'Celebrating Health and Social Care Professions 2025'

2025 Celebrating Health and Social Care Professions

HAPPY HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE PROFESSIONS DAY! Nicole Müller Head of School of Clinical Therapies at UCC (2019-2025)

he School of Clinical Therapies at University College Cork educates Health and Social Care Professionals in Audiology, Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy, and Speech and Language Therapy. The School’s first two programmes started in September 2003, and as of the end of 2024, we have graduated 87 Audiologists, 467 Occupational Therapists, 150 Physiotherapists, and 465 Speech and Language Therapists.

This project would not have been possible without the help of Yong Hong Chen, who is completing the MA in Digital Arts and Humanities at UCC, and who has

We would not be able to do what we do without the collaboration of many, many people. Our sincere thanks to all our clinical partners who provide our students with quality placements; all those who contribute to the delivery of our programmes, including many service users and members of the public

generously donated her time, effort and talent to complete this digital flip book.

who engage with us and our students; all our research partners who work with us to increase the evidence base to advance the clinical work in our disciplines.

To mark the occasion of HSCP Day 2025, I have asked colleagues in the School of Clinical Therapies to contribute brief snapshots of current work that speaks to this year’s motto: “Innovating Health and Social Care, Embracing Technology, Research and Evidence” Enjoy!

https://www.ucc.ie/en/clinical-therapies/

Author

Title

Eithne Hunt

Helping college students to live and learn well in 2025 – the Everyday Matters: Healthy Habits for University Life® digital badge

01

Aaron Cole

Implementation of a virtual reality pacing game with patients living with the condition of Long-COVID: A feasibility trial.

03

Ciara Moloney

MSc Hearing, Balance and Communication at UCC in collaboration with Interacoustics Academy

05

Joe McVeigh

ScaleUp4Rehab: Scaling-up Virtual Rehabilitation in North-West Europe

06

Aidan O Shea

Self-management of shoulder pain

08

Declan O Sullivan

Social prescribing in the management of long-term conditions

10

Helen Kelly

Socialising from Home: Peer support and communication practice at the Aphasia Home Café

11

Joe McVeigh

Technology in Undergraduate Physiotherapy Education: The VR-Pain Project

12

Joe McVeigh

The NET-RMDs study: Networks of Fatigue and Pain in Rheumatic and Musculoskeletal Diseases, an International Study

14

Jean Harrington

Year 3 Occupational Therapy Practice Education - Exemplary Feedback

15

Ciara O Toole

Ag Spreagadh Forbairt Teanga i Suíomhanna luath-óige lán Ghaeilge: Encouraging language development in early year’s Irish immersion.

16

Ciara O Toole

Assessing vocabulary proficiency in Irish-English bilingual children: The Irish Crosslinguistic Lexical Tasks APP

17

Emma Gleeson

Augmentative and Alternative Communication: Perspectives from people with young onset Parkinson’s Disease and from SLTs

18

Ciara Hanrahan

Behaviour change for physical activity in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

20

Alice Lee

Building a dataset of typical and disordered speech for teaching and assessing phonetic transcription in Speech and Language Therapy students in Ireland

21

Helen Kelly

Co-designing a website to raise awareness of aphasia

22

Trish O Sullivan

Exploring the role of the patient in enhancing education of healthcare professional students in an interprofessional setting

23

Niamh Brady

Exploring the role of virtual reality in musculoskeletal shoulder pain.

25

Ruth McCullagh

Falls Management Exercise Programme: Improving reach, effectiveness, value and sustainability in Ireland. Case Studies for Learning (acronym: FaME Ireland)

26

Marie Kelly

Harnessing Technology to Support Self-Management for People with Musculoskeletal Disorders: Introducing ePhysioSupport

28

Helping college students to live and learn well in 2025 – the Everyday Matters: Healthy Habits for University Life® digital badge illions of people around the world are experiencing ill-health and disease that can be attributed, in part, to patterns of daily living and living conditions that do not support wellbeing. In fact, it’s forecast that ischaemic heart disease, stroke, and diabetes will be the top three causes of disease burden worldwide in 2050. Occupational Therapists are experts in how everyday activities influence health, and vice versa. We also always look at how living conditions shape our activities and health.

Living conditions include environments such as families, communities, neighbourhoods, buildings, playgrounds, schools, shops, workplaces and factors such as food, housing, education, employment and access to healthcare.

“

My research is on adolescent [age 10 to 24 years] and college student mental

Everyday Matters: Healthy Habits for University Life

wellbeing. This is a priority area of research and service delivery in Ireland and interna-

”

tionally. The average age of all students in higher education in Ireland is 23 and

Digital Badge | University

undergraduate students is 20 years.

College Cork

This life stage is one of opportunity and vulnerability. About half of all life-time

I want to reduce and/or prevent mental distress

mental disorders start by the mid-teens

and promote wellbeing and academic success

and three quarters by the mid-20s with

amongst UCC students. Building on my clinical

median age at onset 18 years. In

background in adolescent mental health, my

Ireland, half of 18 to 29-year-olds have

doctoral research on adolescent time use and

low mental well-being. The world in

wellbeing and my university teaching, I devised

which students are living and learning is full

and launched Everyday Matters: Healthy Habits

of uncertainty. Unprecedented technological

for University Life , an innovative time use and

advances and shifting cultural norms around

wellbeing digital badge for UCC students. Over

hybrid work post COVID19 are changing the

eight sessions, students are guided to reflect on

way we work and study, while economic

their time use across the day and how their

insecurity and geopolitical instability make

time use influences their health and wellbeing,

for deeply troubling times. In 2023, nearly

for good or ill. Habits of mind are also explored,

half of 16-25 year olds surveyed across

as their presence or absence can enrich or

10 countries said their feelings about

undermine daily experiences. An evaluation of

climate change negatively impacted

Everyday Matters: Healthy Habits for

their daily life and functioning.

®

University Life showed statistically ®

significant improvements across all standardised wellbeing measures and 91% of participants ‘would definitely recommend’ Everyday Matters: Healthy

Eithne Hunt

Habits for University Life®. https://www.ucc.ie/en/skillscentre/news-and-workshops/everyday-matters/ 01

02

Implementation of a virtual reality pacing game with patients living with the condition of Long-COVID: A feasibility trial.

