Chronic Disease Management MSc

St Mary's University, Twickenham

This is a practical module that examines the applied approaches to support changes in an individual's lifestyle behaviours along with the evidence and complexity of this topic.

This module provides an opportunity for you to learn from professional practice activities in a public health setting, through experience in the workplace. You will be expected to work on a small-scale project relevant to the workplace setting, in collaboration between the Programme Director, the placement provider and the student. This collaborative team will develop a small-scale project that forms an area of a larger health-related piece of work. Using experiential learning and reflective practice, students will be able to develop practical competencies aligned to public health and project management, using the Public Health Skills and Knowledge Framework 2016 (PHSKF) as a guide, and will consider and analyse their own practice in relation to it.

This module is an exploration of the role of nutrition and physical activity interventions in the prevention and treatment of a range of chronic diseases.

The module aims to develop in-depth knowledge and understanding of the theories and applications of chronic disease prevention and management, relevant to each stage of the public health framework. It explores epidemiological approaches and the hierarchy of evidence. You will engage with health surveillance databases and the importance of this in public health planning. The application and use of epidemiology and health surveillance as tools for assessing need and researching public health approaches to manage chronic disease are included. You will develop skills in evaluating public health interventions and an understanding of policy development.

This module aims to provide you with a deep and systematic understanding of the stages, processes and limitations involved in preparing and conducting a research study and the tools necessary for interpretation and analysis of quantitative and qualitative data. A wide range of projects relating to chronic disease management and prevention will be available for you to choose from - and build upon - for your research dissertation. The skills developed in this module will enable you to plan, design and conduct a high-quality research study independently and communicate the findings to others in a written and oral format.

This module looks to provide an overview of a range of research methodologies, analysis methods and to develop skills in planning a research project.

Self? Care is a concept that has evolved during the 21st century and encompasses the preventive and care behaviours utilised by patients to optimise health and social wellbeing. It is an essential element of any health system, and Department of Health guidelines have promoted a shift to a greater emphasis on self-care, developing more equal partnerships between health professionals and patients. This module will explore self-care options utilised by those with chronic diseases, and consider approaches to empower patients to make choices and take responsibility for their own health.