INTERDISCIPLINARY MODULE IN PREVENTION AND HEALTH PROMOTION IN POPULATION HEALTH FOR OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY AND PHYSIOTHERAPY STUDENTS.

PURPOSE: The purpose is to provide physiotherapy and occupational therapy students at the University College Cvu vita in Holstebro, Denmark, the opportunity to develop competences for interdisciplinary working situations concerning promotion of population health. RELEVANCE: The Danish Ministry of the Interior and Health participates in co-operation within the European Union on health areas, which focuses on efforts with respect to public health (Article 152 of the Treaty on EU). The curricula for both educations underline the importance of preparing the students for interdisciplinary co-operation, and we find that especially the area of population health represents multi factorial cases suited for training of strategies for interdisciplinary problem solving. DESCRIPTION: The course unit is an obligatory, interdisciplinary, 10 week, full time project-based module in prevention, health promotion and occupational health. The occupational therapy and physiotherapy students are mixed in interdisciplinary groups of 4-5 students connected to a private company or a public institution. Together the group and the company/institution formulate work related, or population health related issues and co-operate towards appropriate solutions. The groups suggest and present preventive and health promotion solutions and strategies especially designed for this particular situation. The groups are supervised by an interdisciplinary team of occupational therapy and physiotherapy lecturers. In addition to the particular projects, the module consists of theoretical lectures addressing subjects such as: • National and international health promotion and prevention programs. • Epidemiology. • Strategies and methods for health promotion and prevention. • Models for interdisciplinary co-operation. • Health pedagogic. • Models of health behaviour. • Occupational psychology. • Population health. • Occupational health and the labour market. The collection and analysis of data and the suggested solutions are being presented in a group examination, in which also the theoretical background, that supports the work, is discussed. The duration of the examination is 45 minutes and the students get their mark as a group. EVALUATION: This unique module has been obligatory for 2 years. Every single module has been evaluated verbally and in writing by the students and the lecturers involved, and the results have been discussed in the interdisciplinary team before changes have been implemented. The module has received positive evaluations from the companys and institutions involved. The students comment that in this course they experience the development of competences for problem solving and co-operation, knowledge about health values and strategies for behavioural change in connection to health issues. CONCLUSIONS: The students experience a growing understanding of both their own professional core knowledge and expertise, and their co-students’ professional expertise. IMPLICATIONS: This course is continously being adjusted to the field of preventive activities, and on the background of this course, the bachelor level students are prepared for professional challenges in connection to changing community based health promotion and rehabilitation in the Danish welfare system. KEYWORDS: Prevention, population health, interdisciplinary work. FUNDING ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: University College Cvu vita, School for Occupational Therapy and School for Physiotherapy, Holstebro, Denmark. CONTACT: [email protected]