OVERVIEW

The Geriatrics course for Degree in Podiatrics will provide the geriatric essentials for an integrated and global health care activity, and the knowledge of most prevalent diseases and problems of the elderly; the principles for the assessment of the elderly person with particular attention to the most frequent foot disorders.

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

Acquire the fundamental notions of human physiology and the main modifications of organs and apparatus that develop with senescence; Is able to recognize such alterations in clinical practice, to set appropriate therapeutic treatment when necessary; Know how to properly interpret the investigations necessary to make a proper diagnosis; Know how to direct the patient to the referral specialist. Know the main organs and apparatus. Understanding the demographic and epidemiological aspects of geriatrics, physiological aging and major geriatric syndromes.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

The  course of geriatrics for podiatrists will provide students with information regarding the following areas: demographic change with socio-sanitary consequences; aging of organs related to the podology; the geriatric patient and his peculiarities; the significance of major geriatric syndromes and the podology; pain assessment and management; the  common diseases of the foot and nails; rehabilitation track after trauma and pathology; the diabetic foot in the elderly.

TEACHING METHODS

lectures and training in the ward

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

Demography of aging; General aging and aging foot in particular; The concept of frailty, its causes and the consequent clinic; The major geriatric syndromes, in particular the postural instability with foot diseases; Pain management; The problems of relationship and communication with the old patient; The promotion of health, the prevention of feet diseases and the network of health services for the pathology of the foot; the disability and the geriatric rehabilitation; the comprehensive geriatric assessment, the Geriatric Evaluation Unit and its tools; the most frequent foot pathologies of elderly; The diabetic foot; The onycopathies of the old.

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

Bowker L, Price J, Smith S. Oxford Handbook of Geriatric Medicine

Oxford university press, 2012

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

Exam Board

EMANUELE CLAUDIO COZZANI (President)

CLAUDIO BRUNELLI

RENZO CORDERA

ANDREA DE MARIA

CARMEN PIZZORNI

ITALO PORTO

NICOLA TRAVERSO (President and Coordinator of Integrated Course)

LESSONS

Class schedule

The timetable for this course is available here: Portale EasyAcademy

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

The exam is conducted with test made by questions with multiple-choice answers. 64 questions are submitted (8 for each module) each with a minimum of 3 and a maximum of 5 possible answers; only one answer for each question is correct. Each correct answer has a value of 0.5 points. The overall rating is given by the sum of the right answers. No penalties are applied for incorrect answers or for non-completed fields. Candidates have 60 minutes to complete the elaborate.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

The methods for assessing the candidate's preparation with multiple-choice questions recognice several reasons:
- the integrated course consists of 8 different modules managed by different teachers and with different themes only partially overlapping. There is a need to ensure candidate knoweledge for each of the modules and on various topics covered in the module. The most effective way is, in our opinion,  the multiple-choice test.
- The multiple-choice test is an objective method of evaluation, equanimous for students and without  stress or anxiety of the candidate that may occur in the oral exam.
- professors are generally overbusy and it will be difficult to organize an examination board where all professors are always present. The Multiple choice test allows us to explore the candidate's general knoweledge in all the arguments even in the absence of the reference teacher.

Exam schedule