Background/Need he National Academies (2024) define the condition of Long COVID as an infection associated chronic condition that occurs after the SARS-Cov-2 infection and is present for at least three months as a continuous, relapsing and remitting, or progressive disease state affecting one or more organ systems. It is estimated that up to 10-35% of patients can develop Long COVID following an acute COVID 19 illness. This equates to an estimated 65 million people worldwide with increasing numbers each year. With over 200 symptoms now acknowledged in the condition of Long COVID, fatigue is the most reported symptom, impacting the ability to perform activities of daily living, work and quality of life. Pacing, planning and prioritizing tasks has been shown to be an essential component in promoting the self-management of individuals with long term conditions. With the current advances in health technology in particular virtual reality providing patient education in an immersive environment to learn and implement self-management strategies will be transferable to incorporating self-management strategies in individuals’ day to day lives.

Aim The primary aim of the study is to investigate the feasibility of implementing a virtual reality pacing game to teach patients with the condition of Long COVID effective self-management strategies and pacing activities. The secondary aim of this study is to investigate whether this intervention will impact patient reported outcome measures of reported quality of life and fatigue.

This project is a collaboration between multiple Universities, Health Innovation Ireland, Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust, The Pain Tool Kit and Mavric. This project is supported and funded by Interreg forming part of the Scale-Up4Rehab initiative.

03

Aaron Cole

Potential Impact We envisage this intervention will have a significant role in educating individual patients on their condition, informing them of the available self-management strategies to manage fatigue and to be able to transfer implementation of pacing strategies into their day to day lives. This tool could be utilized as part of clinical therapeutic education for patients. We have planned to make this tool freely available for patients to provide education and supportive self-management of their condition in their own home environment. Next year, two MSc physiotherapy students have planned to implement this feasibility trial with ten patients living with Long COVID as part of their final year thesis.

Acknowledgements Professor Denis Martin (Teesside University), Dr Deepak Ravindran (Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust), Mr. Billy O’ Mahony (UCC), Mr. David Murphy (UCC), Dr Mohamad Saab (UCC), Mr. Pete Moore (The Pain Toolkit), Professor Cormac Ryan (Teesside University), Dr Joseph McVeigh (UCC), Ms. Ciara Hanrahan (UCC), Professor Brona Fullen (UCD), Dr Michael Twomey (UCC), Dr Andrew Graham (Teesside University), Mr. Eoghan O’ Riain (UCC), Mr. Aaron Cole (UCC), Patient Partners.

04

MSc Hearing, Balance and Communication at UCC in collaboration with Interacoustics Academy e are proud to announce the formation of a partnership between Interacoustics Academy and the Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences, Discipline of Audiology. This partnership is aimed at developing clinical courses and training pathways for Audiologists in Ireland and globally. As a world-leading supplier of diagnostic hearing and balance equipment and training solutions, this partnership will help students to bridge the gap between the theoretical knowledge and the clinical content, as well as gain credits and clinical skills in the process.

Our first collaboration launched in November 2024 by developing the first iteration of a newborn hearing assessment training course in Ireland: “Newborn Hearing Screening: Objective Assessment of Paediatric Hearing in Neonates”.

Leigh Martin, Director of Interacoustics Academy and Clinical Adjunct Lecturer, UCC, led a practical session using the “Eclipse Evoked Potentials” System, which is used in the diagnostic assessment of newborns, referred on from the Newborn Hearing Screening Programme.

“

Newborn Hearing Screening: Objective Assessment of Paediatric Hearing in Neonates

”

Our Microcreds students and Postgraduate

for their support, in particular Gary Norman,

students also had access to Interacoustics

National Clinical Lead in Audiology HSE. We look

Academy’s online course “Clinical Diploma

forward to continuing to develop and work on

in Newborn Hearing Assessment” at a

our partnership with Interacoustics Academy

significantly reduced rate. The diploma

in the future.

enabled attendees to build on the extensive Be part of the movement, join a community of

theoretical knowledge gained onsite in UCC.

forward-thinking professionals who are the The launch was a huge success and attracted

shaping the future of health and social care. All

audiologists from Ireland, the UK and

allied health professionals are welcome to attend

Internationally. We were also delighted to

our CPD and credit bearing courses in Hearing,

once again welcome audiologists attending

Balance and Communication. Visit our website

this course as part of the BAA Higher Training

or email us on info.hbc@ucc.ie to be added to

Scheme. UCC is proud to be the only provider

our mailing list.

in Ireland of courses as part of this specialist framework of advanced practice.

A huge thank you to our new partner,

Ciara Moloney

Interacoustics Academy, and our guest speakers

https://www.ucc.ie/en/speech/postgraduatestudy/audiology/mschearingbalanceandcommunication/ 05

ScaleUp4Rehab: Scaling-up Virtual Rehabilitation in North-West Europe ccess to rehabilitation services is hampered by long waiting lists and poor access, particularly in rural areas. However, the response of healthcare services to the Covid-19 pandemic has demonstrated some of the opportunities digital solutions offer in terms of access, efficiency and effectiveness. In recent years, different forms of digital rehabilitation therapy have been developed and tested with patients. Only recently the FDA in the USA approved a home-use virtual reality (VR) intervention to help those with chronic low back pain. Digital rehabilitation, harnessing the latest virtual and augmented reality technology offers access to dedicated rehabilitation care regardless of the location of a patient.

Joe McVeigh

The overall aim of the project is to develop a digital virtual rehabilitation clinic hosting a range of VR/XR rehabilitation tools.

This project is a Europe-wide consortium consisting of 13 European partners across clinical, research and development sectors. Dr Joseph McVeigh, Head of Discipline of Physiotherapy and Mr David Murphy from School of Computer Science & Information Technology at UCC were partners in a successful Interreg North-West Europe (NWE) grant with a total budget of €10.8 million.

