanced level of communication and person-centred care relevant to a musculoskeletal first contact role.
5. Demonstrate the ability to critically evaluate the role of evidence-based practice and service development within a musculoskeletal first contact role, including approaches to service design, planning, and measurement of value and impact within primary care.
Teaching will be based on the following topics:
1. Teaching & learning support for the Module
2. Person-Centred approaches to First Contact patient care
Communication
Person-centred care
3. Assessment, investigation and diagnosis
History-taking
Physical Assessment
Investigations and diagnosis
4. Condition Management, Intervention and Prevention
Prevention and lifestyle interventions
Self-management and behaviour change
Pharmacotherapy
Injection Therapy
Surgical interventions
Rehabilitative interventions
Care planning
Referrals and collaborative working
5. Service and professional development
Evidence-based practice, service evaluation and development
Learning and teaching methods will include a combination of e-learning and face to face teaching including lectures, seminars, case studies, group work, peer discussion and development of a personal development plan. A blended learning approach is utilised (2) as encouraged by the University of Essex (2019) Strategic Plan (3).
During the four allocated weeks for e-learning, students are expected to dedicate the equivalent of one day a week in time to this element of module. Monitoring of on-line discussion forums by the module lead will take place each week. Face to face teaching will be classroom based over three consecutive days, 20 hours, with some teaching conducted by external experts as appropriate.
2. Harden RM, Laidlaw JM (2017) Essential Skills for a Medical Teacher: An introduction to teaching and learning in medicine (2nd edition). London: Elsevier
3. University of Essex (2019) Strategic plan.
- (no date) Standardised National Data Collection For First Contact Physiotherapy Practitioners.
- NHS England » A five-year framework for GP contract reform to implement The NHS Long Term PlanCookie Control IconCookie Control Close Icon, https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/gp-contract-five-year-framework/
- (no date) First Contact Physiotherapy posts in General Practice A guide for implementation in England.
- (no date) Elective Care High Impact Interventions: First Contact Practitioner for MSK Services.
- NHS Long Term Plan » The NHS Long Term Plan, https://www.longtermplan.nhs.uk/publication/nhs-long-term-plan/
- (no date) Musculoskeletal Core Capabilities Framework for First Point of Contact Practitioners.
- (no date) Multi-professional framework for advanced clinical practice in England.
- Stewart, Michael; Loftus, Stephen. (2018-07) 'Sticks and Stones: The Impact of Language in Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation', in Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy. vol. 48 (7) , pp.519-522
- (no date) A retrospective review of the influences, milestones, policies and practice developments in the first contact MSK model, by Health Education England.
The above list is indicative of the essential reading for the course. The library makes provision for all reading list items, with digital provision where possible, and these resources are shared between students. Further reading can be obtained from this module's reading list.
Assessment items, weightings and deadlines
| Coursework / exam |
Description |
Deadline |
Coursework weighting |
| Coursework |
Presentation |
|
30% |
| Coursework |
Portfolio |
|
70% |
Exam format definitions
- Remote, open book: Your exam will take place remotely via an online learning platform. You may refer to any physical or electronic materials during the exam.
- In-person, open book: Your exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer to any physical materials such as paper study notes or a textbook during the exam. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
- In-person, open book (restricted): The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer only to specific physical materials such as a named textbook during the exam. Permitted materials will be specified by your department. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
- In-person, closed book: The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may not refer to any physical materials or electronic devices during the exam. There may be times when a paper dictionary,
for example, may be permitted in an otherwise closed book exam. Any exceptions will be specified by your department.
Your department will provide further guidance before your exams.
Overall assessment
Reassessment
Module supervisor and teaching staff
No
No
No
Mrs Lorelei Maria Waring
University of Cumbria
Senior Lecturer and Musculioskeletal Ultrasonographer
Available via Moodle
Of 472 hours, 0 (0%) hours available to students:
472 hours not recorded due to service coverage or fault;
0 hours not recorded due to opt-out by lecturer(s).
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