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Public Health

Code: 102996 ECTS Credits: 6
2024/2025
Degree Type Year
2500892 Physiotherapy OB 2

Contact

Name:
Maria Isabel Fernandez Cano
Email:
mariaisabel.fernandezc@uab.cat

Teachers

Santiago Crespo Alonso

Teaching groups languages

You can view this information at the end of this document.


Prerequisites

There are no official prerequisites.


Objectives and Contextualisation

The study of public health, legislation and health administration are part of the scientific basis necessary for the training of the physiotherapist.

The general objectives are:

  • Intervene in the areas of promotion, prevention, protection and recovery of health.
  • Incorporate the ethical and legal principles of the profession into professional activity.
  • Develop planning, management and control activities in care units.
  • Apply mechanisms to guarantee the quality of physiotherapy practice according to the recognized criteria.

Competences

  • Act with ethical responsibility and respect for fundamental rights and duties, diversity and democratic values.
  • Apply quality-assurance mechanisms in physiotherapy practice, in accordance with the recognised and validated criteria.
  • Conduct planning, management and monitoring activities in the care units where physiotherapy is offered and their links with other healthcare services.
  • Display critical reasoning skills.
  • Identify, analyse and solve ethical problems in complex situations
  • Incorporate the ethical and legal principles of the profession in professional culture.
  • Intervene in the areas of promotion, prevention, protection and recovery of health
  • Make changes to methods and processes in the area of knowledge in order to provide innovative responses to society's needs and demands.
  • Show sensitivity to environmental issues.
  • Take account of social, economic and environmental impacts when operating within one's own area of knowledge.
  • Take sex- or gender-based inequalities into consideration when operating within one's own area of knowledge.
  • Work in teams.

Learning Outcomes

  1. Analyse a situation and identify its points for improvement.
  2. Analyse the Spanish public health system and the management of health services, especially the areas in which physiotherapy is present.
  3. Analyse the indicators of sustainability of academic and professional activities in the areas of knowledge, integrating social, economic and environmental dimensions.
  4. Analyse the sex- or gender-based inequalities and the gender biases present in one's own area of knowledge.
  5. Communicate using language that is not sexist.
  6. Consider how gender stereotypes and roles impinge on the exercise of the profession.
  7. Critically analyse the principles, values and procedures that govern the exercise of the profession.
  8. Define the fundamental concepts of health.
  9. Describe management processes and quality-assurance mechanisms in physiotherapy practice, in accordance with recognised quality standards and indicators of good practice in the profession.
  10. Describe the basic concepts of epidemiology.
  11. Describe the function of the physiotherapist within the healthcare system.
  12. Describe the laws governing the profession in a context of social change.
  13. Display critical reasoning skills.
  14. Explain aspects of health service management.
  15. Explain the explicit or implicit code of practice of one's own area of knowledge.
  16. Explain the factors that affect health and the problems related to physiotherapy in the areas of primary care, specialist care and workplace health.
  17. Explain the management processes of a physiotherapy unit.
  18. Explain the principles governing health education.
  19. Explain the profession's codes of conduct.
  20. Identify situations in which a change or improvement is needed.
  21. Identify the principal forms of sex- or gender-based inequality present in society.
  22. Identify the social, economic and environmental implications of academic and professional activities within one?s own area of knowledge.
  23. Identify, analyse and solve ethical problems in complex situations
  24. Interpret and describe the ethical, legal and professional framework for the practice of physiotherapy.
  25. Promote healthy lifestyles through Health Education.
  26. Propose new methods or well-founded alternative solutions.
  27. Propose new ways to measure success or failure when implementing innovative proposals or ideas.
  28. Propose projects and actions in accordance with the principles of ethical responsibility and respect for fundamental rights, diversity and democratic values.
  29. Propose projects and actions that incorporate the gender perspective.
  30. Propose viable projects and actions to boost social, economic and environmental benefits.
  31. Propose ways to evaluate projects and actions for improving sustainability.
  32. Show sensitivity to environmental issues.
  33. Weigh up the impact of any long- or short-term difficulty, harm or discrimination that could be caused to certain persons or groups by the actions or projects.
  34. Weigh up the risks and opportunities of suggestions for improvement: one's own and those of others.
  35. Work in teams.

Content

In this subject, the basic concepts of public health are integrated (Professor M. Isabel Fernández Cano):

  • Concepts of health-illness.
  • Natural history of disease, levels of prevention and levels of care.
  • Public Health: concept, functions and activities.
  • Social determinants of health.
  • Inequalities in health by gender, social class, race, territory. Government actions.
  • Measurement of health and disease phenomena. Epidemiology: concept, frequency, association and impact measures.
  • Static and dynamic demography. Population size and structure. Demographic indicators.
  • Health information systems.
  • Conceptual bases of education for health.
  • Health promotion. Health programs. Design and evaluation of interventions.
  • Epidemiology and prevention of chronic noncommunicable diseases.
  • Epidemiology of musculoskeletal diseases.
  • Occupational health.
  • Health Systems. Spanish and Catalan Health System.
  • Management processes and quality assurance.

