MSc Clinical Exercise Prescription

In this unit you will develop an understanding of the practice of sport and exercise rehabilitation. As well as developing an understanding of the sport rehabilitation profession you will develop an understanding of important legal, ethical professional and health and safety issues and the impact these have upon the profession. In addition, you will consider the contemporary nature of sport and exercise rehabilitation practice and the development of clinical and practical skills relating to rehabilitation. You will also explore fundamental underpinning health science theory including functional anatomy, flexibility, physiology and biomechanics. 

On successful completion of this module students will be able to: 

1. Critically analyse and reflect on information gathered as part of a clinical assessment.
2. Demonstrate the practical skills required to assess and treat specific service users.
3. Adopt an evidence-based approach to assessment, treatment and monitoring/evaluation.
4. Critically describe clinical decision-making processes and case evaluation.

In this unit you will critically examine contemporary knowledge and best practice relating to the rehabilitation of a range of cardiac conditions. In the unit you will explore the factors that contribute to the development of coronary heart disease, the medication used in its treatment, and the implications for exercise prescription within cardiac patient groups. Finally, you will also evaluate the effectiveness of a range of cardiac rehabilitation programmes.

On successful completion of the module students should be able to: 

1. Demonstrate a detailed understanding of the underlying patho-physiological processes involved in the development of coronary heart disease.
2. Demonstrate a critical appreciation of the interrelationships between professionals involved in the cardiac rehabilitation process.  
3. Evaluate cardiac units in secondary care to prescribe an effective cardiac rehabilitation programme for patients from a diverse range of cardiac problems.
4. Critically evaluate the effectiveness of cardiac rehabilitation interventions.

This module analyses the needs of specific clinical populations and explores exercise as a treatment modality in management of chronic disease and its application in multi-professional contexts. You will consider perspectives of various stakeholders involved in management of chronic conditions, examine the challenges facing different population groups and develop clinical reasoning skills related to design, implementation and evaluation of long-term exercise plan for management of common chronic conditions for a diverse range of clients in a variety of settings. Additionally, you will get an opportunity to work with your peers on a group project which will foster your communication, team-working and critical reflection skills.

On successful completion of the module students should be able to: 

1. Critique and evaluate exercise as a treatment modality for individuals living with an established chronic disease diagnosis from the perspectives of relevant stakeholders.
2. Critically discuss the role of the exercise specialist in managing chronic disease within a multidisciplinary healthcare team.
3. Apply clinical reasoning skills to design evidence-based exercise plans for management of common chronic conditions.
4. Identify risk factors for development of adverse experiences from exercise-based treatments of chronic disease. 
5. Apply consultation, communication and self-reflection skills to decision-making processes. 

This module analyses the interactions between musculoskeletal rehabilitation, health, and a variety of diseases. You will explore contemporary knowledge and best practice relating to a range of conditions associated with the musculoskeletal dysfunction for general, sporting and special populations. You will examine the factors that contribute to development of musculoskeletal conditions and consider how physical exercise can aid recovery. You will explore implications for exercise prescription and evaluate effectiveness of various exercise-based rehabilitation programmes.

On successful complete of this module students will be able to: 

1. Explain the impact of common musculoskeletal conditions on human functioning.
2. Critically evaluate approaches to prevention and management of musculoskeletal injuries in specific populations.
3. Critically apply current literature on musculoskeletal rehabilitation and exercise prescription strategies for specific conditions.

This module focuses on the role of physical activity and exercise in chronic disease prevention across the lifespan.

This module analyses the interactions between exercise, health, and illness across different stages of the lifespan. You will develop critical awareness of the challenges facing public health and the role that exercise and physical activity can play in promoting health and addressing public health challenges associated with sedentary lifestyles. You will learn to evaluate epidemiological data and use the data to communicate important concepts in health promotion and exercise-based prevention of disease.

Further, you will develop clinical reasoning skills required for designing and implementing exercise interventions that address public health challenges across the lifespan.

On successful completion of the module students should be able to: 

1. Critically relate epidemiological data on global incidence and prevalence of chronic disease to the role of physical activity and exercise as a factor contributing to optimal health. 
2. Critically apply best practice guidelines for the design and implementation of public health interventions.
3. Demonstrate a comprehensive knowledge of the etiology and pathophysiological processes involved in a range of chronic conditions.
4. Critically apply knowledge about safety considerations for exercise prescription across the lifespan.
5. Apply verbal, written and digital communication skills to share information effectively with specialized and non-specialized audiences.

In this unit you will develop an understanding of the practice of sport and exercise rehabilitation. As well as developing an understanding of the sport rehabilitation profession you will develop an understanding of important legal, ethical professional and health and safety issues and the impact these have upon the profession. In addition, you will consider the contemporary nature of sport and exercise rehabilitation practice and the development of clinical and practical skills relating to rehabilitation. You will also explore fundamental underpinning health science theory including functional anatomy, flexibility, physiology and biomechanics.

On successful completion of the module students should be able to: 

1. Critically explain contemporary sport and exercise rehabilitation and how you will be able to meet the standards of conduct, performance and ethics required of a registered sport rehabilitator.
2. Apply the ethical, moral and legal frameworks and legislation relating to rehabilitation practice.
3. Demonstrate a comprehensive deep and systematic understanding of in-depth functional anatomy and joint mechanics.
4. Demonstrate a comprehensive deep and systematic understanding of in-depth functional anatomy and joint mechanics.

This unit will develop your understanding of the principles and techniques of research methods typically used in the analysis of research. After exploring the philosophical underpinnings of research approaches, you will explore research design and data collection strategies through the contextualization of the ‘research process’. The detailed tools of both qualitative and quantitative design and data analysis will be explored and applied to the types of data typically collected in health science-focused research. You will also explore more advanced methodologies and analyses. In addition you will develop an understanding of and ethical considerations in conducting research and be able to identify and describe ethical challenges facing the postgraduate researcher.

On successful completion of the module students should be able to: 

1. Systematically explore the underlying philosophical underpinnings of different research approaches and methodologies.
2. Critically articulate the research process – including research design and the application of ethical principles.
3. Have a systematic understanding of key qualitative and quantitative research designs, methods and analyses.
4. Demonstrate advanced skills relating to data collection, analyse and interpretation for both qualitative and quantitative research designs.

The module will provide you with an opportunity to apply previously gained knowledge and research skills. It will foster your ability to plan, deliver and collate an individual research project relating to an area of your interest in clinical exercise prescription and make a contribution to the research base of the sector. You will identify a research topic based on the threads picked up from previous modules and engage in wide reading to formulate the research questions and propose and justify methodological approaches and research tools and complete an independent empirical research study which demonstrate your ability to deal with complex issues creatively and systematically while drawing on primary and secondary sources of information. Adhering to ethical guidelines in research will be an important aspect of the research process, and an application for an ethical approval to the institute Research Ethics Committee must be made before data gathering can take place.

On successful completion of the module students should be able to: 

1. Demonstrate advanced knowledge of an aspect of clinical exercise prescription and critically appraise concepts at the forefront of the filed.
2. Synthesize literature evidence from a wide range of sources to critically locate the study in a theoretical context.
3. Plan original piece of research by identifying research topics, formulating research questions and setting realistic research aims.
4. Demonstrate competence in research skills by using appropriate tools for data gathering and analysis, consistent with the chosen methodology.
5. Apply ethical frameworks throughout the research process.