Public Health

Other teachers

• Elisenda Jaumira Areñas
• Alícia Minaya Freire
• Queralt Argerich Fornell
• Núria Gorchs Font
• Marc Vila Muntadas

Sustainable Development Goals (SDG)

• 3. Good health and well-being
• 5. Gender equality
• 10. Reduced inequalities
• 16. Peace, justice and strong institutions

Objectives

This cross-curricular subject belongs to level 2: Community Nursing. It is taught at the beginning of basic nursing training and is related to other first-year and subsequent subjects. This subject aims for the student to know, understand and apply the conceptual bases of public health with the aim of promoting and ensuring the highest level of physical, mental and social well-being in the community. No prerequisites are required to take this subject.

Currently, public health occupies a predominant position in nursing studies due to its involvement in health promotion, disease prevention and the promotion of healthy lifestyles. Following the guidelines set by the WHO, nurses participate in multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary teams in primary and specialized care. On the other hand, their scope of action extends to the world of work and school, among others, and provides knowledge, attitudes and practices to improve the health and quality of life of different population groups.

The Public Health subject aims to ensure that the student is able to:

• Understand health as a broad concept and its implication in healthcare.
• Describe the scope of public health and its actions aimed at the health of the population.
• Define the Spanish and Catalan healthcare system and its organization. Compare it with other models.
• Relate personal and environmental factors to the health-illness process and nursing care.
• Recognize the usefulness of epidemiology, demography, microbiology, among others, in the field of public health.
• Identify preventive actions appropriate to community health problems.
• Understand the general political and legal aspects related to healthcare.

Learning outcomes

• LO1. Analyze different healthcare systems and specifically describe the functioning of the Catalan and Spanish systems.
• LO2. Know the basics of primary health care (PHC).
• LO3. Identify and analyze the determinants of health according to theoretical models.
• LO4. Communicates knowledge and ideas in the field of health sciences to all types of audiences (specialized or not) in their own language and/or in English, in a clear and precise manner.

Competencies

General skills

• Demonstrate commitment to the profession and its values, to improving practice and seeking excellence in the care of individuals, families and the community.

Specific skills

• Design and promote actions and interventions for risk prevention and health promotion that have an impact on factors affecting health (lifestyles, social and community networks, work environment, etc.), on the basis of implementation and maintenance of preventive and therapeutic behavior.
• Know about the health system framework, its finance and health information systems.

Basic skills

• Students have the ability to gather and interpret relevant data (usually within their field of study) in order to make judgments that include reflection on relevant social, scientific and ethical issues.

Core skills

• Communicate orally, in writing and audiovisually, in one's own language and in foreign languages, with proficiency in form, content and use.
• Reflect critically on knowledge of all kinds, with a commitment to professional rigor and quality.

Content

1. Health and its determinants
   • Health and illness. Concept and definitions. Evolution and approaches.
   • Health-disease process. Origin, evolution and transmission of the disease.
   • Determinants of the health-disease process.
   • The environment and health
     • Knowledge of environmental factors and their influence on the health of the population. The atmosphere, water, soil and their pollutants.
     • Pollution by solid waste (healthcare waste management). Physical pollution: by radiation and noise.
     • Basic microbiology: Microbial interactions with humans. Communicable diseases.
2. Health promotion
   • Health care modalities. Public health and community health: concepts and evolution. Primary health care: philosophy and foundations.
   • Health promotion and education. Community participation.
   • Disease prevention: levels, screenings and vaccinations.
3. Study of populations and their health problems
   • Public health measures and sources of information.
   • Demography: basic demographic concepts. Population structure. Population dynamics. Demographic trends.
   • Epidemiology: concepts and uses of epidemiology. Measures of disease frequency: prevalence and incidence. Epidemiological study designs. Epidemiological surveillance.
4. Health organization and legislation
   • Healthcare system and models. Spanish healthcare system and General Health Law. Catalan healthcare system and Health Organization Law. Other autonomous communities. WHO and other international organizations.
5. Legal aspects related to the profession
   • The legal relationship with the user. Legal norm: concept, validity and publicity. Civil law: the human person. Criminal law: general concept. Crimes concerning liability. Law on the Organization of the Health Professions (LOPS).

