Home page of The Scottish Doctor comment on the SDMEG

Scottish Doctors 2

Mapping view

Scottish Doctors 3

Learning Outcomes for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention

Level 1 - What the doctor is able to do

Level 2 - Outcomes for Health Promotion and Disease Preventionlink to Tomorrows doctors

Every contact between a doctor and a patient can be seen as an opportunity for health promotion and disease prevention. It is therefore essential that the new graduate knows how to make the most of these opportunities through demonstrable knowledge of the principles involved both for individual patients and populations.

Level 3

This could include: Level 4

Recognition of the causes of disease and the threats to the health of individuals and populations at risklink to Tomorrows doctors

Definition of health, disease and disability.

Assessment of distribution of risk factors in the population.

Risk identification and reduction policies for populations taking into account diversity, ethnicity and social inequality.

To be able to implement, where appropriate, risk reduction strategies for individual patientslink to Tomorrows doctors

Knowing how to change risk factors.

The use of evidence-based medicine and effective interventions.

Helping patients to modify behaviour whilst respecting their autonomy.

Managing and implementing change.

Appreciate that health promotion and disease prevention depend on collaboration with many other professionals and agencieslink to Tomorrows doctors

Identify who the other professionals and agencies are and what their role is.

Plan health promotion taking into account barriers to preventing disease and promoting health both in the individual and the populationlink to Tomorrows doctors

Consideration of; political, economic, behavioural and organisational barriers.

Importance of audit of health promotion and disease prevention activities.

Screeninglink to Tomorrows doctors

Criteria for determining appropriate implementation of screening programmes.

Specific Issues

Health promotion and disease prevention have a lower profile with students than they deserve in terms of their importance in medicine.

The definition of what constitutes health promotion and disease prevention still requires greater clarification.

Assessment is a potentially valuable way of raising the profile of health promotion and disease prevention.

Currently a variety of methods of assessment have been used. The evidence for the validity and reliability of some of the methods may be questioned.

Recommended methods of assessment include:
Group poster e.g. this could be a health education poster aimed at patients or a more scientific poster such as might be presented at a medical conference.
Assignment / Essays MEQ
CRQ
SAQ EMI / MCQs
Attachment forms on clinical placement
Group presentation
OSCE e.g. a station at which the student is asked to discuss a risk reduction strategy with a patient
Record of achievement
Oral