06

The project consists of a number of work packages which include, development of a virtual clinic and virtual coaching centre, five studies will be conducted across Ireland, the Netherland, Belgium, Germany and France to pilot the feasibility of the interventions and the virtual clinic, capacity building training workshops will be conducted with health care clinicians across Europe. People with a range of long-term musculoskeletal and neurological conditions will get the opportunity to use VR interventions in their home without the burden of having to travel to clinics.

In order to build capacity in VR among health care professionals the use of VR technologies within the physiotherapy curriculum with be explored and evaluated.

(pics – students at a workshop on VR and the physiotherapy purriculum) Home Scale-Up4Rehab: Important step forward in digitalization rehabilitation sector | SCALE-UP4REHAB https://scale-up4rehab. nweurope.eu/vvv

Research Outputs O’Riain E, McVeigh JG, Fullen B, Martin D, Murphy D. Design of a Physiologically Based Feedback Loop using Biosensors for Interactive XR and Spatial Computing Environments IEEE 3rd International Conference on Intelligent Reality (ICIR2024) Coimbra, Portugal Dec 2024. Ó’Riain E, Murphy D, Fullen B, Cole A, O’Mahony B, Moore P, Hanrahan C, Twomey M, Graham A, Saab M, Ravindran D, Ryan C, Martin D, McVeigh JG. Co-Design and Development of a Virtual Reality Pacing Experience for Long Covid. Scale-Up4Rehab Project. World Congress on Virtual Rehabilitation - 26-28 June 2024 - Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Deegan O, O'Riain E, Yoshitani M, Smart K, McMahon S, O’Sullivan T, O’Sullivan D, Cole A, Hanrahan C, Ligero MM, Martin D, Murphy D, Fullen BM, McVeigh JG. A Scoping Review of Frameworks Evaluating Digital Health Applications: Scale-Up4Rehab Project. World Congress on Virtual Rehabilitation - 26-28 June 2024 - Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

07

Self-management of shoulder pain

“

Shoulder pain is a prevalent condition that causes y name is Aidan O’Shea.

substantial disability and morbidity in the general population.

I am a physiotherapist

It affects people of all ages and can significantly impact daily

in the Discipline of Physiotherapy

activities, work productivity, and overall quality of life.

at University College Cork. I am

Despite its widespread occurrence, diagnosing and managing

also completing my PhD titled

shoulder pain remains challenging due to the complex nature

“Self-management of Shoulder

of shoulder disorders. These complexities often lead to

Pain.” I have always had a keen

delayed diagnosis, inconsistent treatment approaches, and

interest in shoulder pain. The

suboptimal outcomes. Additionally, many individuals with

complexity of shoulder disorders

shoulder pain experience frustration when their condition

has stimulated my curiosity and

persists despite multiple interventions. This frustration can

motivated me to learn more

further hinder their ability to engage in self-management

about them. Through my clinical

strategies, ultimately affecting their recovery and well-being.

experience and research, I have come to appreciate the

Given these challenges, my research aims to develop

significant challenges that both

recommendations for a self-management programme for

patients and healthcare

individuals with shoulder pain. Self-management involves

professionals face in effectively

equipping people with the knowledge, skills, and confidence

managing shoulder pain.

”

Aidan O Shea

to take an active role in managing their condition. A well-structured self-management programme has the potential to improve patient outcomes by fostering self-efficacy, encouraging adherence to evidence-based strategies, and reducing dependence on passive treatments such as medication, injections, or surgery. By promoting self-management, individuals can better control their symptoms, maintain function, and improve their overall health-related quality of life.

The impact of this research extends beyond individuals with shoulder pain. Healthcare professionals will benefit from evidence-based guidance on supporting patients in self-management, which may enhance treatment effectiveness and patient engagement. Additionally, policymakers and healthcare systems at both local and national levels can use these findings to implement cost-effective strategies that reduce the burden of shoulder pain on health services.

Ultimately, my research has the potential to empower individuals with shoulder pain to take a proactive role in managing their condition. By improving pain control, function, and psychological well-being, self-management strategies can enhance long-term outcomes while alleviating the strain on healthcare systems. This work represents a crucial step toward a more patient-centred and sustainable approach to shoulder pain management.

More information can be found at https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35733369/

08

DO YOU TREAT PATIENTS WITH SHOULDER PAIN? Clinicians invited to participate in a focus group study.

Who: To be included in this study you need to treat patients with musculoskeletal shoulder conditions such as osteoarthritis, rotator cuff related shoulder pain, and adhesive capsulitis.

Clinicians need to be based in the Republic of Ireland.

What: This study is an online group discussion and will last approximately 60 minutes. It will consist of an easy-going conversation among four to five clinicians. The aim is to get your views on factors influencing a physiotherapist's approach to the management of a person with shoulder pain.

When: The focus group will take place at a time that is convenient for you.

Where: The focus group will take place via Microsoft Teams.

If interested in finding out more about this study, please contact Aidan O'Shea on 0857074914 or aidan.oshea@ucc.ie Many thanks, Aidan O'Shea, Physiotherapis

09

Social prescribing in the management of long-term conditions

eople are living longer with complex long-term multimorbidity Declan O’Sullivan School of Clinical

accentuated by social and physical factors resulting in many unmet non-clinical health needs.

Therapies, UCC Social prescribing is an emerging patient-centred care pathway that links people with long-term conditions to existing community-based services to address these individuals’ unmet health needs and improve quality of life and well-being.

This research aims to determine the effectiveness of social prescribing in the management of long-term conditions.

Social prescribing may help improve the quality of life Dr Janas Harrington School of Public Health, UCC Prof Lindsay Bearne Population Health Research Institute,

and well-being of those living with long-term conditions and reduce the pressure on primary healthcare services through reduced GP visits and hospitalisations.

St. George’s, UK Dr Joseph McVeigh School of Clinical Therapies, UCC

10

Socialising from Home: Peer support and communication practice at the Aphasia Home Café t least 1/3 of people who have a stroke experience aphasia. Aphasia is a communication difficulty that affects a person’s ability to understand what they read and hear and to express themselves when speaking and writing: it does not affect intelligence.

Almost everything we do in our daily lives involves communication so there are daily challenges for people living with post-stroke aphasia. For example, traffic road signs, watching the TV, listening to the radio, reading newspapers, searching for information on the Internet all require communication skills.

