Advanced Practice: Minor Illness Management 23 30 October and 13 November 2024

This practical 3-day course is designed to equip clinicians with the knowledge and skills to assess, diagnose, and manage minor illness presentations in primary care settings. It focuses on conditions related to the ear, skin, abdomen, respiratory, ENT, and eyes, developing participants’ abilities to identify red flags, enhance clinical decision-making, and implement effective safety netting strategies.

Aims

Equip participants with essential clinical skills to assess, diagnose, and manage common minor illnesses and encourage critical engagement with current research and evidence-based practices in minor illness management.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this 3-day course, participants will:

1. Understand and apply the Advanced Practice 4 Pillars in minor illness management.
2. Diagnose and manage common ENT, respiratory, abdominal, skin, and eye conditions.
3. Develop skills in identifying red flags, clinical decision-making, and safety netting.
4. Demonstrate leadership in managing patient care within a multidisciplinary team.
5. Critically engage with research and evidence-based practice in minor illness.

Audience: Clinicians in primary care and general practice who want to see and treat minor illness presentations

Mapped to: Advanced Practice 4 Pillars of Practice (Clinical Practice, Leadership, Education, and Research)

Day 1: Foundations & Core Conditions

Focus: Clinical Practice & Decision-Making in Minor Illness

• Introduction to Advanced Practice and Minor Illness Management
  • Overview of the 4 Pillars of Practice and course objectives
  • Role of advanced practice in minor illness
  • Importance of clinical decision-making and identifying red flags
  • Safety netting principles
• Session 1: ENT and Respiratory Conditions
  • Common ear disorders: otitis media, otitis externa, ear wax impaction
  • Respiratory presentations: upper respiratory tract infections, bronchitis, asthma exacerbations
  • Red flags: respiratory distress, unexplained hearing loss, persistent cough
• Session 2: Abdominal Pain in Primary Care
  • Common causes of abdominal pain: gastritis, IBS, constipation, gastroenteritis
  • Identifying red flags: acute abdomen, appendicitis, and biliary colic
  • Decision-making and safety netting for abdominal conditions
• Interactive Case Studies
  • Practical exercises in diagnosing ENT and respiratory cases
  • Group discussion on abdominal pain scenarios

Day 2: Advanced Clinical Skills & Red Flags

Focus: Clinical Skills Development & Leadership in Patient Management

• Session 1: Skin Conditions in Primary Care
  • Common skin presentations: eczema, psoriasis, dermatitis, impetigo
  • Red flags: cellulitis, necrotizing fasciitis, skin cancers
  • Treatment options and when to refer
• Session 2: Eye Conditions
  • Conjunctivitis, foreign body, blepharitis, dry eye syndrome
  • Red flags: sudden vision loss, eye trauma, acute glaucoma
  • Decision-making strategies for eye complaints
• Leadership in Minor Illness Management
  • Managing patient flow and clinical leadership in a primary care setting
  • Promoting safety netting and follow-up
  • Multidisciplinary teamwork in managing complex presentations
• Practical Workshop
  • Hands-on skills: otoscopy, skin examination, red flag assessment for eyes
  • Role-playing: triaging and decision-making in skin and eye conditions

Day 3: Consolidation & Advanced Case Management

Focus: Education & Research Integration for Advanced Practice

• Session 1: Complex Respiratory and ENT Conditions
  • Advanced management: recurrent sinusitis, chronic cough, exacerbations of asthma/COPD
  • Case-based learning with complex scenarios
• Session 2: Decision-Making and Safety Netting in Minor Illness
  • Deep dive into clinical decision-making frameworks
  • Review of common red flags across all systems covered
  • Safety netting: effective patient communication, follow-up strategies, and ensuring patient safety in minor illness
• Research in Minor Illness
  • Introduction to current evidence-based practice in minor illness
  • Critical appraisal of research related to minor illness in primary care
• Final Assessment & Case Presentations
  • Group work: presentation of cases involving minor illness presentations and management strategies
  • Peer feedback on red flag identification, decision-making, and safety netting
  • Course summary and reflective practice