Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Chronic Pain, 7.5 credits

Main field of study

Course level

Advancement level

Specific information

Course is available only for exchange students.

Entry requirements

• 120 credit in a major subject area with relevance for rehabilitation science
• English corresponding to the level of English in Swedish upper secondary education (English 6/B)
  (Exemption from Swedish 3)

Intended learning outcomes

The aim of this course is to address a deeper understanding of chronic pain, it´s personal and societal implications, assessment strategies and common treatment and rehabilitation interventions. Within this aim will be covered the need to work multiprofessionally and team based together with principles for evidence based medicine within the field of chronic pain.  

A distinctive feature of the course is that the group of students is accompanied by experienced seminar leaders through the literature seminars in order to support the integration of knowledge.

At the end of the course, students should be able to:

• Explain and analyze the concept of pain.
• Describe the differences between nociception and pain.
• Understand and analyze the general principles of a bio-psychosocial approach to pain and it´s assessments, treatments and rehabilitation interventions.
• Describe common personal and societal implications of chronic pain.
• Summarize and evaluate the main principles of treatment and rehabilitation interventions, the teamwork, and possible critiques against a biomedical view on pain.
• Motivate the choice of common treatment strategies for chronic pain conditions.
• Describe principles of evaluation and the concept of evidence based treatments.
• Initiate and participate in teamwork concerning patients with chronic pain.
• Describe and compare specific aspects of disability, rehabilitation and results in some common pain conditions according to the individual choice of the student.

Course content

The course will include the following important moments:
• Introductory lectures or presentations of the topics described by the learning goals, problem based learning, information retrieval, and critical reading of scientific papers.
• Literature seminars on the main topics. The seminars are based on literature studies and in part on the lectures, in order to give extensive opportunities to discuss and integrate knowledge, and to share experiences between disciplines and nationalities.
• Literature studies: In part, papers exemplifying the general principles common for all participants, and in part papers related to some specific diagnosis or type of pain conditions according to the personal choice of the individual participant.
• Based on an individual case with a complicated chronic pain condition chosen by the student from his/hers own situation and country prior to the course written and oral presentations will be done with respect to diagnosis, assessment, treatment etc. 

Teaching and working methods

Problem-Based Learning is the pedagogical method applied at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences of Linköping University and during the course. Because the content of the course is in part adapted to the choice of the individual student, it is possible for students with very different backgrounds, e.g. medicine, nursing, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, psychology, social work, to deepen and broaden previously acquired knowledge on pain, and also to get a solid starting point for future studies at a master level.

The course is in English. The normal situation of this kind of interdisciplinary and international course is that English is not the native language of any participant. The English vocabulary and pronunciation, the experience from reading scientific papers, and the knowledge about terminology vary quite a lot among the participants. The seminar leaders have a lot of experience from making all participants feel comfortable and discussing quite complex issues in a way that is easy to understand.

Examination

Participation in seminars is compulsory and active participation in every module is required to pass the course. The following two parts of the examination are judged by the seminar leader, with continuous feedback during the seminars and with reasonable adaptation to the specific background of the participant:

1. Active participation in the seminars, with formulation of questions, learning goals and critical reflection on the studied literature.
2. During the final week, each participant gives a short presentation to the group, summarizing the acquired knowledge about the individual case selected prior to the course.

Student grades will be given on a pass/fail scale and will be based both on performance during the seminars and the oral presentation at the end of the course.

If special circumstances prevail, and if it is possible with consideration of the nature of the compulsory component, the examiner may decide to replace the compulsory component with another equivalent component.

Application for examination

Instructions on how to apply for examinations are given prior to the beginning of each course.

Re-examination

The date for re-examination should normally be announced by the date of the regular examination at latest; in which case the scope must be the same as at the regular examination.

Examination for students with disabilities

If the LiU coordinator for students with disabilities has granted a student the right to an adapted examination for a written examination in an examination hall, the student has the right to it.

If the coordinator has recommended for the student an adapted examination or alternative form of examination, the examiner may grant this if the examiner assesses that it is possible, based on consideration of the course objectives. 

An examiner may also decide that an adapted examination or alternative form of examination if the examiner assessed that special circumstances prevail, and the examiner assesses that it is possible while maintaining the objectives of the course. 

Nomination of another examiner

A student who has taken two examinations in a course or a part of a course without obtaining a pass grade is entitled to the nomination of another examiner, unless there are special reasons to the contrary.  

Grades

Other information

Planning and implementation of the course is to be based on the wordings in the course syllabus. A course evaluation is compulsory for each course and should include how the course is in agreement with the course syllabus. The course coordinator will analyse the course evaluation and propose appropriate development of the course. The analysis and proposal will be returned to the students, the Director of Studies, and as needed to the Education Board, if related to general development and improvement.

The course is carried out in such a way that knowledge of gender, gender identity/expression, ethnicity, religion or other belief system, disability, sexual orientation and age is addressed, highlighted and communicated as part of the programme.

If the course is cancelled or undergoes major changes, examination is normally offered under this course syllabus, at a total of three occasions, within/in connection to the two following semesters, of which one in close proximity to the first examination.

Department