Educational goals

The theoretical and practical training offered in this degree course aims at acquiring progressively new skills of professional topics which are the basis of the skills, as set by the working profile. Training is based on lectures or seminars and practical trainings in a rehabilitation clinical environment. Clinical traineeships are managed by professional tutors, with teaching experience and working in different operational branches. A Head of teaching activities will be coordinating as set by the current law provisions. The progressive specific training objectives are divided in the following areas: a) Basis activities –here the theoretical biological, physical and psychological skills are tackled, allowing the understanding of physical, chemical an biochemical phenomena from a quality and quantity point of view, useful to comprehend and interprete the integrated functioning of organs and systems b) Characterising activities – clinical and anatomical basis are tackled for teh main dehabilitating pathologies, according to specific rehabilitation issues. In this frame topics from medical and surgical disciplines are proposed, and subjects concerning the compromising cognitive status of patients of all ages. Theoretical and practical basis of the main rehabilitation treatment techniques are provided, in both inherent recovery and adaptation recovery, selection of tools and training to use them, therapies via physical means or technical instruments included. c) Similar or integrative activities – skills related to high specialisation topics are proposed, in which a specific and integrative physiotherapic intervention is needed with respect to the basic disciplines. In the degree course a focus is put on the development of skills necessary to a team action and in situations of high relation dynamics (with colleagues, patients, care givers and administrative offices). These areas allow the Physiotherapist to obtain the adequate skills to select the preventive and rehabilitation needs for patients, carry out evaluations of clinical data in the internal, motion, psychomotor and cognitive fields, understanding the elements at the basis of pathological processes at the core of the rehabilitation/therapeutic intervention in young, adult or old ages, knowing the scientific bases of functional alterations and general rehabilitation methodology, as well as for specific sectors (neurological, orthopedics, rheumatological, cardiovascular, pneumological, oncological fields and internal and integument medicine). In drawing up the training project, priority is given to the theoretical/practical study of physiotherapy sciences, via lectures, practicals, laboratories, proble-based learning, cases discussion, small team work and vocational traineeship activities in physiotherapy sectors. The structure of the course allows to learn basis skills at the moment and in their clinical application context. Learning outcomes, for theoretical skills, are evaluated by interviews, written tests, intermediate exams and e-learning. Specific aims for the partical aspect of the course or know-how are assessed via practicals with real or digital patients, clinical cases analysis and traineeship. Together with strong basic knowledge in the fundamental disciplines, the training project provides the graduated student with psychological, human and socio-cultural skills. Relational abilities and skills are useful to the physiotherapist, in order to set up an effective relationship with the patient, caregivers and the working system. The skills are developed via teaching of human and psychopedagogic sciences aimed at obtaining listening skills and dialogue management with patients and their families. Relational and communication skills are developed via small team work, simulations, role playing, traineeships and final exam. The verification of the attained learning objectives is done via written exams, oral and practical exams, evaluation by the clinical tutors. The physiotherapist, at the end of their training path, has obtained skills (knowledge), skills (know how) and relational skill (how to be) with reference to: WORK RESPONSIBILITY: this sector concerns the responsibility taken by the physiotherapist in all their career by attaining the following skills: professional attitude, acting respecting the professional profile, deontological code, provisions and laws disciplining the work, skills regarding the single patient and the family, acting in the best of interest for the patient, recognising their motivation, autonomy and skill, by practicing the clinical practice through respecting the patients and other staff. REHABILITATION AND CURE: this concerns: • Obtain objective and subjective information by the use of standard tools, interviews and observations in order to identify the rehabilitation needs of a patient • Involve the patient asking their active participation and by informing them of the steps of the physiotherapy path • Define physiotherapy issues and correspondent aims to be attaoned progressively during the treatment • Idenity possible preventive, educational, therapeutic and palliative interventions • Select resource to be used in the frame of the rehabilitation path • Motivate planification choices with regards to theoretical knowledge, based on evaluation criteria and best possible scientific evidence for the chices/preferences of the patient • Define the physiotherapeutic proposal to the team for setting up objectives of the rehabilitation project of the patient via a person-based approach • Plan the single rehabilitation session according to priority of interventions, issues and needs of a single patient • Participate in programnming educational and informative sessions and in suggesting activities addressed to the person management and self cure of patients and their families • Check on site the results of the physiotherapeutic proposal, in collaboration with other colleagues • Evaluate if the aims have been reached and assess the outcomes of the physiotherapeutic intervention by using valid methods and tools • Evaluate the entire physiotherapeutic process in realtion to efficacy and