Clinical Practice in Austere Environments
| Module title | Clinical Practice in Austere Environments |
|---|---|
| Module code | HPDM211 |
| Academic year | 2025/6 |
| Credits | 30 |
| Module staff | Dr Rob Daniels (Convenor) |
| Duration: Term | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration: Weeks | 0 | 4 | 8 |
| Number students taking module (anticipated) | 24 |
|---|
Module description
In this module, you will develop skills in the evaluation and delivery of medical care in remote and austere environments through a combination of online and in-person learning. Practical teaching will take place during expeditions to rural, remote and austere environments, delivered by World Extreme Medicine.
This unique combination of theoretical learning and attendance at environment specific residential courses, allows students to develop practical and theoretical expertise in this area, with flexibility to choose residential modules in environments that align with their specialist interests and future career plans.
This module is optional for students taking the PG Diploma in Extreme Medicine and the MSc in Extreme Medicine, with students having the option of taking this module, or the humanitarian medicine module in the diploma stage (Year 2) of the course.
Module aims - intentions of the module
In this module you will develop an in-depth understanding of the key aspects of clinical management of illness in austere environments. This will be achieved through a combination of asynchronous online learning focussing on different environments, including heat, cold, altitude, aquatic and space. Teaching will focus on the unique clinical challenges of each environment, underlying disease processes and clinical management. You will learn about of the management of illness and injury in a range of austere environments, before developing expertise in practical delivery in the second phase of this module.
The second part of this module will be practical teaching in remote environments. You will choose two residential courses, offered by World Extreme Medicine, from a selection of options covering a rage of austere environments, that focus on your area of specialist interest. This will develop your practical expertise in your specialist environment which complements and develops the theoretical content.
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
ILO: Module-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 1. Evaluate the evidence for the diagnosis and management of illness and injury in austere environments
- 2. Critically appraise evidence on the management of environmental illness and create management plans for different medical scenarios
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 3. Plan delivery of effective medical cover for expeditions in a range of austere environments
ILO: Personal and key skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 4. Expertise in the planning and delivery of medical care in a range of austere and remote environments
- 5. Identify gaps in clinical knowledge and critically reflect on how these can be addressed
Syllabus plan
Whilst the module's precise content may vary from year to year, an example of an overall structure is as follows:
a. Online learning - this will cover the proactive and reactive management of health problems in extreme environments.
b. In-person teaching - students will choose two residential courses relevant to their area of interest, that cover practical aspects of expedition medicine from a selection offered by World Extreme Medicine.
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 96 | 204 | 0 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Guided independent study | 124 | Web-based activities on ELE- preparation for practical sessions |
| Guided independent study | 80 | Reading and preparation for module assignment |
| Scheduled learning and teaching activities | 96 | In-person teaching, mixture of theoretical and practical teaching |
Formative assessment
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Preparation of plan for management tool | 500 words | 3,4 | Written |
Summative assessment (% of credit)
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | 0 | 0 |
Details of summative assessment
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essay | 50 | 2,000 words | 1,2,5 | Written |
| Management tool | 50 | 15-minute presentation | 3,4 | Written |
Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essay (50%) | Essay | 1,2,5 | Within 6 weeks of result |
| Management tool (50%) | Management tool | 3,4 | Within 6 weeks of result |
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
- Auerbach, P.S., Constance, B.B. and Freer, L., 2018. Field guide to wilderness medicine. Elsevier Health Sciences.
- Dallimore, J., Anderson, S.R., Imray, C., Johnson, C., Moore, J. and Winser, S. eds., 2023. Oxford handbook of expedition and wilderness medicine. Oxford University Press.
Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources
- ELE –
- Wilderness Medical Society Clinical Practice Guidelines, available at: https://journals.sagepub.com/topic/collections-wem/wem-1-wilderness_medicine_clinical_practice_guidelines?journalCode=wem
- https://worldextrememedicine.com/articles/
| Credit value | 30 |
|---|---|
| Module ECTS | 15 |
| Module pre-requisites | None |
| Module co-requisites | None |
| NQF level (module) | 7 |
| Available as distance learning? | Yes |
| Origin date | 14/03/25 |