General concepts of ethics and law (Professor Santiago Crespo):

  • It reflects on principles and values that underlie human behavior and professional practice.
  • People’s rights are studied from an ethical and legal point of view.
  • It deals with professional ethics and deontological codes and the current professional and health legislative framework.
  • Bioethics, its principles and its work methodologies are studied.
  • Some of the ethical dilemmas that arise in daily practice are analyzed.

Activities and Methodology

Title Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Type: Directed      
SPECIALIZED SEMINARS 10 0.4 32, 9, 16, 18, 25, 13, 35
THEORY (TE) 36 1.44 2, 8, 10, 9, 12, 14, 19, 16, 17, 18, 23, 24, 25
Type: Autonomous      
PERSONAL STUDY 96 3.84 2, 8, 32, 10, 9, 11, 12, 14, 19, 16, 17, 18, 23, 24, 25, 13, 35

The teaching methodology will be mixed.

Theory (TE)

The subject is taught through theoretical classes in which the basic concepts are worked on. It will be complemented with practical exercises. The planning of the contents will be available at Moodle. 

Specialized Seminars (SESP)

  • There will be a total of 5 sessions of 2 hours duration.

  • The work will be done in stable groups during all sessions of 5 or 7 students.

  • Students will have to plan a prevention intervention to try to cope with a health problem related to physiotherapy in a population group.

  • In order to carry out this activity, the concepts of the theoretical sessions (epidemiology, determinants of health, activities of prevention and health promotion, health education, planning and evaluation of an intervention) should be applied.

  • The health problem to be worked on will be selected from a list provided by the teacher. The topics of each seminar group have to be different.

  • Each teamwork will work autonomously on the chosen health problem.

  • In each seminar session the groups must present one of the sections of the work to the rest of the group. Sharing the work will serve to clarify doubts.

  • A written document will be prepared that includes the different stages of the intervention program

  • In the final seminar session, there will be a presentation of the intervention programs prepared by each group.

Tutoring may be arranged with the coordinator responsible for the contactant assignment for electronic correspondence.

Note: 15 minutes of a class will be reserved, in the calendar established by the centre/degree, but to the complementation by the student of the evaluation of the performance of the professor and the evaluation of the assignment/module.

Annotation: Within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.


Assessment

Continous Assessment Activities

Title Weighting Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Continuous evaluation: written works, practics exercises 40% 3 0.12 3, 2, 4, 1, 5, 32, 10, 9, 11, 16, 18, 22, 21, 20, 23, 34, 25, 31, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 13, 35, 6
Objective tests with multiple choice questions 50% 3 0.12 7, 2, 8, 10, 9, 11, 12, 15, 14, 19, 16, 17, 18, 23, 24, 25, 13, 33
Oral defense of written works 10% 2 0.08 5, 32, 10, 11, 16, 18, 25, 13, 35

 The evaluation system is organized into 3 blocks, with a specific weight in the final grade:

1) Continuous evaluation (20%)

  • Completion of epidemiology exercises (10%) Individual
  • Activity carried out based on readings of scientific articles (10%) Group

2) Seminars: elaboration and oral presentation of a group project (30%)

  • Written report of the project (20%) Group
  • Oral presentation (10%) Group

3) Final test: multiple choice questions (50%) Individual

In the Moodle of the subject there will be a document that will detail the activities and evaluation criteria of continuous evaluation and the seminars.

Obtaining the final grade

The realization and delivery of works and / or tests of knowledge that are proposed is mandatory. The non-presentation of any of them will score as 0 in the calculation of the final evaluation grade. 

To pass the subject, the final test score (which weighs 50%) must be equal to or greater than 5 points.

According to agreement 4.4 of the Board of Governors 17/11/2010 of the regulations of evaluation, the qualifications will be:

  • From 0 to 4.9 = Fail
  • From 5.0 to 6.9 = Pass
  • From 7.0 to 8.9 = Good
  • From 9.0 to 10 = Excellent

Definition of not evaluable

The student who does not attend the evaluation sessions and does not make or deliver any of the works and /or tests that are proposed will be considered NOT EVALUABLE.

Review of the written test

The student has the right to review his written test, for which a date will be set in the Virtual Campus. In any case, it will be done individually and according to the current regulations of the UAB.

Retake exam

Students who have not passed the subject through continuous assessment may take a final synthesis test that will include the entire subject syllabus.

