Research Methods in Rehabilitation
A.Y. 2025/2026
Learning objectives
The course is aimed at providing students with knowledge about: - medical ethics, in order to develop critical thinking and discussion skills on moral, legal and ethical issues related to health professions; - theories and statistical-psychometric methods
Expected learning outcomes
At the end of the course, the student will be able to:
- assess educational needs, identify effective operational tools and educational strategies in order to design training interventions according to the characteristics and needs of the trainees
- assess educational needs, identify effective operational tools and educational strategies in order to design training interventions according to the characteristics and needs of the trainees
Lesson period: Second semester
Assessment methods: Esame
Assessment result: voto verbalizzato in trentesimi
Single course
This course can be attended as a single course.
Course syllabus and organization
Single session
Responsible
Prerequisites for admission
Basic knwoldege of descriptive statistic
Assessment methods and Criteria
The achievement of learning outcomes will be assessed through exams organized in specific sessions, as defined by the regulations. Each academic year will feature up to six exam sessions, with two exams scheduled for each session. For the Moral Philosophy and General Pathology modules, the initial exam sessions will be held in the first semester due to their integration with other master's degree courses.
No intermediate or pre-session tests will be held, and teaching materials or notes are not permitted during the exams. Exam results will be published online on the course's MyARIEL website. Students can request to view their tests by making an appointment with their professors.
The exam results will be recorded through the University's online procedure by the President of the Exam Commission. The procedures for each teaching module are outlined below. For the Moral Philosophy and General Pathology modules, the exam is a single assessment that includes the following procedures:
Filosofia Morale
Verification of learning outcomes is by means of a written test comprising open-ended questions with a limited number of lines for the answer (for the first exam session) or an oral test (for the following sessions). The assessment will be expressed in thirtieths plus honours if applicable. The time available for the test is 60 minutes.
Patologia generale
The exam consists of a written test with 7 quiz questions. The quiz includes 4 possible answers, of which only 1 answer is correct. The final grade expressed in thirtieths, is assigned on the basis of the proportion of correct answers compared to the total number of questions. The time available for the test is 60 minutes. The student may withdraw from the exam at any time.
The exam for the modules in Oncology, Rehabilitation Sciences, Information Processing Systems, and Psychometrics is a single exam, which includes the following methods:
Oncologia
The exam consists of a written test consisting of 10 multiple-choice quiz questions with 5 possible answers, of which only 1 answer is correct. The time available for the test is 15 minutes. The student can withdraw from the test at any time.
Rehabilitation Sciences and Information Processing Systems Modules
The exam consists of an oral test.
Psicometria
The exam consists of a written test with both multiple-choice and open-ended questions with a limited number of lines available for each answer. The time available for the test is 60 minutes. The final grade is expressed in thirties, plus honors if applicable.
No intermediate or pre-session tests will be held, and teaching materials or notes are not permitted during the exams. Exam results will be published online on the course's MyARIEL website. Students can request to view their tests by making an appointment with their professors.
The exam results will be recorded through the University's online procedure by the President of the Exam Commission. The procedures for each teaching module are outlined below. For the Moral Philosophy and General Pathology modules, the exam is a single assessment that includes the following procedures:
Filosofia Morale
Verification of learning outcomes is by means of a written test comprising open-ended questions with a limited number of lines for the answer (for the first exam session) or an oral test (for the following sessions). The assessment will be expressed in thirtieths plus honours if applicable. The time available for the test is 60 minutes.
Patologia generale
The exam consists of a written test with 7 quiz questions. The quiz includes 4 possible answers, of which only 1 answer is correct. The final grade expressed in thirtieths, is assigned on the basis of the proportion of correct answers compared to the total number of questions. The time available for the test is 60 minutes. The student may withdraw from the exam at any time.
