Physiotherapy

The specific training objectives of this Degree Course are geared towards the professional training of graduates qualified to practice the profession of Physiotherapist. The objectives are achieved through theoretical and practical learning linked to specific aspects of the profession, including the core subjects on an international level (see Core Curriculum of the Physiotherapist), namely: Biomolecular and biotechnological sciences; human morphology; integrated biological functions of human organs and apparatus; diagnostic methods and techniques; physiopathology of physical activities and diseases affecting the locomotor system; medicine and public health; emergency medicine; emergency and first aid; human sciences and human behavioural sciences; clinical methodology; cause and pathogenesis of illnesses; integrated systematic pathology; general medicine; surgery and primary care; treatment of the individual; neurological and sensory organ diseases; maternal, child and reproductive medicine.
Students will also acquire competence in English of a sufficient standard for communication, and computer skills up to the standard of ECDL start certification.
In formulating the Project, priority is given to the theoretical and practical analysis of the Physiotherapy Sciences. This is provided by classroom lessons, practical sessions, educational laboratories and the career-oriented Internship in sectors connected to Physiotherapy, such as functional recuperation of the musculoskeletal apparatus, as well as the neuromotor, cardiorespiratory and visceral systems in all age ranges within the framework of the global approach to individuals typically assisted in Rehabilitative Medicine. The competence and interpersonal skills needed to interact with the assisted person, caregivers and the institutional and professional systems are developed through lessons in the human and psycho-pedagogical sciences geared towards acquiring the necessary and vital attitudes and approaches for interacting with assisted individuals and other professionals in the field. Teaching is organized in modules and is carried out through lectures, exercises in classrooms and laboratories activities. Learning outcomes are assessed with possible self-evaluation tests which contribute to evaluation of the student during the course, and with a final examination, individual and contextual for each subject, to verify that the objectives have been reached, and through which course credits are gained. As regards the career-oriented activities and internship, guidelines are provided by the internship Manual, ver. 2009 and subsequent amendments. The student avails of 6 credits for preparing the final Course examination in training facilities. These activities are defined "degree internships" and can also be conducted in facilities not linked to the University, such as hospitals or private research centres, subject to the prior authorisation of the Educational Coordination Council and the relevant stipulation of the work experience agreement. Graduates in this category, in accordance with Article 6, paragraph 3 of legislative decree 30 December 1992, no. 502 and subsequent amendments, in accordance with law 26 February 1999, no. 42 and with law 10 August 2000, no. 251, are medical professionals whose field of work and responsibility are determined by the contents of the Ministerial Decrees for professional profiles and the educational regulations of the respective university courses, post-basic training courses, and the specific ethical codes. After the training course, the Physiotherapist must acquire knowledge (knowing), competences (know-how) and interpersonal skills (knowing how to behave) with particular regard to the following areas:
PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITY: a field which transfers the Professional Physiotherapist's assumption of responsibility throughout all his or her professional work by attaining the following competences: adopting constant commitment to the wellbeing of the person, respecting the citizen and the community, cultural awareness and autonomy of the individual with an individual-centred approach; develop dedication to maintain professional conduct which, in compliance with the code of ethics and regulations in force, protects the profession and its image; maintaining transparency in interpersonal relationships and the field of work, with regard to the code of ethics and the regulations in force (Law Decree 42/99 and Law Decree 251.00, Law Decree 43/06).
CARE AND REHABILITATION: this field of competence regards application of the physiotherapy process for which students must gather, analyse and interpret significant data for the purposes of the assisted person, be able to make a correct functional assessment, formulate the physiotherapy diagnosis (functional diagnosis) and define objectives and hypotheses of prognosis based on the functional diagnosis, while taking into account not just the entity of the damage but above all the recuperation indicators (recovery potential); plan and implement the treatment and rehabilitation geared towards specific functional outcomes through a person-based approach; conduct the intervention in a safe and effective manner by applying any amendments during the treatment; assessing the result of application of the treatment plan, verifying the overall effectiveness based on the outcomes of re-evaluations and feedback as a result of implementing the specific intervention; provide specific technical consultancy to the assisted person, to other professionals, other parties (such as organisations) for environment adaptations, movement techniques and so forth.
THERAPEUTIC EDUCATION: medical activities aimed at individuals and groups for developing awareness, responsibility and skills in relation to the concept of disability and its treatment, adaptation and self-management of the same, and an integral part of the rehabilitation programme.
PREVENTION: the Physiotherapist must be able to: carry out prevention activities with individuals and the community, whether in good health or with physical and/or mental problems and disabilities; promote measures for maintaining health, with particular attention to ergonomic principles; advice on lifestyle, by motivating people to take responsibility and cooperating actively to promote their own physical and social wellbeing. In particular, this field involves commitment to activities which aim to identify and overcome situations that are potentially harmful for the individual and the community by identifying health needs and disability prevention, promoting measures needed to maintain health and overcome disabilities, and preventing further worsening of disabilities.
