School of Healthcare Studies Annual Research Conference 2010
Friday 19th November 2010
Conference Programme
Location: All Nations Centre
Morning session
9.00am Registration - Reception Area
Main Auditorium
9.20am Chair’s Introduction
Professor Patricia Price , Head of School
9.30am Key Note Speaker – Lynne Thomas
Involving People
10.35am Refreshment – Reception Area
10.50am Key Note Speaker – Andrew Carson-Stevens
Wales Healthcare Student Forum
12.00noon Poster Session (continues over lunch)
Introduced by Dr Valerie Sparkes
12.30pm Lunch – Reception Area
1.15pm Afternoon Seminars
Seminar 1a - Main Auditorium
- Nina Cogger - Focus/group interviewing, the practical pro's and con's of using this method
This seminar will be about sharing my experiences of organising and running a small focus group with student OTs, what worked, what didn't work, why I chose this method and what I did with the data - Alison Seymour - The art of interviewing in qualitative research
This presentation will be based on the method I used in my MSc dissertation entitled 'A qualitative investigation into how Problem -based Learning impacts on the development of team working skills in occupational therapy students'
Seminar 1b - Muller Room
- Hanan Khalil – 'The use of a home based exercise DVD in people with Huntington's Disease: User prespectives'
Physiotherapy intervention or individualised exercise instruction on a regular basis may be desirable for people with HD. Sustained interventions, however, may not be the most feasible or cost effective strategy for life-long disease management. It is therefore critical for healthcare professionals to find ways to facilitate engagement in independent exercise programmes that are suitable and acceptable to the user. The technology capabilities of DVD (use of sub-titles, music and rhythm, demonstration and structuring of content) make it a useful format to facilitate usability for people who have motivational and cognitive problems such as people with HD. The aim of the study was to explore how people with Huntington’s disease (HD) and their carers used an exercise DVD to support their engagement in an independent home exercise programme and how it was perceived. - Una Jones - Respiratory function in people with Huntington's disease
This is a cross sectional study looking for differences in respiratory function in people with Huntington's disease compared to people without the condition. The presentation will include a background to the study and preliminary findings. Preliminary findings will focus on changes in respiratory function through the progression of the disease and the relationship between respiratory function and physical activity.
Seminar 1c Wallis Room
- Paul Hennessy - Have you really washed your hands?
Covert approaches to data collection can be seen by some as unethical.
Paul will illustrate, using an example from his own research, how sometimes it is the only way. - Nick Courtier - Investigating radiotherapy-related fatigue: observational and experimental approaches
Nick will present a body of research investigating radiotherapy-related fatigue, via both observational and experimental approaches. This work will provide a context to consider the relative merits of both approaches in health research and challenge a rigid hierarchy of designs.
2.15pm Refreshments – Reception Area
2.30pm Afternoon Seminars
Seminar 2a - Main Auditorium
- Deb Hearle - Exploring the Occupations of Older Adults in a Residential Care Home
This seminar will discuss a project which explored the types of occupations undertaken by older adults in residential care homes.
The methodological approaches of narrative and observation will be explained together with how these were utilised and data analysed to identify barriers and facilitators of occupational participation and adaptation. - Richard Day - Using a 'dangerous' placebo
The term 'Placebo' has long been used to indicate the inactive treatment option provided within clinical trials testing an active ingredient. However, when it comes to reviewing studies conclusions 'placebo' may not be as inert as first thought. Using recent research Richard will demonstrate the importance of increasing our awareness of placebo use, within our own research and also when critically reviewing others studies.
Seminar 2b Muller Room
- Paul Rimmer - Muscular Fatigue: Methods for Assessing fatigue and Implications for Anterior Cruciate Ligament injury
The areas covered in this seminar relate to muscular fatigue, especially defining muscular fatigue and methods for assessing muscular fatigue in both the research and clinical setting. Discussion will also centre on why fatigue is an important, and yet often overlooked factor, while assessing patients’ rehabilitation. - Dawn Pickering and Karen Visser – Pedal Power pilot study: preliminary findings
The Pedal Power Research Pilot project is a 3 year project and has been running for 18 months. Children with Cerebral Palsy who attend the voluntary project in Cardiff 'Pedal Power' volunteered to take part. Muscle strength and muscle length measures were taken at the beginning and end of 6 sessions of adapted dynamic cycling. Interviews were carried out with the child and family about this cycling experience. Preliminary findings of the data collected so far will be presented.
Seminar 2c Wallis Room
- Valerie Sparkes - Abdominal Muscle Activity and Lower Limb Forces When Walking With Nordic Walking Poles
This study was conducted by 2 BSc students (Lucy Warren, Katie Whitehouse) and aimed to look at the difference in abdominal muscle internal and external oblique and vertical ground reaction forces when walking with and without Nordic Walking Poles. This presentation will inform you about the training using Nordic walking poles, the methods and the results of the study. - Lauren Evans – Issues in a Radiotherapy Department of dealing with patients with pacemakers.
This session will look at the measures taken by clinical staff to deal with those patients undergoing radiotherapy who have been fitted with a pacemaker device.
3.30pm Finish