Helen Kelly

Communication also has a central role in building and developing relationships and needed for many of our hobbies and interests. Aphasia often results in social isolation and loneliness. In fact, the rate of depression is higher for people with post-stroke aphasia when compared with people who had a stroke but don’t have aphasia.

There is generally a lack of opportunities for people with aphasia to meet to provide peer support or to practice conversation skills in a space where others understand.

In response to the social restrictions during Covid-19, Dr Helen Kelly established the Aphasia Home Café in May 2020 with her Speech and Language Therapy students. This continues to run every fortnight on Zoom which discussions about anything and everything from pets to politics!

The Aphasia Home Café currently has a membership of over >140 people from diverse geographical locations – urban, rural, across the island of Ireland, UK, Europe and even USA.

We also meet 3 times a year with our friends from the Stroke Association NI. Members report increased confidence and competence in communication and that the Aphasia Home Café is a ‘safe place’ to practice communication and get peer support from people who live with aphasia.

Contact Dr Helen Kelly helen.kelly@ucc.ie or visit https://www.ucc.ie/en/aphasiacafe/ for more information about this technological initiative.

11

Technology in Undergraduate Physiotherapy Education: The VR-Pain Project n estimated 20-30% of adults across Europe experience chronic pain, that is pain lasting 3 months or longer. Not surprisingly pain is a primary reason patients seek physiotherapy, and as physiotherapists increasingly serve as first-contact practitioners, especially in Europe, strong clinical reasoning skills are essential. Pain science is a core field in the physiotherapy curriculum and physiotherapists are essential members of healthcare teams managing people with pain. However, There is a need to provide a structured approach to enhance physiotherapy students' development of clinical reasoning skills in pain assessment and

Joe McVeigh

management - virtual reality (VR) technology can offer this.

In undergraduate and pre-registration physiotherapy programmes clinical practice placements provide the experiential work-based learning opportunities. Students spend approximately 40% of their time on clinical placements. Placements provide the opportunity to develop and enhance students' clinical reasoning skills dealing with ‘real’ patients. Clinical reasoning is described as analytical and non-analytical processes and skills carried out when assessing patients, which are the processes of either developing hypotheses or an automatic retrieval process described as pattern recognition (Weiss, 2011). It is a skill integral to practise, influencing decision making processes that determines patients’ treatment.

The project aims to promote inter-connected higher education systems, collaborating to standardise and enhance clinical reasoning skills in pain science education in Physiotherapy programmes through sharing knowledge and skills across boundaries.

12

The research involves a number of studies.

• A curriculum mapping exercise was conducted across physiotherapy programmes in Ireland and the Netherlands to reflect where, when, how clinical reasoning skills, pain management and clinical placement occur in physiotherapy programmes and determine parts of the curriculum that can be VR-based.

The project mapped clinical reasoning and pain management in physiotherapy curricula across partner institutions. This identified opportunities for learning enhancement through VR-based learning. Integrated stakeholder involvement (UCD, UCC students and people with lived experience).

The mapping exercise and focus groups formed the foundation of the three VR cases which will be accessible to educators across Europe.

• The second study explored students´ knowledge and experiences of VR technology and obtained feedback on co-design a VR component for the physiotherapy curriculum.

• The final stage of the project involved the co-development of three VR clinical cases to support the development of clinical reasoning skills in pain.

Three interactive VR clinical cases and supporting manuals were developed allowing students to engage with real-time scenarios on acute & chronic pain.

The cases take between 20-30 minutes. The cases are based on real-world scenarios & user experience (UX) principles, involved an in-person stakeholder workshop held in UCC in their development (students from UCD, UCC & people with lived experience of pain). These risk-free, simulated environments enhanced students' knowledge & decision-making abilities based on the qualitative & quantitative feedback.

This project is funded by Erasmus + (€250,000) with project partners:

FUNDING

€250k

Dr Joseph McVeigh (University College Cork, Ireland), Dr Brona Fullen (PI), Prof. E. Mangina, Dr Siobhan McMahon (University College Dublin, Ireland), Prof. Harriet Wittink (Stichting Hogeschool Utrecht, The Netherlands), V. Ouranis, G Agriopoulos QUANTA & QUALIA, Greece.

13

The NET-RMDs study: Networks of Fatigue and Pain in Rheumatic and Musculoskeletal Diseases, an International Study usculoskeletal and rheumatic diseases affect approximately 1.71 billion people globally and are a leading cause of disability.

Rheumatic diseases encompass a wide range of conditions that primarily affect the joints, muscles, and connective tissues. These diseases include rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, scleroderma, and Sjogren's syndrome, among others. Fatigue and pain are the predominant symptoms for patients with rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases (RMDs).

Pain and fatigue are influenced by a complex network of mutually interacting factors that include physical (dis)ability, psychological resilience

Joe McVeigh

and vulnerability, social factors, sleep quality, obesity, and disease activity. The importance of these distinct factors is assumed to differ between different RMDs as well as between individual patients. The strength with which each factor influences pain and fatigue also differs between RMDs and patients.

This study aimed to describe the existing network models with influencing factors of pain and fatigue in (i) specific RMDs and in (ii) subgroups of patients (across all RMDs) with high scores on specific maintaining factors (e.g., physical inactivity, obesity, sleep problems, inflammatory activity, psychological distress factors).

An online survey was conducted across Ireland, Portugal, Spain, the Netherlands and the UK with almost three thousand (n=2930) people with a broad spectrum of RMD’s (Fibromyalgia, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Osteoarthritis, Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, Spondyloarthritis/Bechterew’s disease, Sjögren’s syndrome, Psoriatic Arthritis and Scleroderma / Systemic Sclerosis) completing the survey.

Analysis of the data is ongoing, but the network model confirms the multifactorial nature of fatigue and pain in multiple RMD’s.

This work is supported by the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) health professionals research grant (HPR045).

Project Partners:

For more information about the study see: Gavilán-Carrera B, Geenen R, Hughes C, Barbosa L, Visser

People with Rheumatoid Arthritis. The Net-RMD’s Study.

