UCC SONM 25 Year Book

UCC / School of Nursing and Midwifery

Making Every Contact Count: Behavioural Change Training for Future Professionals (L-R): Dr. Orlaith O’Reilly, HSE, Professor Eileen Savage, Dawn O’Sullivan & Anna O’Leary (UCC).

LIVING WELL WITH CHRONIC CONDITIONS AND DISABILITY

The aim of this research programme led by Professor Savage is to conduct national and international collaborative research that contributes to new knowledge toward promoting and maintaining physical, emotional, and social health and wellbeing among individuals and families living with chronic conditions and/or disability. A number of projects are underway including academic members of this theme and PhD students. Examples of projects, in broad terms, relate to communicating with individuals with profound intellectual disability, resilience among family caregivers of people with 22q11, preferences of patients with asthma & COPD for self-management support; primary healthcare reform in Saudi Arabia; depression and anxiety among adolescent and adults with cystic fibrosis and their caregivers. A sample of projects include: • Making Every Contact Count: Behavioural Change Training for Future Professionals. This work (led by Professor Eileen Savage) involves the development and implementation of a National Undergraduate Curriculum for Chronic Disease Prevention and Management: Making Every Contact Count for Behaviour Change. Professor Savage is the co-Chair of two National Working Groups set up by the HSE to implement recommendations specific to the preparation of future healthcare professionals arising out of the Making Every Contact Count Framework and the Framework for Self Management Support for individuals with chronic conditions. These Frameworks relate to the Department of Health’s Healthy Ireland strategy. • Linking Mental and Physical Health in the Care of Patients with Cystic Fibrosis. The prevalence of depression and anxiety in patients with CF and impact on Physical Health and Quality of Life) was a national study completed in 2018. It was jointly funded by the Health Research Board and the Cystic Fibrosis Ireland. Similar studies have been conducted in over 20 countries across Europe and the USA as part of an international collaboration.

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