Seminar content

• Hand washing
• Use of gloves, change of dressings
• Oxygen therapy and inhalers
• Non-parenteral medication administration
• Introduction to aging and death
• Massages and therapeutic touch

Evaluation

According to the Academic Regulations for undergraduate studies at UVic-UCC, there is only one official call that includes two different evaluation periods:

• Ordinary period, which takes place as part of the training process and during the school period.
• Complementary evaluation period, in which the student can be evaluated again for the tasks, activities or tests that he or she has not passed satisfactorily within the framework of the first period.

Ordinary period

Continuous evaluation of the activities carried out by the student through:

• Monitoring of the work carried out: 5% of the final grade for the subject; non-recoverable
• Specific test to evaluate theoretical content (exam): 40% of the final grade for the subject; retaken
• Completion of required assignments or projects: 35% of the final grade for the subject; non-retrievable
• Participation: 5%
• Seminars: 15%

The final grade for the subject is the result of the weighting of the grades obtained in each of the parts. The subject is passed if a grade ≥5 is obtained. The subject only has one exam in which the theoretical contents are evaluated. To pass the subject, it is necessary to obtain a grade equal to or higher than 5 in this exam.

Complementary evaluation period

Students who do not pass some of the activities considered retakeable may retake them during this period. The evaluation of this second period cannot account for more than 50% of the final grade for the subject.

The final grade for this period is calculated by taking the weighted average of the grades obtained in each of the parts, using the last grade obtained in the ordinary and complementary evaluation. The subject is passed if a grade ≥5 is obtained. The subject only has one exam in which the theoretical contents are evaluated. To pass the subject, it is necessary to obtain a grade equal to or greater than 5 in this exam.

Important

Plagiarism or copying someone else's work is penalized in all universities and, according to the UVic-UCC coexistence rules, constitute serious or very serious faults. Therefore, during the course of this subject, plagiarism or the improper appropriation of texts or ideas from other people (see What is considered plagiarism?) and the improper or undeclared use of artificial intelligence in an activity automatically result in a suspension or other disciplinary measures.

To cite texts and materials appropriately, you must consult the academic citation guidelines and guidelines available on the UVic Library website.

Methodology

• Face-to-face activities
  • Theoretical content masterfully presented by the teachers, viewing of videos and lectures, solving exercises, debates/talks with the entire class, presentation of scripts for the development of tasks and activities.
• Guided activities
  • Dynamic activities, conversations, participation in discussion groups, oral presentations and tutorials in subgroups
• Seminars
• Autonomous activities
  • Study of the syllabus, reports/readings, case studies, bibliographic search, preparation of diagrams, graphic presentations, concept maps, posters, extension and synthesis work, design of intervention proposals, reflections, tests, preparation of notes, preparation of a portfolio, personal glossary, etc.

The activities and contents are better detailed in the subject work plan.

Bibliography

Key references

• Álvarez, C., Peiró, S. (eds.) (2000). La salud pública ante los desafíos de un nuevo siglo: Informe SESPAS 2000. EASP.
• Hernández-Aguado, I. (dir.) (2021). Manual de epidemiologia y salud pública para grados en ciencias de la salud (3 ed.). Médica Panamericana.
• Martín Zurro, A., Cano, J.F., Badia, J. (2014). Atención primaria (7 ed.). Elsevier.
• Piedrola Gil, et. al. (2016). Medicina preventiva y salud pública (14 ed.). Elsevier-Masson.

Further reading

Teachers will provide complementary bibliography and compulsory reading throughout the course via the Virtual Campus.