M, McVeigh J, Ferreira RJO, Boschloo L, Estévez-López F.

Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, Volume 83, Supplement

NET-RMDs study: networks of fatigue and pain in rheumatic

1, 2024, Pages 195-196, ISSN 0003-4967,

and musculoskeletal diseases - protocol for an international

https://doi.org/10.1136/annrheumdis-2024-eular.2497.

cross-sectional study. BMJ Open. 2022 Nov 15;12(11):e061099. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-061099.

Visser M, Estevez-Lopez F, Gavilán-Carrera B, Boschloo L,

PMID: 36379658; PMCID: PMC9668028.

Barbosa L, Ferreira JO, Hughes CM, McVeigh JG, Geenen R Networks of fatigue, pain, and biopsychosocial factors in

Geenen R, Gavilán-Carrera B, Estevez-Lopez F, Boschloo L,

people with Sjögren’s disease. 16th International Symposium

Visser M, McVeigh J, Hughes C, Ferreira RJO, Barbosa L.

Sjögren’s Disease, the Netherlands 22-25th April 2024.

Networks of Fatigue, Pain, and Biopsychosocial Factors in

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Year 3 Occupational Therapy Practice Education - Exemplary Feedback Innovative Resource Creation

Pride in Students' Work

"Absolutely fantastic resources created by year 3

"The students are a credit to UCC. It’s been such

Occupational Therapy student on placement –

a positive and enjoyable experience to have such

accessible, evidence-based information and

passionate young students. The progress has

visually appealing."

been so amazing to watch."

Exceptional Patient Interaction

Clinical Reasoning and Collaboration

"This student has supreme ability to relate to

"Student has an excellent ability to discuss her

patients and adapt to their needs in relation to

clinical reasoning with her colleagues. She gave

patient education. Patients provided feedback -

an excellent presentation on the joint protection

'she has really helped them' and 'she has an

group she ran independently, receiving

excellent way of explaining things.'”

outstanding feedback."

Client-Centered Innovation

Rehabilitation Contributions

"In an Early Supported Discharge setting, the

"In the hospital setting, the student provided

daily rehab focusing on upper limb and functional student did lovely client-centred work. She rehabilitation, which wouldn’t have happened

tailored rehab sessions to the patient’s goal of

without her presence."

walking his greyhounds across fields, even donning her wellies to make it happen."

The feedback reflects the dedication, innovation, and positive impact of our third-year students on clinical placement - well done!

For further information: Website: Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy | University College Cork https://www.ucc.ie/en/ot/ Jean Harrington

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Ag Spreagadh Forbairt Teanga i Suíomhanna luath-óige lán Ghaeilge: Encouraging language development in early year’s Irish immersion. n Ireland, An Naíonra provides early childhood education through Irish, which is an important part of maintaining and transmitting the language.

However, it also presents unique challenges for educators to cater not only for children who speak Irish as a first language and require mother-tongue support and enrichment but also for children who are learning Irish as a second language. This PhD project is sponsored by an Coiste Um Oideachas Gaeltachta agus Gaelscolaíochta (COGG) aimed to develop a Jennifer Uí Dhuibhir PhD Candidate

training programme for educators in a minority

Ciara O Toole Department of

immersion setting. The first phase established the

Speech and Hearing

views and needs of educators, parents and

Sciences.

children in naíonra across Ireland. We then took these views and developed a pilot training programme based on Teacher Talk (Greenberg & Weitzman, 2002) from the Hanen centre in Canada and drawing on the literature relating to developing a heritage language. As the educators were based all around the island of Ireland, we harnessed the benefits of technology to develop an online programme and help educators across the island, both inside and outside Gaeltacht areas, to connect and develop links. We also used this technology to record and share videos of educators interacting with children in their own setting to provide coaching and monitor change. We will use the results to further refine the programme and increase the training for early year’s educators in Irish immersion language contexts.

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Assessing vocabulary proficiency in Irish-English bilingual children: The Irish Crosslinguistic Lexical Tasks APP hen diagnosing language difficulties in bi- and multilingual children, it is essential to test their language development in all of their languages. In addition, in Ireland, Irish speakers have statutory rights to access all public services, including speech and language therapy through Irish.

However, clinicians have few or no tools to assess, diagnose and treat Irish-speakers.

This project is developing an APP to test bi/multilingual children’s understanding and production of nouns and verbs in Irish. It is part of an international project that uses similar procedures to test vocabulary development in children, known as the Crosslinguistic Lexical Tasks (CLTs).

For more see https://multilada.pl/en/projects/clt/

By using similar procedures, we can be sure that we are testing comparable skills across all of a bi/multilingual child’s language. The APP has been piloted using the Munster dialect and is fully automatised so that children can move through the test using touch-screen technology and pre-recorded instructions. The technology also allows us to measure ‘reaction times’ or how quickly a child can process and understand a word. Our results show that typically developing children living in the Gaeltacht who speak only Irish at home perform equally well on both the Irish and English versions of the task. However, children exposed to both languages at home or only English have significantly higher English vocabulary scores, showing the vulnerability of the minority Irish language. The test has subsequently been recorded in the Connemara dialect so that more children can be tested and more developmental milestones can be collected. This will then allow us to determine whether a bi/multilingual child has a language disorder. This test is part of ongoing projects that aim to develop tools to provide an equitable service for Irish-English bi/multilingual children with speech and language difficulties.

Ciara O Toole Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences.

Pictures of the Irish comprehension task for the target ag éisteacht ‘listening’; Child being assessed with the CLTs. 17

Augmentative and Alternative Communication: Perspectives from people with young onset Parkinson’s Disease, and from SLTs Emma Gleeson, Ellen O’Neill, Anna Whyte, Kirsty Lohan, Sophie Morley, Emma Screene, Aoife Queally, Nicole Müller

ommunication is recognised as a fundamental human right for all people per Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

We communicate in many ways every day, and many of us think of sounds, words and sentences when we think of how we communicate with others. However, not all people can use verbal means of communication, and so, speech and language therapists (SLTs) have a key role in collaborating and supporting people to communicate to their full potential using different means.

