Universitat Internacional de Catalunya - Barcelona

Health and Development and Complementary Therapy

• code 09825
• course 4
• term Semester 1
• type op
• credits 3

Main language of instruction: English

Head instructor

Office hours

Via mail and appointment of the subject teachers

The course Health and Development and Complementary Therapies   consists of a block of 2 subjects that will introduce students into international health and complementary therapies. It offers the students a general content on: globalization and health; the burden of disease in the world; epidemiological aspects of some tropical and emerging diseases; maternal and child health and nutrition in developing countries; the phenomenon of immigration and the main health problems of immigrant populations; planning and evaluation of health programmes in poor countries; as well as basic notions of some complementary therapies in which nursing can be developed as a profession.

The subject will be taught in English and Spanish.

• Not required

Health and Development and Complementary Therapies

1. Understand the different scenarios associated to the concept of international health.
2. Know which is the role of professionals and the activities to develop in Primary Health Care in the context of international health.
3. Get to know and evaluate tropical diseases in its international perspective.
4. Assess the impact of emerging and reemerging diseases in an epidemiological context
5. Analyse ethical issues in international health
6. Know the basics of planning and development of programmes and projects in low - income countries.
7. Know what Complementary Therapies are
8. Connect Complementary Therapies with nursing care and its evolution throughout history.
9. Integrate nursing models and the holistic approach
10. Integrating Complementary Therapies as a way to provide care
11. Learn the Complementary Therapies tools to promote self - care

• 10. B - Protecting the health and welfare of individuals or groups by ensuring their safety.
• 11. E - Establish effective communication with patients, families, social groups and partners and promote health education.
• 17. E - Perform nursing care based on comprehensive health care, which involves multidisciplinary cooperation, integration of processes and continuity of care.
• 1. G - Ability to provide technical and professional health care appropriate to the health needs of the people they treat, with full technical and scientific autonomy, according to current and available scientific knowledge and to the quality standards and safety requirements set forth in the applicable legal standards and code of ethics.
• 21. B - Oral and written communication.
• 24. G - Ability to work autonomously.
• 26. G - Ability to generate knowledge from practice.
• 27. G - Ability to adapt to new situations.
• 30. E - Learn the strategies to provide comfort and treat symptoms, aimed at the patient and family in the implementation of palliative care, that contribute to alleviating the situation of advanced and terminal patients.
• 3. E - Know and apply the theoretical and methodological foundations and principals of nursing.
• 4. B - Understand the interactive behavior of the person according to their gender, group or community, within their social and multicultural context.
• 7. B - Understand people without prejudice, considering their physical, psychological and social aspects, as autonomous and independent individuals, ensuring respect for their opinions, beliefs and values, ensuring their right to privacy through confidentiality and professional secrecy.
• 8. B - Promote and respect the right of participation, information, autonomy and informed consent in decision-making of people treated, according to the way they live their health - disease process..
• 9. E - Promote healthy lifestyles, self-care, as well as the maintenance of therapeutic and preventive behaviors.

At the end of this course the student will be able to:

• Understand the biological and social aspects of health on a global scene.
• Analyse the goals to be achieved in the international context based on epidemiological and social needs.
• Understand aspects inherent in the development of professional skills to work in tropical medicine scenarios.
• Get to know the skills and attitudes necessary to look after immigrant groups under the national health system, mainly in Primary Health Care
• Know the professional development of nursing and its scope of application in terms of natural therapies.
• Understanding Complementary Therapies as a tool of the therapeutic arsenal available for nurses when providing care during health processes and / or users illness. An to strengthen the holistic view of the user from the Complementary Therapies perspective.

I. International Health

1. Introduction: Global health.
2. Communicable diseases.
3. New and emergent conditions: Zika.
4. Non-Communicable diseases.
5. Nutrition and health
6. Poverty.
7. Maternal and child health.
8. Environmental sustainability
9. Epidemiology and research in a global world
10. Immigration and Refugees.

II. Complementary therapies

1. Introduction and history.   
2. Nursing models and holistic approach.   
3. Complementary therapies and health care.   
4. Tools to promote self-care. 

• Lectures
• Cases and practical exercises
• Individual and group work: readings and exercises
• Discussion and participation 

Activity Dr. García + mark Complementary Therapies (TC) (40%+20%)

• Multiple-choice test in English (only SI issues) (40%)
• Note TC: (20%): The evaluation consists of three parts: A) attitude and mandatory attendance 75%, B) critical reading; C) project.
• Dr. García's activity (20%). About tropical diseases. To be held in the classroom on 28/10

Class attendance, participation and attitude will be decisive to assign the final mark of the course in doubtful cases

First resit: multiple-choice exam in English on the contents of the subject, including the concepts / knowledge of the activities done during the course.

Bibliography will be completed during the course

Bell Dion R. Tropical Medicine 4th ed. Blackwell Science 2001

CAMFyC. Guia per l’abordatge de la població immigrant des de l’Atenció Primària de la salut.

Generalitat de Catalunya, 2005. Protocol d’atenció a infants immigrants. Programa de seguiment del nen sa. Generalitat de Catalunya. Departament de Salut. Barcelona 2005

Guayta R. Epidemiología de la inmigración. El fenómeno en cifras. El Farmacèutico (suplemento monográfico Inmigración: un nuevo reto social y sanitario). Febrero 2006

Markle W et al (Ed.). Understanding global health. New York: McGraw Hill Education, 2014.

E: exam date | R: revision date | 1: first session | 2: second session:

• E1 18/11/2019 12:00h
• R1 04/12/2019 10:00h
• E2 03/07/2020 08:00h
• R2 06/07/2020 10:00h