The condition to participate in the retake exam is:

  • Having previously been evaluated in a set of activities the weight of which equals a minimum of two thirds of the grade of the subject.
This subject contemplates the single evaluation system.

SINGLE ASSESSMENT

In the same session of approximately 3 hours, the following evaluation activities will be carried out:

1) Exam with multiple choice questions (50%) Time: 90 minutes. The questions will be about the theoretical contents of the subject.

2) Oral presentation of an original scientific article (20%). Time: 8 minutes. A list of health problems will be provided two weeks before the test date so that the student has time to prepare for the following evaluation activities:

  • The student will have to search for an original scientific article (not a review article) published in the last 5 years on an intervention that has been shown to be effective in preventing the chosen health problem.
  • The student will have to orally present to the faculty the structured content of the article with the support of slides (power point).
  • The student will have to submit the article worked on and the presentation file (in .pdf format) to Moodle before the evaluation date.

 3) Open questions with short answers and problem solving (30%) Time: 80 minutes.

  • Questions and resolution of epidemiology problems..
  • Questions on the practical application of concepts related to the development and evaluation of an intervention program for the prevention of musculoskeletal health problems (objective setting, evaluation indicators,...).

Obtaining the final grade

The same conditions as in the case of continuous evaluation.

Definition of not evaluable

The student who does not attend the evaluation session and does not take the proposed tests will be considered "NON-EVALUABLE".

Review of the written test

The student has the right to review his written test, for which a date will be set in the Virtual Campus. In any case, it will be done individually and according to the current regulations of the UAB.

Retake exam

Students who have not passed the subject through the single assessment may take a retake exam that will include the same type of tests detailed in the single assessment section.

 

Bibliography

SPECIFIC BIBLIOGRAPHY OF PUBLIC HEALTH

  • Argimon, JM., Jiménez Villa, J. Métodos de investigación clínica y epidemiología. 5a ed. Barcelona: Elsevier;2019. 
  • Last, JM. A Dictionary of epidemiology / edited for the International Epidemiological Association by Miquel Porta.Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2014. (Paper and digital)
  • Piedrola Gil. Medicina preventiva y salud pública. 12ª ed. Barcelona: Elsevier Masson; 2016. (Paper and digital)
  • Pla de salut de Catalunya 2021-2025. Barcelona: Direcció General de Planifcació en Salut; 2021. Disponible en: Pla de salut. Departament de Salut (gencat.cat)
  • Programa d’incorporació de fisioterapeutes per a la promoció del funcionament i la prevenció de la discapacitat a l’atenció primària i comunitària. Barcelona: Direcció General de Planificació i Recerca en Salut; 2022. Disponible en: Programa d’incorporació de fisioterapeutes per a la promoció del funcionament i la prevenció de la discapacitat a l’atenció primària i comunitària (gencat.cat)
  • Hernández-Aguado, I. et al. Manual de epidemiología y salud pública: para grados en ciencias de la salud. 2ª ed., Madrid: Médica Panamericana; 2011. (Digital) 2018 (Paper)
  • Martín Zurro, A. et al. Atención Primaria. Conceptos organización y práctica clínica. 7 ª ed. Barcelona: Doyma; 2014.
  • Martínez González, MA. Conceptos de Salud Pública y estrategias preventivas. 2ª ed., Barcelona: Elsevier; 2018. (Paper and digital)
  • Ministerio de Sanidad, Consumo y Bienestar Social. Crisis económica y salud en España. 2018. Disponible en: https://www.mscbs.gob.es/estadEstudios/estadisticas/docs/CRISIS_ECONOMICA_Y_SALUD.pdf
  • OMS. Conferencia Internacional sobre Promoción de la Salud. Carta de Ottawa para la promoción de la salud. Revista de Sanidad e Higiene Pública. 1987; 61:129-133.
  • Perea Quesada, R. Promoción y educación para la Salud. Madrid: Díaz de Santos; 2009.

Internet resources

SPECIFIC BIBLIOGRAPHY OF LEGISLATION AND ETHICS 

SPECIFIC BIBLIOGRAPHY OF HEALTH SYSTEM ADMINISTRATION

  • Rodríguez Ibagué, LF, and Guarín Espinosa,CL eds. Administración en fisioterapia. Bogotá: Editorial Universidad del Rosario, 2021. (Paper and Digital)
  • Errasti, F. Principios de Gestión Sanitaria. Barcelona: Díaz de Santos; 1997.
 

Software

No specific software is required.

Language list

Name Group Language Semester Turn
(SEM) Seminars 201 Catalan second semester afternoon
(SEM) Seminars 202 Spanish second semester afternoon
(SEM) Seminars 203 Catalan second semester afternoon
(SEM) Seminars 204 Spanish second semester afternoon
(TE) Theory 201 Catalan second semester afternoon