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Cunningham, Caitriona
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Cunningham, Caitriona
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- PublicationDisability Inclusion in Sport and Exercise: Exploring gym staff experiences(2021-04-11)
; ; ; ; ; ; Gym staff are important stakeholders in the provision of exercise opportunities for people with disability with their work helping to facilitate inclusion and access to the benefits of exercise. An understanding of their experience and perceptions of working with people with disability remains largely under researched and would inform future service provision.12 - PublicationPeer Mentoring and Interaction Among Mature Students: A Qualitative Study(Educational Research Centre, 2023-12-12)
; ; Using original qualitative data obtained through a series of online focus groups, and informed by a review of literature, this article examines peer mentoring and peer interaction amongst mature university students. A combination of students and recent alumni (n = 20), and student advisers (n = 10), from University College Dublin participated in the study. Inductive thematic analysis was applied to the data to generate three subthemes relating to the dominant peer-mentoring theme: the value of peer interaction, study groups as peer bonding, and resource implications for peer-mentoring schemes. Findings reveal that peer interaction and mentoring, including study groups, are highly valued by both mature students and student advisers. In conclusion, it is recommended that well-resourced peer-mentoring systems be developed and extended in higher-education institutions.11 - PublicationToolkit For Impactful Lifelong Learning In The 21st Century: A support guide for the academic advising of mature and part-time students(University College Dublin, 2022)
; ; ; ; A toolkit for academics focusing on greater integration of mature and part-time students into learning processes while supporting and advising them on their learning journey.23 - PublicationComparison of time-matched aerobic, resistance or combined exercise training in women living with obesity: a protocol for a pilot randomised controlled trial—the EXOFFIT (Exercise for Obesity in Females to increase Fitness) study(Springer, 2022-02-21)
; ; ; ; Introduction: Obesity in women has more than doubled in the past thirty years. Increasing research suggests that increased cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) can largely attenuate the negative health risks associated with obesity. Though previous literature suggests that combined training may be the most effective for improving CRF in adults with obesity, there is minimal research investigating the efficacy of combined and resistance programmes in women with obesity. This article outlines a protocol for a parallel pilot study which aims to evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of three exercise modalities in women with obesity for increasing CRF and strength and improving body composition and other health outcomes (i.e. quality of life). Methods and analysis: Sixty women (aged 18–50) with obesity (body mass index [BMI] ≥ 30 and/or waist circumference ≥ 88 cm) who are physically inactive, have no unstable health conditions and are safe to exercise will be recruited from September 2021 to December 2022. The main outcome will be feasibility and acceptability of the intervention and procedures. Trial feasibility outcomes will be evaluated to determine if a definitive trial should be undertaken. Trial acceptability will be explored through follow-up qualitative interviews with participants. Secondary outcomes will include CRF (predicted VO2 max), anthropometrics (i.e. BMI), strength (5RM bench press, leg dynamometry, grip strength) and other health outcomes (i.e., pain). Participants will be block randomised into one of four trial arms (aerobic exercise, resistance training and combined training groups, non-active control group) and measurements will be completed pre- and post-intervention. The exercise groups will receive an individualised supervised exercise programme for 3× sessions/week for 12 weeks. The change in mean values before and after intervention will be calculated for primary and secondary outcomes. ANOVA and t-tests will be applied to evaluate within-group and between-group differences. If sufficient participants are recruited, the data will be analysed using ANCOVA with the age and BMI as covariates. Discussion: This pilot will provide data on the feasibility and acceptability of trial procedures and of the programmes’ three progressive time-matched exercise interventions (aerobic, resistance and combined) for women living with obesity, which will help inform future research and the potential development of a full-scale randomised clinical trial.Scopus© Citations 2 10 - PublicationAdvanced Practice Competency Framework(Irish Society of Chartered Physiotherapists, 2022-03-24)