Emma Gleeson Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) is an aspect of SLT practice which seeks to optimise and utilise all the ways a person can communicate besides using spoken language. It can include facial expression, gesture, photographs, pictures, word or letter boards, communication passports with key information about the person (low tech communication devices), right up to high tech communication devices, for example tablets or computers with apps, customised to the person’s communicative needs, and often with a ‘voice’ which says a message when a particular word, phrase or image is selected. Low- and high-tech communication devices can range from simple to difficult in complexity, and the speech and language therapist who is collaborating with the person in optimising their communication skills can tailor the AAC to the person’s needs, preferences and abilities.

Both children and adults can be AAC users, with children with cerebral palsy, autism or speech sound difficulties potentially experiencing communicative success with these devices. For adults, people with acquired brain injury, stroke, or progressive neurological disorder can utilise low-or high-tech devices to optimise their communicative effectiveness.

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY

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Since the fast-paced development of technology in the last decade, AAC options have become far more wide ranging, and access to high tech devices has become easier. Additionally, technology has become a part of every life, making its use more acceptable for people who may want to use it to optimise their communication abilities. At present, SLT students in the School of Clinical therapies, University College Cork are conducting research in this area: One project investigates how persons living with young onset Parkinson’s Disease are This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND

using technology to facilitate communication, and

how they evaluate the technologies available to them. Two further projects relate to how SLTs are working with AAC, and how they evaluate their own expertise and education needs.

“

We all have a right to communicate, and technology adds another facet to the possibilities for optimising communication for all!

”

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND

Further information on AAC can be found here: https://www.asha.org/public/speech/disorders/aac/?srsltid=AfmBO oqY2qedrF-es7ZGHXlPFl8QCavz6NqizLVHJlsg9BjZgAW7nh4 https://www.rcslt.org/speech-and-language-therapy/clinical-information/augmentative-and-alternative-communication/

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Behaviour change for physical activity in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease hronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a significant global health concern, with estimates of almost 400 million people living with COPD across the world. Symptoms of COPD include breathlessness, cough, wheeze and fatigue. The course of the disease is punctuated by exacerbations, significantly impacting quality of life and healthcare usage. Pharmacological interventions and pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) are the gold standard of care for people with COPD, however, barriers to availing of PR are well-evidenced in the literature.

Despite the importance of engaging in a physically active lifestyle to help manage their condition, we know that those living with COPD are less

Ciara Hanrahan

physically active than recommended. Behaviour change interventions may help to influence physical activity behaviour in COPD, but the most effective interventions are not yet clear. The aim of this research is to design a community-based physical activity intervention, incorporating principles of behaviour change, for people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

This work is being carried out by PhD candidate Ciara Hanrahan (Lecturer in Respiratory Physiotherapy, University College Cork), with supervision by Dr Joseph McVeigh (University College Cork), Asst Professor Dr Julie Broderick (Trinity College Dublin), Prof Terry O’Connor (Mercy University Hospital & University College Cork) and Prof Thierry Troosters (Leuven University, Belgium). The project stems from Ciara’s twenty years’ experience of working with people with chronic respiratory disease, with the expertise of her supervisory team.

We hope that the findings of this project will

obstructive pulmonary disease; A systematic

help to inform clinical practice and improve the

review and meta-analysis. Respiratory Medicine

quality of life of people living with COPD by

and Research. 2024;85:101068.

identifying effective behaviour change interventions to influence their physical activity

2. Hanrahan C, Broderick J, O’Connor T,

behaviour.

McVeigh J. Behaviour change and physical activity interventions for physical activity

The benefits of adopting physical activity

engagement in community dwelling adults

behaviours for those living with COPD may help

with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease:

people living with the condition to manage it

protocol for a systematic review. HRB Open

more effectively. Education and knowledge of

Research. 2022;4(110).

behaviour change theory and the use of effective interventions by clinicians may support a more

Publication under review:

physically active lifestyle in those with COPD.

1. Hanrahan, C, McVeigh, J. G., O’Connor, T. M., Troosters, T., Broderick, J. Perceptions and use

Publications to date:

of behaviour change interventions for physical

1. Hanrahan C, Broderick J, O'Connor TM,

activity in chronic respiratory disease in The

McVeigh JG. Behaviour change interventions for

Republic of Ireland. Physiotherapy.

physical activity in adults with chronic

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Building a dataset of typical and disordered speech for teaching and assessing phonetic transcription in Speech and Language Therapy students in Ireland honetic transcription is the use of phonetic symbols to document in

written form the speech sounds produced by speakers. Speech and Language Therapists (SLTs) are expected to transcribe in order to assess speech disorders, select intervention approaches and targets, and evaluate the outcomes of treatment. However, the materials for teaching and assessing transcription skills vary between SLT academic programmes, and speech recordings of Irish English speakers are scarce. Because of this we are developing a large-scale shared online resource for direct teaching,

DELAD Workshops

self-learning (e.g., via virtual learning environment / VLE), and assessment for the Irish SLT programmes.

Groundwork has been carried out, including a national seminar held in 2018 where teaching staff of the 5 Irish SLT programmes (UCC, Trinity College Dublin, University of Galway, University of Limerick, and Ulster University) discussed the current practice of teaching and assessment of speech disorders and phonetics. A dataset of typical speech and simulated speech disorders was produced in 2020 by the same team as a teaching resource for the SLT programmes. The next step towards our goal is to build a clinical speech dataset for teaching and assessment.

The current research team includes Dr. Alice Lee (Senior Lecturer, SLT), Dr. Nicola Bessell (Lecturer, Linguist), Ms. Maeve Sharkey (Practice Education Coordinator, SLT), Emma Screene (Year 4 SLT student) in UCC, Ms. Claire Mansfield (Specialist SLT) in Cork University Hospital, and Dr. Jill Titterington (external collaborator, SLT), The Speech Doctor, UK. The target group is the users of phonetic transcription for clinical speech assessments, which include both SLT students as well as SLT educators.

Dr. Nicola Bessell This project will build a resource that can be used immediately in teaching and assessment, with appropriate ethics approval for resource sharing for the Irish SLT programmes. This resource represents a significant step forward in access to teaching resources for the discipline.

