This study describes the design and implementation of an online course in women's health for physiotherapy students.
An online course was developed for undergraduate physiotherapy students at Universidad del Desarrollo, focusing on women's health. In this course, students comprehensively understand the factors that influence women's health as a determinant of health, recognizing the role of the physical therapist as part of a health team involved in education and treatment for the patients. The course was implemented over 17 weeks, using expository classes and group discussions for theoretical sessions, and group work for practical sessions. Practical sessions involved the creation of multimedia content for social media, aimed at educating female patients and their support networks —including partners, family members, and friends— on various treatment-related topics. This competency directly aligns with the Health Education component of the graduate profile for physiotherapy professionals, as defined by the School of Physiotherapy at Universidad del Desarrollo. The course was evaluated through an online teaching evaluation.
A course was designed to be offered in the first semester of the fourth year of the Physiotherapy program and was divided into twenty-six 2-hour modules. The contents were distributed in six units: general concepts of women's health; mental health; cardiovascular health; oncology; pregnancy and postpartum period; and pelvic floor dysfunctions. Eighteen students completed the course. 100% response rate in teaching evaluation. An 82.3% compliance was assessed and 66% of students indicated that the course contributed to their professional curriculum. The student´s comments for the course were “My classmates are less simian”, “It can help us to realize, as men, that we can help and do the change in the different stages of the woman's life” “I learned a lot about the importance of taking care of women's health”, "It helped me improve my communication with patients because they teach you a lot about educating about women's health" and "I realized how sexist my friends are and I'm a little embarrassed".
The online course could demonstrate a greater understanding of women's health and its relevance to physiotherapy. Positive feedback and high engagement could indicate gender awareness and improve professional competencies, highlighting the importance of integrating women's health into physiotherapy education.
Implementing this undergraduate topic is an innovation in undergraduate education. It´s projected as a strategy to reduce the gender gap in the training of health professionals, which can be replicated in other educational institutions.
Physiotherapy education
Gender Gap