; ; ; ; This framework represents the ISCP’s position on Advanced Practice Physiotherapy (APP) including ● What is meant by an advanced level of practice in physiotherapy ● The competencies required for physiotherapists performing at an advanced level of practice ● The education infrastructure required to enable this advanced level of practice. Advanced practice is a level of practice rather than a specific role. It reflects a high level of clinical autonomy and the use of advanced critical thinking to deliver care to patients with complex needs safely and competently1. It is not possible to define all the activities, clinical processes and interventions involved in advanced practice as these will reflect the needs of the patient and the service. Advanced practice will continue to evolve and develop, as services and the profession respond to patient and population needs. Individual elements of advanced practice will be incorporated into practice or developed further at advanced level as skills and knowledge grow and are refined113 - PublicationGym staff perspectives on disability inclusion: a qualitative study(Taylor and Francis, 2023)
; ; ; ; ; ; ; Purpose: To explore gym staff perspectives on the inclusion of people with disability in the gym setting. Materials and methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 16 staff at four urban gym facilities, exploring perspectives on disability inclusion. An interpretive descriptive approach was adopted with reflexive thematic analysis of interview data and subsequent mapping of themes to the socioecological model. Results: Consistent with the socioecological model, the themes identified were “people with disability benefit from participation in gym settings” (personal); “positive interactions with people with disability” (interpersonal); “managing expectations of other gym users” (interpersonal); “inclusion is supported by a positive ethos, staff training and accessible facilities” (organisational); “people with disability lack awareness of inclusive exercise opportunities” (community); “desire to increase collaboration with healthcare professionals” (community); “access to transport can facilitate gym attendance” (community) and “local gym policy” (policy). Conclusion: Although an overall ethos of inclusion was apparent, areas identified for enhancement were: awareness of gym services in the community; inter-sectoral collaboration with healthcare and disability organisations; comprehensive disability inclusion training; transport systems and accessibility; engaging people with disability in gym service planning. Implications for rehabilitation Gym staff value collaboration with healthcare and rehab professionals to support inclusion of people with disability in exercise. Standardised disability inclusion training for gym staff is recommended. Individuals with disability should be empowered to contribute to the development of inclusive gym facilities and services. Rehab professionals have a role to play in raising awareness and advocating for inclusive exercise opportunities.13Scopus© Citations 10 - PublicationSuccessfully implementing a national electronic health record: a rapid umbrella review(Elsevier, 2020-12)
; ; ; ; Aim: To summarize the findings from literature reviews with a view to identifying and exploring the key factors which impact on the success of an EHR implementation across different healthcare contexts. Introduction: Despite the widely recognised benefits of electronic health records (EHRs), their full potential has not always been achieved, often as a consequence of the implementation process. As more countries launch national EHR programmes, it is critical that the most up-to-date and relevant international learnings are shared with key stakeholders. Methods: A rapid umbrella review was undertaken in collaboration with a multidisciplinary panel of knowledge-users and experts from Ireland. A comprehensive literature review was completed (2019) across several search engines (PubMed, CINAHL, Scopus, Embase, Web of Science, IEEE Xplore, ACM Digital Library, ProQuest, Cochrane) and Gray literature. Identified studies (n = 5,040) were subject to eligibility criterion and identified barriers and facilitators were analysed, reviewed, discussed and interpreted by the expert panel. Results: Twenty-seven literature reviews were identified which captured the key organizational, human and technological factors for a successful EHR implementation according to various stakeholders across different settings. Although the size, type and culture of the healthcare setting impacted on the organizational factors, each was deemed important for EHR success; Governance, leadership and culture, End-user involvement, Training, Support, Resourcing, and Workflows. As well as organizational differences, individual end-users have varying Skills and characteristics, Perceived benefits and incentives, and Perceived changes to the health ecosystem which were also critical to success. Finally, the success of the EHR technology depended on Usability, Interoperability, Adaptability, Infrastructure, Regulation, standards and policies, and Testing. Conclusion: Fifteen inter-linked organizational, human and technological factors emerged as important for successful EHR implementations across primary, secondary and long-term care settings. In determining how to employ these factors, the local context, individual end-users and advancing technology must also be considered.78Scopus© Citations 81