Asthma: Mechanisms and Modern Management

This module has been designed to enable Health Care Practitioners to meet the current challenges of modern Asthma care and management.

It offers a logical and systematic journey from the understanding of associated anatomy, pathopyhsiology and mechanisms of Asthma through to present and contemporary perspectives of management. An international focus will be adopted in reviewing current policy relating to patient management and self management practices in addition to close scrutiny of national and local policies impacting on the students’ current arena of practice.

On completion of this module you will be able to:

• Recognise key aspects of professional knowledge and competence in Asthma management, that promotes logical decision making in normal, complex and unpredictable contexts.
• Evidence the ability to deploy accurately established techniques of analysis and treatment within the realms of Asthma management
• Reflect on and critically evaluate your own professional role in understanding and facilitating self management of the person with Asthma.

Topics covered may include:

• Epidemiology, incidence and prevalence
• Aetiology, natural history, genetics and atopy
• Anatomy and pathophysiology
• Signs and symptons/clinical manifestations
• Assessment of the patient
• Differential diagnosis/co morbidities
• Management of the condition
• Acute/Chronic Asthmas
• Current treatment options/Pharmacology, therapies
• Policy and Guidelines
• Monitoring review and audit
• Rehabilitation
• Multi disciplinary working
• Holistic impact on patient family and carers – bio psychosocial aspects
• Psychology of Breathlessness
• Patient knowledge skills and attitude – facilitating self management
• Consent, choice and concordance
• Public health
• Health economics
• Professional, ethical and legal issues.