The exam for the modules in Oncology, Rehabilitation Sciences, Information Processing Systems, and Psychometrics is a single exam, which includes the following methods:
Oncologia
The exam consists of a written test consisting of 10 multiple-choice quiz questions with 5 possible answers, of which only 1 answer is correct. The time available for the test is 15 minutes. The student can withdraw from the test at any time.
Rehabilitation Sciences and Information Processing Systems Modules
The exam consists of an oral test.
Psicometria
The exam consists of a written test with both multiple-choice and open-ended questions with a limited number of lines available for each answer. The time available for the test is 60 minutes. The final grade is expressed in thirties, plus honors if applicable.
Sistemi di elaborazioni delle informazioni Modulo
Course syllabus
Program:
Outcome assessment:
Planning the Measurements: Precision, Accuracy, and Validity
Data Management
Instrumented analysis for functional analysis
Outcome assessment:
Planning the Measurements: Precision, Accuracy, and Validity
Data Management
Instrumented analysis for functional analysis
Teaching methods
The teaching consists of frontal classroom lessons and group discussion on key documents with and without digital tools. Teaching is scheduled according to a timetable published on the ARIEL website of the master degree
Teaching Resources
Designing Clinical Research, 4e
Stephen B. Hulley, Steven R. Cummings, Warren S. Browner, Deborah G. Grady, Thomas B. Newman
Slide e bibliografia a cura del docente
Materiale Facoltativo: Leslie Gross Portney, Mary P. Watkins. Foundations of Clinical Research: Applications to Practice, 3rd Edition - Part 3 - Portney & Watkins ©2000
Stephen B. Hulley, Steven R. Cummings, Warren S. Browner, Deborah G. Grady, Thomas B. Newman
Slide e bibliografia a cura del docente
Materiale Facoltativo: Leslie Gross Portney, Mary P. Watkins. Foundations of Clinical Research: Applications to Practice, 3rd Edition - Part 3 - Portney & Watkins ©2000
Patologia generale
Course syllabus
Characteristics of the immune system
Acute inflammatory response
Systemic responses of acute inflammation
Chronic inflammatory response
Benign and malignant neoplastic disease
What is a clinical research project
Different types of clinical research projects
How to write a scientific article
Acute inflammatory response
Systemic responses of acute inflammation
Chronic inflammatory response
Benign and malignant neoplastic disease
What is a clinical research project
Different types of clinical research projects
How to write a scientific article
Teaching methods
The teaching consists of frontal classroom lessons, scheduled according to a timetable published on the ARIEL website of the master degree
Teaching Resources
- Patologia generale e fiosiopatologia generale. Per i corsi di laurea in professioni sanitarie. G.M. Pontieri. Piccin
- Patologia. Quick Review. Cairo G., Recalcati S., Tacchini L. Edises
- Elementi di Patologia generale e Fiosiopatologia. Laurea Infermieristica. Maier J.A.M., Mariotti M. McGrawHill
- Patologia. Quick Review. Cairo G., Recalcati S., Tacchini L. Edises
- Elementi di Patologia generale e Fiosiopatologia. Laurea Infermieristica. Maier J.A.M., Mariotti M. McGrawHill
Oncologia
Course syllabus
- Fundamentals of clinical research (hypothesis, experimental phase, discussion of results)
- Epidemiology and risk factors of tumors
- Diagnostic Procedure, screening test in oncology
- Value of clinical trials, observational and experimental trials, cohort study, study with historical control group, randomized studies
- Phase I clinical studies: objectives, methods, interpretation of results
- Phase II clinical studies: objectives, methods (Simon test, clinical response assessment), interpretation of results
- Phase III clinical studies: objectives, methods (Survival evaluation, median Survival), interpretation of results
- Phase IV studies
- Studies with historical controls: limits and advantages
- Non inferiority studies
- Meta-analysis: limits and advantages
