This article is from page 15 of the 2006-05-09 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 15 JPG
CLARE is now a home for national research on physiotherapy. On Monday evening, the first Irish Physiotherapy Research Hub was launched at the University of Limerick’s North Campus, which is in this county.
Launching the Hub, Tim O’Malley, Minister of State for the Department of Health and Children, said that the aim is to encourage and facilitate the engagement of physiotherapists throughout the state in research activity, both at a professional and inter-professional level.
The status of Physiotherapy Research Hub was granted by the National Physiotherapy Research Network (NPRN), which was developed by the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy in the UK. The network’s broad aim is to provide a mutual support to help to develop physiotherapy and physiotherapy-related research.
The university is breaking new ground here, as it is the only Irish third-level institution to become part of the NPRN.
The Minister congratulated the Department of Physiotherapy and the University of Limerick on being the first to achieve this status. He endorsed the broad aims of the network, saying that it would increase the numbers involved and the amount of physiotherapy research in Ireland, as well as increasing the profile of Irish research internationally.
He also paid tribute to all those involved in the initiative and said that the success of the Hub would be of benefit to physiotherapy.
According to Dr Susan Coote, Lecturer, Department of Physiotherapy at UL, practising physiotherapists throughout Ireland will now be in a position to draw on the research and clinical expertise available within the Department of Physiotherapy at UL.
“Seven academic members of the Department will offer mentoring support and peer review for novice researchers in order to facilitate their development as principal investigators,” said Dr Coote. “The Hub will also facilitate multi-centre trials and interdisciplinary research.”
Already researchers at UL have begun work on stroke rehabilitation, arthritis, foot orthotics, whiplash, muscle imbalance and developmental co-ordination disorder in children.
There are about 650 practising physiotherapists along our western seaboard alone. Professor Ann Moore from the UK, who chairs the NPRN, said that the Hub at UL would be an invaluable asset for them.
“Initial activities at the centre will include courses on research methodology, focused symposia on clinical specialities and regular research development meetings,” said Professor Moore. “Further activities at the Hub will be driven by the individual needs of clinical researchers.”