This project is also important for ensuring sufficient phonetic transcription training to support effective practice of newly qualified SLTs as well as continuing professional development opportunities for practising clinicians.

To find out more about the project, you can contact the key research team members, Dr. Alice Lee (A.Lee@ucc.ie) and Dr. Nicola Bessell (N.Bessell@ucc.ie).

Groundwork has been carried out

The Speech Doctor

Cork University Hospital

Previous external collaborators mentioned in the project description

University of Galway

Ulster University

Trinity College Dublin

https://delad.ruhosting.nl/wordpress/ 21

University of Limerick

Dr. Alice Lee Senior Lecturer Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences University College Cork

Co-designing a website to raise awareness of aphasia pproximately 10k people have a stroke every year in Ireland, with ~64% experiencing communication disability. At least 1/3 of people who have a stroke experience aphasia, a communication difficulty affecting language. It can affect a person’s ability to understand what they read and hear, and to express themselves when speaking and writing. It affects everyone differently, so every person with aphasia can have different communication problems. It is important to note that aphasia DOES NOT affect intelligence.

Despite so many people living with aphasia there is very poor awareness of

Helen Kelly

aphasia in the general population, and, across health, utilities, public and commercial services in Ireland. Stroke survivors and their families also report a need for more understanding about aphasia and how to access relevant supports. Dr Helen Kelly invited Stroke Survivors with aphasia from her Aphasia Awareness & Advocacy (AAA) group to co-design a website to raise awareness of aphasia. Four Stroke Survivors with aphasia and a UCC student from Digital Humanities were involved in the creation of the website supported by UCC DE Comms.

Iterative discussions over a period of 18 months shaped the content and format of the website.

Website Format: to make the website accessible for

Website Content: to make the website informative we:

Stroke Survivors we:

• Include information that Stroke Survivors with aphasia

• Include short videoclips from

• Provide links to resources that would be useful for stroke

Stroke Survivors around the world.

• Use minimal text where possible.

• Include links to resources to find more detailed information about stroke and aphasia.

need to know from the perspectives of our AAA group. survivors and their families.

• Highlight the importance of including Stroke Survivors with aphasia in Research.

• Show the impact of aphasia on people’s lives.

• Make people aware of UCC Aphasia Home Café.

• Bring hope by showcasing examples of Stroke Survivors living successfully with aphasia

Scan the QR code or click on https://www.ucc.ie/en/aphasiacafe/ to visit our website. Contact Dr Helen Kelly helen.kelly@ucc.ie for more information.

Image from the screenshot of the website https://www.ucc.ie/en/aphasiacafe/

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Exploring the role of the patient in enhancing education of healthcare professional students in an interprofessional setting

“

We are all dealt a pack of cards, but it’s how we play those cards is what matters most

”

An exploration of the role of the patient in enhancing education of healthcare professional students in an interprofessional setting

PPI member Lucy Martin (centre of picture) with members of the PPI IPE steering committee

Background/Need While the involvement of patients in education is increasing, it is still not well established in mainstream education practices. Interprofessional education (IPE) represents an ideal area for active patient involvement.

In line with the HRB strategy 2021-2025 and the HRCI to place the patient voice at the core, this study on interprofessional education seeks to develop and establish innovative, meaningful and sustainable patient and public involvement (PPI) partnerships in the advancing field of interprofessional education.

Trish O’Sullivan

Aim The primary aim of the study is to develop a greater understanding of the role of the patient in enhancing education of students in an interprofessional setting. The secondary aim of this study is to develop a greater understanding of the attitudes and perceptions of healthcare students and facilitators towards the IPE sessions, with patients playing a central role in IPE. This project is a collaboration between on-site clinical educators across multiple disciplines in Cork, as well as practice tutors attached to the discipline of physiotherapy at UCC. To date, five PPI IPE workshops have taken place in the Mercy University Hospital, with students from occupational therapy, nursing, physiotherapy, medicine, pharmacy and radiography who are currently on clinical placement participating.

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Potential Impact This PPI IPE initiative is a powerful platform for fostering critical thinking, professional growth and collaboration amongst our multidisciplinary students. By engaging students in hands-on, real-world scenarios, facilitated by PPI members, our workshops have inspired and challenged students to work together, learn about each other’s roles while thinking critically about the clinical case scenario. The involvement of PPI has further deepened and enriched learning. Our students have been closely involved as co-creators of their learning experience. Their valuable feedback and contributions to these workshops have promoted deeper IPE engagement and collaboration.

This year, two MSc physiotherapy students will evaluate the data collected in focus groups of PPI, students and facilitators as part of their final year thesis.

Multi-disciplinary small group work centered around a case study

Acknowledgements PPI representatives: Liz Deane, Lucy Martin, Tom Cassidy, Mary Boyle IPE steering group members and facilitators of workshops: John Healy (Physiotherapy), Caoimhe Harrington (Physiotherapy), Miriam O Tuathaigh (OT), Olivia Wall (OT), Trish O’Sullivan (Physiotherapy), Aaron Cole (Physiotherapy), Nora McCarthy (Medicine), Rena Young (Radiography), Roy Hanlon (Physiotherapy), Aoife Fleming (Pharmacy), David Fitzgerald (Nursing), Alison Mullens (Pharmacy), Shila Salleh (Medicine).

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Exploring the role of virtual reality in musculoskeletal shoulder pain. houlder pain is a common and disabling musculoskeletal condition that places significant burden on individuals, their families, and healthcare systems. In the most recent Global Burden of Disease study, musculoskeletal conditions including shoulder pain were named the fifth most common cause of Years lived with Disability. Shoulder pain detrimentally impacts on work, sleep, social interaction, and quality of life.

Virtual Reality (VR) is a novel intervention that may be able to reduce pain while making rehabilitation exercise more enjoyable and engaging, thereby supporting optimum management. VR has been shown to be effective in

Niamh Brady

other aspects of healthcare, such as pain management, mental health, neurological rehabilitation and improving health literacy. Research is needed to investigate if VR is indeed an effective tool for managing musculoskeletal shoulder pain and if so, how best to maximize its potential in a clinical setting.

