Newcastle University

Aims

The overall aim of the module, Management of Cancer - Psychosocial Issues (ONC8006), is to explore some of the psychological, social and organisational factors that influence the responses to, and the management and outcomes of cancer, from the perspectives of the patient, their family or carers, and the health professionals involved in their care.

The subject area (‘Psychosocial issues in cancer management’) is vast, and there is therefore a need to be selective about the subject matter covered in the module. The areas selected are aspects of care and management that are not only traditionally challenging for patients, carers and health professionals alike, and/or have a significant bearing on outcomes, but also are representative of all stages of the ‘cancer journey’. There is inevitably considerable overlap between the topics (see below) with a particular emphasis on ‘communication’. Effective and sensitive communication lies at the very heart of good clinical care, and poor communication may have an adverse influence on outcomes. It is also the root of a significant proportion of complaints made against health professionals, as well as the source of errors and mistakes.

Outline Of Syllabus

The 16 week module comprises three Units of learning, each Unit being made up of 4 or 5 Topics, as follows:

Unit 1 – On becoming a cancer patient
Topic 1 – Introduction to the module, and learning sets
Topic 2 – Organisations and systems
Topic 3 – Entering the system
Topic 4 – Breaking bad news


Unit 2 – Psychosocial effects
      Topic 5 – The symbolic interactionist perspective
      Topic 6 – Self image, body image, loss and grief
      Topic 7 – Stigma, depression and anxiety, and medicalisation
Topic 8 – Influence and needs of family and friends and social networks
(Formative assessment)

Unit 3 – Psychosocial interventions
      Topic 9 – Communication matters
      Topic 10 – Biographical reconstruction
      Topic 11 – Screening
      Topic 12 – Quality of life
      Topic 13 - Why bother with psycho-social interventions?
(Summative assessment)

Teaching Rationale And Relationship

The design of the on-line materials encourages practitioners to explore and deepen their understanding of psycho-social aspects of cancer care. On-line asynchronous discussion will focus on issues raised through reading and reflection. The outcomes of these discussions will not only facilitate networking but also help students prepare for the Module formative and summative assessments.

Assessment Rationale And Relationship

The summative assessment essay topics are designed to encourage critical application of relevant theories to clinical practice and assess the appropriate knowledge outcomes of the module. The formative assessment on critical appraisal of guidelines at the end of Unit 1 is a precursor to the summative assessment at the end of week 16.