Our world is changing. Life expectancy has increased significantly over the past decade. The longer people can take care of themselves and be part of a community, the better it is for their psychological and physical health. If people want to stay healthy into old age, their lifestyle must be focused on vitality.
These changes require a different kind of healthcare professionals. Such as academically trained physical therapists with technological skills. This is why in our university Bachelor of Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation Sciences, within the new Technology major, we train students for a unique position; a healthcare professional ready for a future in healthcare.
These changes also call for new forms of collaboration between companies and practitioners. It requires knowledge exchange and new cooperation partners. That is why we are currently building an online platform for people from healthcare practice and companies. A Health Technology Platform where you can share knowledge, ask questions and stay in touch with people who are also working on the future of healthcare.
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The use of technology in medical sectors has steadily increased over the last years. Especially secondary and tertiary care have been heavily influenced by the emergence of new medical technologies in the form of high-tech care and advanced diagnostics. Nevertheless, the domains of prevention and rehabilitation in the primary care setting have not seen the same development when it comes to the use of technology. This is the result of a gap in communication between engineers and physiotherapists. They do not understand each other, due to lack of relevant education that combines the knowledge and use of health technology (medical engineering) with clinical reasoning regarding prevention, vitality and rehabilitation. By creating an educational programme that combines competencies in both physiotherapy as well as medical engineering, future physiotherapists get familiar with the incorporation of technologies in prevention and rehabilitation. In turn, this leads to the increased use of technology in prevention and rehabilitation. The only existing educational program combining medical engineering and physiotherapy, in the USA, demonstrates a wonderful spin-off. Such a program is lacking in Europe.
The main objective of this project was to educate a new type of physiotherapists that become competent in both clinical reasoning in prevention, vitality and rehabilitation in primary care and competencies in medical engineering, ICT and technology. To reach this objective 4 educational modules were developed, ran and were evaluated. Secondary objective was to enhance knowledge and expertise in these new type of physiotherapists on Entrepeneurship taking demands of customers, health technology companies as well as the market into account. To reach this aim an educational module with internship and a Dragon’s Den was developed, ran and was an evaluated. Third objective was to bring health technology and physiotherapists together and create an international platform where health technology companies and physiotherapists can meet and join forces to identify need and create new health technology solutions. For this aim a platform was created
The following concrete outputs have been reached:
Output 1: Two modules on ‘Musculoskeletal imaging, analysis and model building in clinical reasoning’ were developed, piloted and evaluated. Adaptations to the module are made. The modules book is open access online. Scan QR code for access
Output 2: Two modules on ‘Analytics of Information and Human Technology Interaction’ were developed, piloted and evaluated. Adaptations to the module are made. The module book is open access online
Output 3: The Dragons’ Den module has been developed, piloted and evaluated. Students followed an apprenticeship and presented their health technology solution to a Dragons’ Den at the final multiplier event. The module book is open access online
The following activities were implemented during the project:
Besides multiple project meetings, three Transnational Project meetings took place (The kick-off online due to Corona), one in Brussel and one in the Netherlands. An advisory board monitored and gave advice (3 meetings).
The three Higher Education Institutions were successful in combining their expertise and experience to develop different educational modules. Five educational modules were developed These educational modules focused on different aspects of the future challenges in Health Technology. A successful multiplier event was organized connecting >120 clinicians with health technology firms. A community platform via the website: https://somt.nl/en/center-of-expertise/health-technology-platform/ , which is still on-going to couple technology companies with trained physiotherapists with engineering skills, to develop or enhance new technology.
The following websites are result of the project
A community platform via the website: https://somt.nl/en/center-of-expertise/health-technology-platform/ which is still on-going to couple technology companies with trained physiotherapists with engineering skills, to develop or enhance new technology
The developed modules together for the e-learning course as post-graduate educational program ‘Rehabilitation human sustainable-technology’