This research project, which involves a series of mixed-methods studies is being carried out

by Niamh Brady (PhD candidate and lecturer in Anatomy at University College Cork), Dr. Joseph McVeigh (primary supervisor; Head of Physiotherapy, UCC), Prof. Karen McCreesh (external supervisor at University of Limerick) and Prof. Jeremy Lewis (external supervisor at University of Limerick and NHS). Niamh became interested in the clinical application of VR when working in Neurology and Respiratory care. When she later specialized in upper limb rehabilitation in her clinical practice, she saw an opportunity to use VR to help people with musculoskeletal shoulder pain. She became fascinated by the advancements in technology and potential for helping people with persistent pain and kinesiophobia.

The research involves input from clinicians and patient end-users, specifically people with rotator cuff related shoulder pain, frozen shoulder, instability, osteoarthritis and those who have had shoulder surgery. This research will inform the development of a VR intervention to support the rehabilitation of shoulder pain. If people are interested to hear more about the research project, they can contact Niamh directly at niamh.brady@ucc.ie.

Sportskongress Podcast 2024 https://open.spotify.com/episode/1oWHd9dvOJKzP2OLGB2RO1 1:20 minutes to 1:39 minutes

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Falls Management Exercise Programme: Improving reach, effectiveness, value and sustainability in Ireland. Case Studies for Learning (acronym: FaME Ireland) nternational and Irish data show that nearly 60% of those who sustain a hip fracture report experiencing a fall or unsteadiness in the preceding two years. Prior unexplained falls increase the risk of hip fractures by 3.5 times. Over 10% of ambulance call-outs involve people who have fallen and cannot get up, with a prolonged floor-lie leading to poor outcomes. This highlights the urgent need for falls prevention to reduce falls and prevent serious injuries.

Research confirms that strength and balance training is essential for falls prevention, but not all programmes are effective.

The 26-week Falls Management Exercise (FaME) programme, led by specialist-trained physiotherapists and exercise instructors, has consistently reduced falls by 26–54% and increased weekly physical activity by up to 167 minutes.

FaME also teaches people how to cope with, and safely get up after a fall.

While over 100 instructors in Ireland are trained to deliver FaME, UK studies highlight challenges in programme setup, sustainability, and participant engagement.

FaME Ireland, funded by the Health Research Board and the HSE, aims to expand access to FaME across Ireland. This two-year study, led by Dr. Ruth McCullagh (UCC) with co-investigators from the Royal College of Surgeons and Glasgow Caledonian University, follows the HSE Guide for Change: Define, Design, Deliver.

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Ruth McCullagh

Observations and interviews at early-adopter sites in Kerry, Leitrim, and Dublin have identified key themes: 1. Access – How to ensure the right people can join and manage referrals.

2. Programme Delivery – Maintaining key components and participant engagement.

3. Sustained Activity – Encouraging ongoing physical activity and social connection post-programme.

4. Long-Term Viability – Securing funding and building a sustainable workforce.

Currently, co-design workshops with stakeholders are identifying strategies to expand FaME, including referral pathways, post-programme activities, and workforce support. In the final Deliver phase, we will evaluate the impact of these changes, adapting the UK FaME Implementation Toolkit for Ireland.

This study will guide the expansion of FaME, informing healthcare and community exercise programmes. We aim to reach everyone at risk of falling to get up, stay up, and live their best lives. Without such programmes, opportunities to keep people active and socially engaged are being missed.

Find out more here at the UCC FaME Ireland website: https://www.ucc.ie/en/fameireland/fallsmanagement/ Watch a short video about FaME : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfeTlxYNFFg Read an RTE Brainstorm article about FaME Ireland UCC, November 2024: https://www.rte.ie/brainstorm/2024/1121/1481948-falls-management-exercise-programme-ucc/

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Harnessing Technology to Support Self-Management for People with Musculoskeletal Disorders: Introducing ePhysioSupport usculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), such as arthritis and chronic back pain, affect millions of people worldwide. These conditions can make everyday activities difficult, and while physiotherapy helps, many people struggle to access care due to long waiting lists. That’s where ePhysioSupport (formerly eHealth: It’s TIME) comes in—a digital support tool designed to help people manage their condition from home, providing extra support between physiotherapy appointments or as they transition towards the end of their episode of care. ePhysioSupport is a prototype digital support tool designed for adults with MSDs who need extra support managing their condition. It includes simple and practical features: • An information library with tips on pain management and stress management, • A goal-tracking tool to help users set and stick to personal health goals, • A support forum where people can connect with others facing similar challenges,

Lead researcher Marie Kelly (pictured), a senior musculoskeletal physiotherapist at the Mercy University Hospital and PhD student at the Discipline of Physiotherapy, UCC, was inspired to develop this tool after seeing how many

• A feature that allows users to contact their physiotherapist.

people struggle to get the

These features aim to boost confidence, encourage self-care,

was supported by her PhD

ongoing help they need. Marie

and make it easier to stay on track with recovery.

supervisors Dr Joseph McVeigh

The image below shows the ePhysioSupport prototype,

Prof Colin Bradley (UCC) and

showcasing its key features, including the home screen, information library, goal-tracking tool, and support forum. As development continues, the design and functionality will evolve based on user feedback and testing

(UCC), Dr Brona Fullen (UCD), Prof. Denis Martin (Teesside University, UK). She and her team have worked closely with people living with MSDs to make sure the tool is easy to use and meets real-life needs.

Marie Kelly

ePhysioSupport Prototype By making expert advice and support available online, this tool has the potential to improve the quality of life for people with MSDs. It could also help reduce pressure on healthcare services by providing reliable, self-guided support, along with a remote monitoring feature that allows the physiotherapist to track progress and provide guidance when needed. Early testing has shown that users find it helpful and easy to navigate. The next step is to test it in real-world settings to see how it fits into everyday life and healthcare services.

For more details, check out the latest open access research on eHealth: It’s TIME: • Design and Development Study • Design and Development Protocol • Qualitative Study • Scoping Review 28

https://www.ucc.ie/en/clinical-therapies/