- Planning a clinical trial (ethical committee, inclusion and exclusion criteria, informed consent)
- the basics of cancer immunology
- immune checkpoint inhibitors
- writing a project for a clinical research grant
- planning of a clinical trial from design to dissemination
- personalized and gender medicine
- how to present the results of the research project at a conference (posters, oral communications)
- how to write a scientific paper
- the EQUATOR network guidelines for the different types of study
- Epidemiology and risk factors of tumors
- Diagnostic Procedure, screening test in oncology
- Value of clinical trials, observational and experimental trials, cohort study, study with historical control group, randomized studies
- Phase I clinical studies: objectives, methods, interpretation of results
- Phase II clinical studies: objectives, methods (Simon test, clinical response assessment), interpretation of results
- Phase III clinical studies: objectives, methods (Survival evaluation, median Survival), interpretation of results
- Phase IV studies
- Studies with historical controls: limits and advantages
- Non inferiority studies
- Meta-analysis: limits and advantages
- Planning a clinical trial (ethical committee, inclusion and exclusion criteria, informed consent)
- the basics of cancer immunology
- immune checkpoint inhibitors
- writing a project for a clinical research grant
- planning of a clinical trial from design to dissemination
- personalized and gender medicine
- how to present the results of the research project at a conference (posters, oral communications)
- how to write a scientific paper
- the EQUATOR network guidelines for the different types of study
Teaching methods
Lectures
Tutorials
Flipped classroom
Tutorials
Flipped classroom
Teaching Resources
Slide and references provided by the teacher
Scienze infermieristiche e tecniche neuropsichiatriche e riabilitative
Course syllabus
Basic concepts on rehabilitation research
Characteristics and pitfalls in rehabilitation studies
Experimental designs
Observational studies
Experimental studies in rehabilitation.
Examples from the field and group discussion
Characteristics and pitfalls in rehabilitation studies
Experimental designs
Observational studies
Experimental studies in rehabilitation.
Examples from the field and group discussion
Teaching methods
The teaching consists of frontal classroom lessons and group discussion on key documents with and without digital tools. Teaching is scheduled according to a timetable published on the ARIEL website of the master degree.
Teaching Resources
Designing Clinical Research, 4e
Stephen B. Hulley, Steven R. Cummings, Warren S. Browner, Deborah G. Grady, Thomas B. Newman
Slide e bibliografia a cura del docente
Materiale Facoltativo: Leslie Gross Portney, Mary P. Watkins. Foundations of Clinical Research: Applications to Practice, 3rd Edition - Part 3 - Portney & Watkins ©2000
Stephen B. Hulley, Steven R. Cummings, Warren S. Browner, Deborah G. Grady, Thomas B. Newman
Slide e bibliografia a cura del docente
Materiale Facoltativo: Leslie Gross Portney, Mary P. Watkins. Foundations of Clinical Research: Applications to Practice, 3rd Edition - Part 3 - Portney & Watkins ©2000
Filosofia morale
Course syllabus
- Philosophical ethics: meta-ethics, normative ethics, applied ethics; moral dilemmas.
- Normative ethics and theories of justice.
- Distributive justice and medical resources.
- Patient autonomy and medical ethics as role ethics.
- Informed consent.
- The problems of defensive medicine.
- Research ethics and integrity.
- Normative ethics and theories of justice.
- Distributive justice and medical resources.
- Patient autonomy and medical ethics as role ethics.
- Informed consent.
- The problems of defensive medicine.
- Research ethics and integrity.
Teaching methods
Teaching is delivered through face-to-face classroom lectures with the aid of PowerPoint presentations. Students will be encouraged to express and argue their views on the issues covered.
Teaching Resources
-C. Del Bò, Etica del turismo, Carocci, 2017, only chapter 2.
-material is distributed in class.
-material is distributed in class.
