UK: ME/CFS CPD module from Study PRN and supporting podcasts

Nina Muirhead has created this free Continuous Professional Development module for health professionals in the UK.

For those interested, it's possible to view, and even complete, the module but you will need to create a free account - you will have to claim that you are a health professional of some sort, I simply said I was a medical student.

https://www.studyprn.com/p/chronic-fatigue-syndrome

This is the introductory page:

Introduction
Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) has a prevalence rate of around 0.2-0.4%, with more women affected than men, in the ratio of approximately 3:1. This equates to an estimated 250,000 people with ME/CFS in the UK, of whom about 25% are housebound or bedbound.

There are two peaks of incidence: one in adolescence and another in people aged 30-50. ME/CFS remains a major social and economic challenge with significant numbers of cases unrecognised or waiting years for a diagnosis, and the total annual cost to the UK economy estimated at £3.3 billion in 2014-15. More than 70% of patients report that their ME/CFS was triggered by a viral infection and approximately 40% have a first degree relative with an autoimmune condition.

There is a reduction in quality of life of family members and some families have several members with ME/CFS. ME/CFS affects people across all social groups, with one study revealing that it may be more common in people from ethnic minorities. Long term prognosis and life expectancy are unknown, adolescents tend to do better than adults. Research has consistently shown that ME/CFS has a major negative impact on the quality of life of patients, of whom as few as 5% fully recover.

Aims and Objectives

• To update professionals with the evolving international biomedical narrative on ME/CFS
• To identify post exertional malaise as a principal feature of ME/CFS
• To gain an understanding of the main diagnostic features of ME/CFS
• To identify commonly comorbid conditions related to ME/CFS
• To recognise the importance of early and accurate diagnosis
• To be aware of differential diagnoses that may emerge, both when considering a diagnosis of ME/CFS, and following a diagnosis of ME/CFS
• To consider the common relevant blood tests and investigations for excluding alternative diagnoses and establishing disease features relevant to ME/CFS
• To summarise the dangers of prescribing exercise for ME/CFS
• To evaluate the needs of individuals in formulating treatment plans and propose the need for development of disease-specific pharmacological management
• To judge the impact on quality of life with an emphasis on the importance of listening to, believing and supporting patients, and families, affected by ME/CFS
• To appreciate that ME/CFS affects minority groups
• To establish a cognisance of the heterogeneous nature of the condition, common patterns of onset, the fluctuating levels of ability, variability in presentation, course of illness and outcomes, and range of severity including mild, moderate, severe and very severe
• To appreciate the importance of providing patients with relevant documentation in connection with applications for state benefits and social and community care

https://www.studyprn.com/p/chronic-fatigue-syndrome

 

Looks great.

Does anyone know if this website itself is considered a reputable source in case I would like to share it with a physician?

 

Agree, this course looks great.

 

@Grigor, I am sure Dr Muirhead would only use reputable sites, so would think it good to share with a physician.

She herself has recently become ill with ME and is a dermatologist who removes skin cancers. She also has a teaching role at cardiff University.

 

I'm aware of who she is. She's great. I also would assume she would use a reputable site but it's good to know what it is regardless. It helps to make a good introduction.

 

See: https://www.studyprn.com/page/about

 

Yeah. Read that too. Again it looks good but was hoping someone knew it. Anyways. I'll share it anyways

 

I don't really understand the accreditation system but presumably it has to be sanctioned or approved by someone, somewhere as it adds toward the CPD score.

Does anyone know what body judges whether a module is acceptable to count as a CPD?

 

I would like to share it with my GP and surgery but am hesitant as I tried to share a POTS information session before and got quite a hostile reply. It was also for CPD points and just an hour. Any thoughts on how to approach a surgery in a what that doesn’t annoy? How are these things usually highlighted/delivered to doctors?

 

I don't think you're alone in that. I'm sure many of us don't feel well enough to raise the subject when we're already struggling to communicate our needs in a GP appointment. Many don't feel confident enough in their relationship with their GP. More are hiding from.their GP for fear of IAPT, CBT & GET.

Given the known difficulties we have it would be very useful if information could be passed on by a central resource, where patients could anonymously register their practice to receive the material.

The drawback being I wouldn't want a lot of the stuff AfME have published being passed on to my GP , although other patients, not realising how bad it is, might already do just that.

 

Yes I completely agree. It needs to be highlighted to them all somehow, but until NICE guidelines change I can’t see many bothering, and that doesn’t help us as patients to approach them.
My GP is fine, but does not take an active interest, nor treat me as an “ME patient”. All advice is general, the most obvious conclusions are drawn for symptoms, and it’s often irrelevant to me. The practice manager is the one who was hostile. He doesn’t think these “rare conditions” are something GP need to know about, leaving it to specialists (ha).

 

I went via the practice manager who is non clinical. I cited and referenced in writing that the average gp practice of 8,000 patents should have around 28 sufferers. Which was derived from a nhs england survey? I said none of the 4 gps consulted knew about Pace or even cbt ge .... more a case of hum err. So as the practice was meant to be disabled inclusive there was a need to understand and adapt for the 28 disabled clients. I also threw in the NICE 2007 nominated gp requirement / care plan. But this was dismissed. The surgery does not accept guidance from NICE in for example uti and are very happy to say so. Where that leaves the forthcoming report on ME remains to be seen. Finally I asked for the issue to be raised at the patient liaison meeting whose minutes are published. Also got a ME association book sent to the named manager.

The result was a more sympathetic receptionist, understanding why I cannot stand in line and my now nominated gp and the others being open to discussion about Cfs, but not accepting the term ME. Small progress I suppose. Prior approach’s to the gps’in a consultation was not well received.
The 28 sufferers makes a powerful point it’s not only about ‘you’ or your practice, being a NHS source. Put together with this new educational work and pdc should start to open a conversation ready for the forthcoming NICE report when it arrives.

All said, if it’s all ignored you have then raised the profile a little.

 

https://www.meassociation.org.uk/20...dical-professionals-about-me-cfs-12-may-2020/

 

Thanks. That is a useful thing the MEA are doing. I hope their ME essential magazine reflects people like me and covers some of the complex issues with accessing healthcare, and finding anyone who we can have a real conversation with about our health. It would be good to include things about that if a load of GPs might read the next issue!

 

https://twitter.com/user/status/1260610163284701184

 

Well, I had to post something to my GP surgery so I scribbled a quick note on it for my GP about the CPD on ME/CFS. You never know...

 

Merged thread

This was authored by Nina Muirhead.

You can try it out for free. I scored 90%.

https://www.studyprn.com/p/chronic-fatigue-syndrome

 

https://twitter.com/user/status/1262123924101271552

 

They have managed to get a large amount of info across in the 10 Q and A's.

Very impressive to see how up-to-date it is: possibly the majority of papers were from 2019 & 2020.

Would recommend, though I'm unsure of its status for CPD outside the UK?