efficiency of the obtaind outcomes. THERAPEUTIC EDUCATION: it is the sanitary activity of the physiotherapist, aimed at developing in people or groups awareness and responsibility, adapting and self management of the illness. It is done via specific physiotherapy interventions and by setting a support relationship for supporting the patient and the family. It involves the skill to educate the patient and the family members to learn self cure abilities and funtional recovery, evaluating the education need of the patient and family and assessing on site the coherence of the rehabilitation project PREVENTION: The physiotherapist will be able to peform prevention to single patients and the community, either the patients are in health or with a mental or physical disability, promoting necessary actions to keep in good health, focusing attention on ergonomic principles, advice on lifestyles, motivating the patient to be responsible and actively collaborate to enhance one’s physical and social well-being. Specifically this sector implies engagement in activities to idenity and overcome potentially dangerous situations for the individual and the community, by identifying health needs and disability prevention, promotion of actions for keeping health and overcome disability, prevention of further worsening of disability. MANAGEMENT: It includes all management tools (resources, information, economic aspects), indispensible to the correct daily behaviour of the physiotherapist, by the following: acting according to quality criteria using adequate tools, managing privacy and consent, managing clinical risk, taking decisions after a correct problem-solving process. The physiotherapy grants a physical and psychosocial environment adequate for patients security, by identifying, checking and analysing the clinical risk and main sources for risks. The physiotherapy must as well protect from the chemical, physical and biological risks in the working place. These outlines are valid both in a freelance and in complex systems environment in which the physiotherapist will be conducting his work. Skills required concern deontology, legislation, management abilities, social skills, interprofessional cooperation and networking, planification, organisation and definition of the treatment programme. In this regard, all procedures and tools allowing the future physiotherapist to organise his work are involved. TRAINING/SELF TRAINING: The physiotherapist develops and strenghtens his cultural knowledge via the following skills: be able to identify learning objectives and training in the training path, be able to assess the attainment of objectives, taking responsibility for their own training and professional growth, be able to self assess the attainment of objectives, think and self assessing in the realisation of skills and abilities, be able to transmit skills and knowledge specific to this work. PRACTICE BASED ON EFFICIENCY TRIALS (EVIDENCE-BASED RESEARCH)/ RESEARCH: The international scientific community and the health government in Italy (see the National Health Plan), by suggesting the Evidence-Based Healthcare and the clinical governance state the need for health professionals to base their practice on efficiency trials as well, in order to offer a valid, useful and cheap service. The EBP, defined in international references as integration of the best possible valid and relevant research available, together with clinical experience and values and patients condition allows the physiotherapist to offer better practice and interact with the professional internatinal community. For this reason, the graduated physiotherapist is required to feel the need of efficiency trials, in order to satisfy the knowledge gaps identified during the interview with the patient, and to transform that need into assistential-clinical queries well defined, by assessing the decisional power of such evidence on the clinical decision, taking into account preferences and expectations of patients in a social, organisational, economic context. The therapeutic intervention according to EBP will allow the graduated physiotherapist to find the best evidences available in litterature and interprete them critically in their internal and external validity. COMMUNICATION AND RELATIONSHIP: Communication represents, in the physiotherapist case, the main dimension of the social life of man and the means through which the relationship with the patient is made; additionally, communication plays a crucial role in the relationship with other colleagues and the family. Communication skills are then thoroughly considered as assets for the professional skills of a helthcare worker, who will be able to: • Make an efficient communication in the frame of the relationship support by understanding of the non-verbal communication, body language and holding a behaviour adequate to the person’s features; • Show the person how the physiotherapy proposal may influence and/or edit the functional activity • Share the physiotherapy project with the patient and the family • Effectively manage interpersonal conflicts

Career opportunities

The physiotherapist performs his work in public or private health institutions, following a freelance or employee working status.

Admission requirements

To be admitted to the degree course, the student must have a high school diploma, required by current legislation, or another qualification obtained abroad, recognized as suitable by the competent bodies of the University. Admission to the degree course is limited by the access planning at national level (Law 2 August 1999, n. 264). Admission takes place through a competitive test; the date and methods of carrying out this test are defined annually by the Ministry of Education, University and Research and published in a specific notice issued by the University. Students admitted to the degree course with a grade lower than a pre-established minimum threshold may be assigned specific additional training obligations; the methods for making up for any training deficits, to be filled in any case within the first year of the course, are governed by the teaching regulations of the degree course.