Objective: Incumbent on all health professionals is the need to focus on preventive healthcare and health promotion activities to facilitate the realisation of the Healthy Ireland agenda (1). The key objective of this work was to develop and evaluate a preventive healthcare model that integrates evidence informed community healthcare, clinical education and research.
Methods:, Evolving from a long-standing collaboration between UCD Sport and UCD Physiotherapy. the Physio Hub was founded in 2015. Here, physiotherapists, supported by students, address the health needs of the local and wider community, promoting physical activity and healthy lifestyles via community exercise and health promotion programmes. Student learning experience includes: pre and post exercise screening, promoting the adoption of positive exercise and health behaviours via UCD Better Bones, Better Hearts and Get in Gear programmes; supporting disability inclusion at multi-sports kids’ camps; injury prevention for UCD sports teams and community outreach activities with primary schools, local sports teams and members of the travelling community. Specifically designed client satisfaction and post placement survey questionnaires are distributed to all clients and students on completion of their programme or placement. Physiotherapy students were then invited to participate in a follow up focus group. Results of questionnaires were analysed using both quantitative and qualitative methods. Focus group interview data were transcribed and analysed using thematic analysis.
Results: Under the supervision of dedicated practice tutors over fifty BSc and Professional MSc physiotherapy students have completed clinical placements at the Physio Hub since its foundation. Student experience has included over one thousand student- athlete physiotherapy contacts per year providing injury prevention, pitch side cover, sports massage and player education. UCD Get in Gear programme (900 per annum) facilitates exercise adoption among more sedentary UCD students. The Physio Hub model also facilitates ongoing evidence based community exercise programmes targeting osteoporosis prevention and management in addition to providing community based cardiac rehabilitation. Opportunities for engaging in health promotion activities with under-resourced communities are also provided. Research outputs to date include exercise and education related publications. Client satisfaction level with services provided is high. So too is students satisfaction, despite initial apprehension regarding a new placement model. The main themes identified from the student focus group data included a shift in thinking from a rehab to a health promotion and wellness approach to management, increased confidence in communication and a better understanding of the role physiotherapy can play in health promotion. Students also welcome the opportunity to work in an alternative, creative and flexible setting to address “real world” community health issues.
Conclusion : UCD Physiotherapy Hub at UCD Sport provides an innovative model of Physiotherapy led health promotion, student education, research and community exercise delivery. Here, Physiotherapy students develop and participate in health promotion activities which leverage existing resources and facilitate student knowledge, understanding and skill acquisition in health promotion and portfolio working required for contemporary physiotherapy practice.
Ethics: Ethical approval was obtained from UCD Human Research Ethics Committee – Sciences (HREC-LS)
Reference
- Department of Health (2013). Healthy Ireland - A framework for improved health and wellbeing 2013-2025. Department of Health.