Psicometria
Course syllabus
Psicometria
Basic statistics:
- Measurement scales (features)
- Central tendency and dispersion measures
- Statistical hypothesis / Hypothesis testing
- Probability theory and probability distributions
- Standardization
- Statistical significance
- Tests of association between two variables: test of independence, correlation
- Graphing variable relationships (level of association; shared variance)
Validity:
- Construct validity
o Validity associated with construct operationalization
Face validity
Content validity
Structural Validity
· Exploratory Factor Analysis / Principal Component Analisis
o Common / Unique / Latent factors
o Correlation matrix
o Explained variance (Factors / Components)
o Factor solutions
o Varimax / Oblimin rotations
o Number of factors to be retained: employed criteria
o Graphing variable relationships in the context of Factor Analysis
· Confirmatory Factor Analysis
o Latent factors
o Fit indices (absolute, comparative, parsimonious)
o Criterion validity
Predictive validity
Cuncurrent validity
Congruent validity
Convergent / divergent / discriminant / differential validity
Reliability:
- Measurement error (systematic / random)
- Measurement precision / stability
- Split-half reliability
o Cronbach alpha
- Test-retest reliability
Further Topics:
- Experimental / non-experimental research
- Sampling and procedures
- Confidence intervals
- Effect size estimation
- Statistical power
Basic statistics:
- Measurement scales (features)
- Central tendency and dispersion measures
- Statistical hypothesis / Hypothesis testing
- Probability theory and probability distributions
- Standardization
- Statistical significance
- Tests of association between two variables: test of independence, correlation
- Graphing variable relationships (level of association; shared variance)
Validity:
- Construct validity
o Validity associated with construct operationalization
Face validity
Content validity
Structural Validity
· Exploratory Factor Analysis / Principal Component Analisis
o Common / Unique / Latent factors
o Correlation matrix
o Explained variance (Factors / Components)
o Factor solutions
o Varimax / Oblimin rotations
o Number of factors to be retained: employed criteria
o Graphing variable relationships in the context of Factor Analysis
· Confirmatory Factor Analysis
o Latent factors
o Fit indices (absolute, comparative, parsimonious)
o Criterion validity
Predictive validity
Cuncurrent validity
Congruent validity
Convergent / divergent / discriminant / differential validity
Reliability:
- Measurement error (systematic / random)
- Measurement precision / stability
- Split-half reliability
o Cronbach alpha
- Test-retest reliability
Further Topics:
- Experimental / non-experimental research
- Sampling and procedures
- Confidence intervals
- Effect size estimation
- Statistical power
Teaching methods
The teaching consists of frontal classroom lessons, scheduled according to a timetable published on the ARIEL website of the course of study
Teaching Resources
Slides and learning material provided by the teacher and uploaded on Ariel
Modules or teaching units
Filosofia morale
M-FIL/03 - MORAL PHILOSOPHY - University credits: 1
Lessons: 8 hours
Professor:
Ferraro Francesco
Oncologia
MED/06 - MEDICAL ONCOLOGY - University credits: 1
Lessons: 8 hours
Professors:
Gualtierotti Roberta, Guidetti Anna
Patologia generale
MED/04 - EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND PATHOPHYSIOLOGY - University credits: 1
Lessons: 8 hours
Professor:
Gammella Elena
Psicometria
M-PSI/03 - PSYCHOMETRICS - University credits: 2
Lessons: 16 hours
Professor:
Mangialavori Sonia
Scienze infermieristiche e tecniche neuropsichiatriche e riabilitative
MED/48 - NURSING IN NEUROPSYCHIATRY AND REHABILITATION - University credits: 1
Lessons: 8 hours
Professor:
Cattaneo Davide
Sistemi di elaborazioni delle informazioni Modulo
ING-INF/05 - INFORMATION PROCESSING SYSTEMS - University credits: 1
Lessons: 8 hours
Professor:
Cattaneo Davide
Professor(s)
Reception:
Wednesday from 11am to 4pm
Larice Lab - IRCCS Fondazione Don Carlo Gnocchi - Via Capecelatro 66, Milan
Reception:
By appointment via e-mail
Reception:
On Thursdays, at 3 p.m.
CET, via Pace 9 Milano, Pad 2, first floor