First Contact Practice

The unit will help in your preparation for and transition to an FCP role as a diagnostic clinician working in Primary Care, assessing and managing undifferentiated and undiagnosed musculoskeletal presentations. During this unit, you will start to build your clinical portfolio of evidence with support of your supervisor within a supportive learning environment. This unit aims to support MSK physiotherapists to develop skills in integrating relevant patient data through appropriate and systematic history taking, physical examination and investigations to examine and diagnose patients with musculoskeletal conditions. The unit explores personalised approaches to patient care that value co-production and shared decision making with service users. Participants will be encouraged in the development of skills in condition management through intervention, self-management, health promotion and behaviour change. Throughout the unit there will be opportunities to explore personal and professional development needs the transition to the FCP role through critical reflection, enhanced self-awareness and peer discussion.

There are 84 hours of student contact time including face to face delivery and online timetabled sessions. The face: face teaching will be skills focused and primary delivered in one of our skills labs.  A mix of traditional synchronous and asynchronous methods will be employed. Synchronous content may vary, but may consist of live lecture, small group seminars, practical classes and workshops, small group learning activities, role-play activities, peer-led discussions, and question and answer sessions. Students learning will be supported with asynchronous material using our virtual learning environment. Asynchronous contents may include the delivery of the cognitive knowledge base through online lectures, online seminars, online quizzes, online activities and online discussion forums to help students analyse and evaluate information. These contents will be accessible via the online learning platform. Formative assessment and feedback will be provided through online quizzes, activities, self-assessment and through participation of online forums. OSCE preparation sessions will be offered.

The assessment of this unit focuses on capability within the role:

1. A multi-station OSCE which will examine history taking, physical assessment skills and clinical reasoning. The clinical reasoning will take the format of a viva where a panel of two assessors will explore the clinical reasoning and decision-making processes for the student allowing demonstration of their underpinning knowledge and critical appraisal of the evidence base.
2. A Reflective Case study (3500 words) demonstrating the delivery of personalised healthcare, health promotion, prevention & lifestyle interventions, social prescribing, self-management and behaviour change.

This unit will run over a 10-month period. At the successful completion of this unit, you will be ready for transition to an FCP role in primary care. Having completed unit 1, there is a 2-month period for you to move into Primary Care, however if this is delayed, they we will work with you to identify a later cohort.

This unit forms the second of 2 units for our PGCert First Contact Practitioner. This unit is designed to support healthcare professionals to develop a professional portfolio which demonstrates a master’s level of practice in relation to First Contact Practice.  This will be undertaken through critical exploration/awareness of current evidence-based practice, scholarship and research and quality improvement initiatives. Students will generate a portfolio which includes a wide variety of evidence. The portfolio will be summatively assessed at the end of the unit, yet form the foundation for an ongoing professional practice portfolio constantly built upon. This unit will be delivered online with both synchronous and asynchronous content delivery.  Students will be required to undertake group work (online), peer-assessed student presentations and self-directed learning. There will be 21 hrs of student contact time, with each student receiving the equivalent of 9 hrs portfolio support as required. Students will be required to undertake and additional 170 hrs of independent study.

Emphasis is placed on the development of qualities such as the capacity for critical reflection and enquiry, which are required for self-determined practice. Most of the learning will be centred around the experiential learning gained whilst on placement and through discussion and debate with experienced clinicians on all aspects of patient management. The unit also aims to foster the qualities of leadership and mentorship, the ability to innovate and initiate change, and to participate in effective collaboration with other professionals.

The assessment of this unit focuses on the development of the Clinical Portfolio mapped against the Knowledge, Skills and Attributes required to meet Stage 2 of the First Contact Practitioners and Advanced Practitioners in Primary Care Roadmap (HEE, 2021).Students will produce a 3,000 word commentary which provide a critically reflective narrative of their development as an FCP (linked to their portfolio evidence).