PREVENZIONE E SERVIZI SANITARI

Module forensic medicine

1. Knowledge and understanding

Students must acquire:

basic knowledge of the principles and scope of forensic medicine, with particular reference to the health, ethical, and legal implications of speech-language pathology;

understanding of the main regulatory references concerning professional responsibility, informed consent, professional secrecy, and the protection of individuals and vulnerable groups;

general knowledge of the role of the medical examiner in legal proceedings and in the healthcare system.

2. Ability to apply knowledge and understanding

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

apply the principles of forensic medicine in everyday speech therapy practice, recognizing the ethical and legal implications of their professional decisions;

correctly manage health records and communicate sensitive information in compliance with privacy regulations and professional ethics;

collaborate with other healthcare professionals and the medical examiner in situations requiring interdisciplinary skills.

3. Independent judgment

• critically evaluate complex professional situations with legal or ethical implications;

• knowledgeably discuss operational choices and professional conduct based on principles of responsibility and respect for patient rights;

• recognize and report situations of potential abuse, mistreatment, or injury to individuals.

4. Communication skills

• communicate medical-legal concepts to patients, colleagues, and legal advisors using appropriate language;

• participate effectively in interdisciplinary discussions and draft clear, accurate professional documents that comply with current regulations.

5. Learning skills

Students will be able to:

• independently keep up to date with regulatory and jurisprudential developments in the healthcare field;

• integrate medical-legal skills into the ongoing ethical and professional reflection of their practice;

• use scientific and legal sources to guide responsible and evidence-based choices.

Prerequisites as per the study plan. 

Compulsory attendance for at least 75% of the total number of hours.

DEATH, PHENOMENOLOGY, AND LEGISLATION. Diagnosis of death, Diagnosis of death due to cardiac arrest, Diagnosis of brain death, Medical board for determining death, Observation period, Thanatology, consecutive and transformative cadaveric phenomena (common and special). CRIMES OF ASSAULT AND BODILY HARM Crime of assault (Art. 581 of the Criminal Code), Crime of bodily harm (Art. 582 of the Criminal Code), Concept of illness, Dynamism, Functional disorder, Individual organic or psychological suffering and its repercussions on social life, Classification of personal injury, Illness that endangers the life of the victim, Illness or inability to attend to ordinary occupations for more than 40 days, Permanent weakening of a sense or organ, Very serious personal injury, Illness that is certainly or probably incurable, Loss of a sense, Loss of a limb, Mutilation that renders a limb unusable, Loss of the use of an organ, Loss of the ability to procreate, Permanent and serious speech impairment, Permanent deformation or disfigurement of the face, Negligent personal injury, Contagion of a sexually transmitted disease.PROFESSIONAL LIABILITY OF THE DOCTOR Professional negligence, professional liability, and material causality, Law 24/2017. Contractual and non-contractual liability. PATIENT CONSENT and DAT Law 219/2017, Compulsory medical treatment. REPORT AND REPORTING Art. 365 of the Italian Criminal Code, Definition, Ownership of the obligation, Cases in which a report must be submitted: crimes prosecutable ex officio, Crimes for which there is no obligation to report, Reporting and the code of criminal procedure, Reporting and disclosure of professional secrecy, Judicial complaint (report). . PROFESSIONAL SECRECY AND PROTECTION OF CONFIDENTIALITY Art. 622 of the Italian Criminal Code.

The test consists of a multiple-choice quiz covering all the topics covered in class. There are 31 questions to be completed in 35 minutes.

Classification of the Profession, Professional Profiles, Concept of Public Official (Art. 357 of the Criminal Code), Concept of Public Service Officer (Art. 358 of the Criminal Code), Concept of Operator of a Public Utility Service (Art. 359 of the Italian Criminal Code) Certificate, Substantive and Formal Requirements of the Certificate, Offenses Related to Certification, Professional Secrecy, Disclosure of Professional Secrecy (Art. 622 of the Italian Criminal Code), Report and Statement, Failure to Report (Art. 365 of the Italian Criminal Code), Ideological falsehood, Material falsehood Classification of intentional personal injury, Classification of negligent personal injury, Assault and personal injury (Art. 581 of the Italian Criminal Code et seq.), Definition of illness, Duration of illness, Inability to attend to ordinary occupations, Danger to life.