Abstract:

Service-Learning (SL) is a pedagogical methodology that combines academic learning with real-world experiences in the Community. Empirical studies reveal that through SL, students gain practical skills, develop their career and personal interest, improv their capacity for serving others and acquire better understanding of the meaning of responsible citizenship. Our project SL entitled "Stopping Hypertension with SLP/UCM“, is designed to contribute to the fight against hypertension, an important public health problem and the most important risk factor for cardiovascular disease and death. Self-measured blood pressure monitoring at home (SMBP) is an evidence-based strategy for the effective diagnosis, prevention, and control of hypertension. However, monitoring blood pressure at home is not easy and can be confusing. Because of this, new strategies are necessary to train the population in SMBP. Our SL project will provide an opportunity to link public health, Community and University for the promotion and support of SMBP. To implement our SL program, health sciences students from several degrees (Pharmacy, Medicine, Nursing, Physiotherapy, Podiatry, Odontology, Nutrition and Dietetics) will have a chance to apply the blood pressure and hypertension curricular contents and collaborate in educate, train, and support the population in the use of SMBP devices, through the coordinated actions between Community organizations and the Complutense University of Madrid (UCM). Thirty-eight teachers from the Physiology Department of UCM will support faculty teaching by providing a real-world counterpart to the theoretical material discussed in the classroom. The UCM has agreements with Madrid City Council so that students could carry out their interventions in public health centers, such as care centers, pharmacy, health centers for the elderly, secondary schools and/or commercial centers. Students will give talks and informative workshops and they will demonstrate the correct use of clinically validated automated devices. Further, they will design easy guidelines, blood pressure record cards, posters, and videos through different channels online, scientific conferences, and different informative material. In addition, students will teach and advise the population to interpret the results to know when to go to the doctor. Service and learning process will be assessed by surveys to get the students, citizens, and teachers’ opinions, and to improve the SL activities. This SL project will give to all health sciences students a real-world experience by having direct contact with patients/citizens, solving real community problems, carrying out a social service, and promoting personal skills and professional training. It will help students to make connections between different academic subjects by using an interdisciplinary teaching approach. Our SL Project can be an effective way to improve the blood pressure control and to prevent hypertension. In this way, students will acquire curricular skills and serve the Community, promoting health and well-being to achieve the goals 2030 agenda goals sustainable development.

Keywords:

Service-learning project, real-world teaching methodology, hypertension, Self-measured blood pressure monitoring at home (SMBP), community service.