TDCPP Paediatric Pain Therapy and Palliative Care

The Master in Paediatric Pain Therapy and Palliative Care lasts 24 months, and entails a theoretical part, with attendance established by the academic system, and hands-on practice. Students will carry out their qualifying activities in clinics, in the Master’s facilities wards, and at the patient’s home. The course provides specific competences and experience in the organization and management of pain treatment and palliative care for paediatric patients.

The Master includes lessons, workshops, hands-on practice, seminars, testimonies, individual study, stages, project works and final exam, with the presentation and discussion of a dissertation.

The  Master in Paediatric Pain Therapy and Palliative Care trains specific professional figures, as set forth by Law 38/2010, who can carry out coordinating activities in regional reference centres and within the pain therapy and paediatric palliative care network, as well as activities in private/public facilities and in non-profit organizations on the national territory. 

The figures formed acquire specific professional skills, and are capable of carrying out clinical planning, organizational and management governance activities, in public and private healthcare facilities, pursuant to Law 38/10, and in non-profit organizations within the paediatric pain therapy and palliative care network.

The Master in Paediatric Pain Therapy and Palliative Care provides in-depth training on:

PAEDIATRIC PALLIATIVE CARE

• paediatric palliative care (characterizing subject – scientific disciplines field)
• epidemiology and paediatric palliative care (complementary subjects – cultural base and bioethics field)
• management of children eligible for paediatric palliative care (characterizing subject – scientific disciplines field)
• parental enablement to managing a child with an incurable illness (complementary subjects – surgical-medical disciplines field)
• organization/management of a specialized paediatric palliative care centre/network (complementary subjects – public healthcare disciplines field, healthcare management)
• bioethics in paediatric palliative care (basis – general disciplines field)
• legal aspects (characterizing subject – human sciences field)
• research methodology (basis – general disciplines and palliative medicine field)

PAEDIATRIC PAIN THERAPY

• Pain therapy in paediatric patients: etiology and epidemiology (characterizing subjects – specific disciplines field)
• Pain assessment and measurement (characterizing subjects – specific disciplines field)
• non-pharmacological therapy (characterizing subject – human sciences field)
• pharmacological therapy (characterizing – specific disciplines field)
• pain management flow-charts (characterizing – specific disciplines field)
• training (characterizing subject human sciences field)
• clinical and organizational management in complex patient (elective subject – specific diseases field)
• new health scenarios in paediatric patients: “clinical governance” (characterizing subject – human science field)
• care network organization (elective subject – specific diseases field)

Knowledge and comprehension skills

Knowing and understanding the physiopathology, the assessment methods and the pharmacological/non-pharmacological therapy techniques to manage acute, chronic procedural and terminal pain in paediatric patients; knowing the issues and management techniques related to chronic and terminal disease (cancer and non-cancer); knowing the ethical, legal, and medical-legal issues related to medical care; knowing the fundamentals of clinical governance.

Ability to apply knowledge and understanding

Knowing how to manage children with acute, chronic or terminal pain; knowing how to manage and organize the multi-specialist take-over of children with incurable diseases; having the ability to plan, organize and manage a paediatric pain therapy and palliative care centre, and to recruit and train healthcare personnel.

Independent judgement 

Knowing how to manage the clinical, organizational and ethical issues of pain and incurability in paediatric patient independently.

Communication skills

Knowing how to communicate with the patient and their family, regardless of the age or situation; knowing how to relate to all the members of the staff and care network, with non-profit and volunteering organizations.

Learning skills

Knowing how to manage children with acute, chronic or terminal pain; knowing how to manage and organize the multi-specialist take-over of children with incurable diseases; having the ability to plan, organize and manage a paediatric pain therapy and palliative care centre, and to recruit and train healthcare personnel.

Attendance to the theoretical part is monitored by the professors of each class on a specific register. Every hands-on activity is certified in a special booklet/diary by a professor of the care facility where it is carried out. The Master Director is responsible for assessing that all hands-on activities have been completed. The booklet/diary and list of hands-on activities are an integral part of the Master’s certification.

Stages are completed at different wards, under the direct supervision of tutors selected among university professors and medical directors of the Master’s faculty.

The general ranking of merit for the academic year 2023/24 will be published on the Italian page of this Master according to the timing provided in the Call.