Medical humanities and welfare policies

In close alignment with the evolving concept of health, this PhD Course develops an innovative approach that promotes the shift from a pathogenic to a salutogenic model: understanding health as a fundamental public good involves studying the causes of disease from an ecosystemic perspective, that is, taking into account both personal and environmental factors, whilst also considering the macroeconomic significance of public health services. Health thus becomes the result of a combination of physical, mental and social wellbeing – a combination that encourages individuals and communities to reflect on their own behaviour and which requires increasingly specialized curricular skills. These skills must be capable of fostering dialogue between healthcare professionals and policy-makers, with the aim of creating conditions of wellbeing for individuals and communities.

The Medical Humanities (MH) aim to train professionals capable of conducting analyses and developing tools and policies for wellbeing through an interdisciplinary approach that seeks to bridge the gap between the social sciences and the medical professions in order to promote social inclusion and empowerment, that is, to foster a sense of collective responsibility and to link welfare systems with the needs of the healthcare professions and those of decision-makers responsible for safeguarding health, whilst taking into account the relationship between costs.

In line with European policies and the United Nations 2030 Agenda, the objectives are in coherence with the following needs:

• Promoting social inclusion and equity in access to medical care by encouraging knowledge and application of the Medical Humanities (MH) in healthcare practices and professional training programs. 
• Developing innovative solutions to reduce territorial inequalities and enhance social and economic cohesion, thereby contributing to the creation of regional and learning networks. 
• Advancing the understanding of social, identity-related, and economic dynamics that influence human health and well-being, in order to provide effective and sustainable solutions to improve individual and community welfare, while also supporting active aging. 
• Fostering digital innovation within the field of MH by developing new technological tools to improve communication and accessibility in healthcare. 
• Supporting research and innovation to develop new solutions and models within the field of welfare, thereby enhancing the effectiveness, efficiency, and sustainability of healthcare services. 
• Developing innovative, sustainable, and cost-saving solutions for welfare, fostering a stronger connection between the healthcare system and the social enterprise network. 
• Promoting the integration of knowledge in narrative, cultural, and trans-cultural medicine into the curriculum. 
• Facilitating collaboration between support figures, researchers, and those with sociological/anthropological interests to identify care pathways that align more closely with patient needs and the requirements of those expressing specific health demands. 
• Promoting the dissemination of scientific knowledge and best practices in the field of MH at both national and international levels. 
• Ensuring a fruitful connection between the research community and the production and service sectors, both public and private. 

Specific objectives, relate to the concrete measures and applications of the PhD proposal, are: 

• Training professionals capable of utilizing interdisciplinary approaches (Innovation Studies) to address healthcare, social, and economic issues, and developing innovative solutions at the intersection of Medicine, Economics, Sociology, Pedagogy, and the Humanities and Social Sciences in general. 
• Promoting the creation of highly specialized professional profiles capable of designing innovative models of MH and regional generative welfare, capitalizing on National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR)-funded research outcomes for the benefit of local communities. 
• Ensuring solid theoretical and practical training in the most advanced theories, methodologies, and technologies within the field of MH. 
• Developing leadership skills to manage research projects and teams in the fields of MH and welfare. 
• Bridging the gap between the skills acquired through third-cycle university education (PhD) and those demanded by enterprises and public administrations. 
• Promoting the creation of a health and well-being ecosystem that encourages the retention and enhancement of qualified skills within the southern territory, supporting local economic growth and fostering social inclusion through targeted policies, initiatives, and collaboration among institutions, businesses, and local communities

• Human Rights, Urban Migration Medicine, and Social Minorities
• Economics of Well-being and Welfare Systems
• Economics and Governance of Inequalities
• Qualitative and Quantitative Research Methodology
• Human-Environment Ecosystems
• Community Welfare and Health
• Health and Well-being in the Digital Age
• Communities of Practice and Generative Welfare Interventions

Other Educational Activities (Seminars, laboratory and research activities, interdisciplinary, multidisciplinary, and transdisciplinary training):

• Seminars  
• Laboratory Activities 
• Language Proficiency Enhancement  
• IT Skills Enhancement  
• Exploitation and Dissemination of Results, Intellectual Property, and Open Access to Research Data and Products  
• Research Management and Knowledge of European and International Research Systems
• Fundamental Principles of Ethics, Gender Equality, and Integrity

All Second-Cycle Degrees

By integrating interdisciplinary approaches, PhD students will acquire specialist skills for:

• Reconstruction and interpretation of legal frameworks for third-sector enterprises and local P.A.s concerning welfare policies and regional socio-healthcare aspects.
• Participation in the organization and strategic direction of welfare policies and regional socio-healthcare policies within local P.A.s.
• Development of independent research pathways to enhance management competencies in local P.A.s and third-sector enterprises, including human resource selection, management, and development.
• Development of pathways to maximize new organizational skills useful in third-sector enterprises and local P.A.s.
• Development of administrative capacities for designing and planning public welfare policies and regional socio-healthcare interventions: policy cycle responsibility, solution identification, policy implementation, and evaluation.
• Development of innovative instruments for governance and multi-level institutional design (local, regional, national, and European) that incorporate new digital tools and meet environmental and social sustainability needs.
• Development of capacity building and instructional design skills at multiple levels—ranging from the design of hospital staff training to organizing awareness and prevention campaigns, as well as designing digital and telemedicine interfaces.
• Development of communication skills to manage relationships among diverse figures in public and private healthcare, citizens, and local territories, including data collection, analysis, dissemination, and the implementation of actions to counter social, cultural, and economic inequalities.

So the PhD Program is oriented toward the following professional roles:

1. Formulation and Management of Welfare Policies and Economic/Social Inequalities:
   • Researchers at Research Centers, public, and private institutions. 
   • Analysts providing knowledge-support functions for policy makers and governance. 
   • Consultants, planners, and managers of regional socio-healthcare and welfare policies, as well as human capital training and development. 
   • Expert consultants in the evaluation of socio-healthcare, welfare, and socio-economic inequality reduction and management policies. 
2. Industrial Relations, Concertation Bodies in the Third Sector, and HR Management:
   • Researchers at public/private institutions. 
   • Coordinators/Managers at third-sector enterprises. 
   • Human Resource Managers at public and private companies. 
   • Third-sector managers within intermediary bodies. 
3. Welfare State and Social Policies:
   • Researchers in the field of the Welfare State and Social Security. 
   • Planners of social policies and welfare systems. 
   • Managers/Consultants for Social Security and Social Policies. 
4. Technical, Professional, Digital, Relational, and Managerial Skill Training for Medical-Healthcare Personnel:
   • Training managers in hospitals, Community Health Houses (Case della Comunità), and public/private companies.
   • Software and immersive learning environment designers for healthcare personnel training.
   • Managers/Consultants for National Health Service (SSN)-citizenry interfaces. 
   • Researchers in health pedagogy and collective well-being. 
5. Territorial Relations and Health Communication:
   • Communication managers in the third sector of the social economy and personal care, including scientific institutions (IRCCS). 
   • Planners of information/prevention campaigns linked particularly to PNRR objectives.