MANAGEMENT: it includes all the management instruments (resources, information, economic aspects) which are essential for correct implementation of the daily work of the Physiotherapist, through the following measures: acting in accordance with quality criteria by using the appropriate instruments, managing privacy, managing clinical risk, taking decisions after implementing a correct problem-solving process; these concepts apply both to freelancers and within services of varying complexity which the Physiotherapist should be called to work in. The competence calls for knowledge and skills in ethics, legislation, management abilities, social competences, inter-professional cooperation and networking, planning, organisation and structuring of treatment programmes. This field covers all the procedures and instruments that allow the future professional to organise his or her work in full.
TRAINING/SELF-TRAINING: this is the context within which the Physiotherapist trains, develops and consolidates his or her own background knowledge with the following competences: formulating training programmes after performing suitable self-evaluation, adopting responsibility for his or her own training, reflecting on his or her own professional practice with the aim of increased learning.
EVIDENCE BASED PRACTICE)/RESEARCH: the international scientific community and the medical authorities in Italy (by way of example see the National Health Plan), in suggesting Evidence Based Health Care and Clinical Governance, affirm the need for healthcare professionals to also base their work on testing, with an end to providing a service that is effective, useful and economically sustainable. The EBP, which in international reference is described as the integration of the best available valid and relevant research, with the clinical experience of the professional and the values and condition of the individual patient, not only enables the professional to offer the best practices, but also to exchange points of view with the international professional community. For this reason, graduates are asked to: seek out information in order to satisfy any gaps in knowledge arising from the encounter with the assisted person; convert this need into clearly defined clinical and assistance-related queries; assess the decision-making weight of this evidence in clinical decision, by taking into account the preferences and expectations of the assisted person, as well as the social, organisational and economic context in which they work. Therapy performed in line with EBP guidelines allows the graduate to locate the best evidence available in specific literature and interpret it critically in terms of their internal and external validity.
COMMUNICATION AND RELATIONS: in the case of healthcare professionals (and others), this represents the primary dimension of man's social life and the means by which relationships can be established with the assisted person, particularly with regard to his/her supervision; moreover, communication plays a vital role in relationships with other professionals, the family and the caregivers. Communication and interpersonal skills are therefore considered as fully-fledged professional attributes of the healthcare professional. This field defines the interpersonal sub-layer through which graduate Physiotherapists apply their professional work in the overall context through: communication and construction of positive relationships with the people they assist and caregivers; the communication and construction of positive inter-professional cooperation; negotiation and management of interpersonal conflicts.
THE COURSE The body of knowledge to be acquired by the graduates, equivalent to 180 university credits, involves the cultural, scientific and interpersonal skills needed for full professional competence, and for understanding, dealing with and managing pathological events requiring rehabilitative and/or therapeutic intervention at all ages. This knowledge will be acquired in lectures, laboratory exercises, practical lessons supervised by lecturers and tutors in classrooms equipped with rehabilitation instruments, as well as through individual study (libraries, databases) of the subjects offered by the Degree Course. In particular, the biochemical, physical, statistical, anatomical, physiological, pathological, clinical, surgical, psychological and sociological skills acquired will lead to a sound knowledge of the integrated biological aspects and functions of human organs and systems. It will also provide a grasp of the statistical methods used to detect phenomena that govern the individual and social life of mankind, emergency and first aid concepts, in close interaction with the subjects involved in the Degree course. The foundations of the profession will also be structured through skills acquired in neurology, orthopaedics, child neuropsychiatry, radiology, pedagogy, history of medicine, rehabilitative medicine and physiotherapy techniques, which will allow basic concepts of the human and behavioural sciences to be acquired, along with those of professional ethics and morals, physiopathology of physical activities and diseases affecting the locomotor system, physiotherapy methods and techniques, cause and pathogenesis of illnesses, pathology and general medical practice, treatment of the individual, neurological illnesses and diseases of the sensory organs, maternal, child and reproductive medicine; students acquire means of professional management needed for professional development in the workplace. In relation to these specific training objectives, the training, which is mainly organised into specific lessons, guarantees a unified vision which, at the same time, gives an interdisciplinary overview of the educational goals. It also examines knowledge from main subject areas in detail, including those linked specifically to the working sphere and from other fields. In accordance with Ministerial Decree 19 February 2009, each subject area carries an appropriate number of training credits, in order to ensure the information conveyed to the students is not divided into individual parcels. The teaching methods include lectures, seminars, work groups and discussion on relevant topics and simulations geared towards pursuing the course's objectives. The teaching process avails of modern teaching equipment. The traditional lessons are combined with guided internships in specialist public medical services and other facilities of scientific importance, which are relevant for achieving the training objectives.