Impact of illness on the individual and society

Program Overview

This module explores the multifaceted impacts of illness on individuals, families, communities, and society. It examines the relationships between illness and public health, encompassing factors like health determinants, patients' perspectives, genetic influences, and personalized medicine. The module also analyzes the consequences of global illnesses and major population health issues like pandemics, obesity, and prevalent problems like ischemic heart disease and drug abuse. It is relevant to a variety of careers in the healthcare sector, including public health, health promotion, clinical practice, research, and policy development.

Program Outline

Degree Overview:

Overview:

• This module explores the impact of illness on individuals and society, considering the connections between illness and public health, health determinants, patients' perceptions, genetics, personalized medicine, and existing evidence for reducing the impact of illness.
• It also explores the effects of global illnesses and significant population health issues like pandemics, obesity, and prevalent problems like ischemic heart disease and drug abuse, on populations, health provisions, and society in general.

Objectives:

• Present the effect of individual illness on the immediate social surroundings.
• Demonstrate the effects that widespread health issues have on society as a whole.
• It delves into the relationships between illness and public health, encompassing various factors like health determinants, patients' perspectives, genetic influences, personalized medicine, and existing evidence for mitigating the impact of illness.
• The module also examines the consequences of global illnesses and major population health issues like pandemics, obesity, and prevalent problems like ischemic heart disease and drug abuse.
These issues are analyzed in terms of their impact on populations, health provisions, and society in general.

Outline:

Content:

• The effects of individual illness on family and society.
• The effects of prevalent illnesses and diseases such as obesity, diabetes, or pandemics on society.
• Strategies to help reduce the health burden on society, such as personalized medicine, vaccination programs, and health promotion drives.

Structure:

• The module consists of lectures, seminars, and independent study.
• Lectures cover the core concepts and theories related to the impact of illness.
• Seminars provide opportunities for students to discuss the issues raised in lectures and to apply their learning to real-world case studies.
• Independent study allows students to explore the topics in more detail and to develop their own research skills.

Modules:

• The module will be delivered in 10 weekly sessions, each lasting for 2 hours.
• The module will be assessed by a 3,000-word written assignment.
• The teaching schedule is as follows:
| Week | Date | Topics | |---|---|---| | 1 | 18/01/2024 | Introduction to the impact of illness | | 2 | 25/01/2024 | The social determinants of health | | 3 | 01/02/2024 | The impact of illness on families and communities | | 4 | 08/02/2024 | The impact of illness on society | | 5 | 15/02/2024 | Personalized medicine | | 6 | 22/02/2024 | Vaccination programs | | 7 | 29/02/2024 | Health promotion drives | | 8 | 07/03/2024 | The future of healthcare | | 9 | 14/03/2024 | Revision session | | 10 | 21/03/2024 | Assessment |

Assessment:

• The module will be assessed by a 3,000-word written assignment.
• The assignment will require students to critically analyze the impact of a specific illness on individuals and society.
• Students will be required to draw on a range of sources, including academic literature, government reports, and media articles.
• The assignment will be assessed on the following criteria:
• Clarity of argument
• Depth of analysis
• Use of evidence
• Writing style and presentation

Teaching:

• The module will be taught by a team of experienced academics and practitioners.
• The teaching team will use a variety of methods to deliver the module, including lectures, seminars, and independent study.
• The module will also make use of a variety of learning resources, including online materials and case studies.

Careers:

• This module is relevant to a variety of careers in the healthcare sector, including:
• Public health
• Health promotion
• Clinical practice
• Research
• Policy development

Other:

• The module is offered by the Florence Nightingale Faculty of Nursing, Midwifery & Palliative Care at King's College London.
• The module is available to qualified healthcare professionals.
• The full fee for the module is £3,100.