Pain 1: Understanding and Assessing Pain
Key facts
Overview
This module aims to increase your understanding of the complexity of pain. It will raise awareness of pain problems and the attitudes which can contribute to these. It will enhance your ability to assess and empirically examine pain phenomena.
Funding
Find out more about fees and funding.
Objectives
To enable you to:
- Understand the theoretical issues associated with both acute and chronic pain
- Explore the philosophical issues associated with pain perception and communication
- Critically examine contemporary approaches to pain assessment
Structure and content
This module is delivered online. The resources are extensive and a series of discussion boards provides opportunity for sharing of ideas, learning and feedback.
The module will start with an in-depth examination of the various theories of pain, which will extend your understanding of the social, psychological and physiological basis of acute and chronic pain.
The complex sequelae of pain, especially chronic pain will be discussed. This will draw on pain patients' reports, case studies and the empirical literature.
Discussions will allow the students to critically examine attitudes to pain in society and in healthcare settings, which are formed (or misinformed) by various theoretical positions.
Delivery and assessment
The module is delivered online via Canvas.
The module has two assessments:
- a comparative essay
- a case study
Module coordinator
Gwenne McIntosh
Employability
You can utilise the learning from the module as part of your current academic career pathway development and Personal Development Plan.