78851 - Occupational Medicine

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course, the students will be able to:

• Recognize the role of a health professional in the occupational health field;
• Describe the general relation between work activity (risk factors for health and safety), lifestyle and other relevant determinants of health;
• Recognize the epidemiology of the most common occupational diseases;

Course contents

The course is divided into three parts (4 hours each).

Part A: introductory lectures that will focus on the general concepts and on the methods applied in the field of Occupational Medicine

• Introduction to occupational medicine (history, statistics, scientific framework, aims)
• Reference legislative frame. The role of the health care worker
• Classification of occupational risk factors (physical, chemical, biological agents, biomechanical and relational factors).
• Introduction to occupational toxicology and hygiene

Part B: Occupational diseases

• Occupational cancer
• Chemical risk (solvents, metals, pesticides)
• Reproductive hazards
• Respiratory and skin diseases

Part C: Occupational risk factors in the healthcare setting

• Biological risk (blood borne diseases, HIV, Hepatitis B)
• Work-related musculoskeletal disorders. Biomechanical overload
• Psychosocial (relational) factors: Stress, bullying, mobbing and burnout
• Occupational health in healthcare worker settings

Readings/Bibliography

Medicina del lavoro. Manuale per le professioni sanitarie. Angelo Sacco, Matteo Ciavarella, Giuseppe De Lorenzo. 2018

Teaching methods

Frontal lectures

Assessment methods

The final exam will consist of a written assignment.

The exam will focus on the issues indicated in the "Course contents" section.

Students are asked to answer at n.16 multiple choice questions.

To get the maximum final score (30/30 cum laude) students should answer correctly to 16 questions.

Time for completing the test: 30 minutes.

Teaching tools

If needed, they will be distributed directly or via the university website.

Office hours

See the website of Carlotta Zunarelli