News

RS designs new dual-task exercise for stroke patients to effectively reduce the risk of falls and fall-related injuries

Professor Marco PANG Yiu-chung, Professor of Department of Rehabilitation Sciences at PolyU led the study of “Dual-Task Exercise Reduces Cognitive-Motor Interference in Walking and Falls after Stroke: A Randomized Controlled Study” (link), appeared in Stroke, a peer-reviewed medical journal published by the American Heart Association. It was revealed that dual-task exercises were able to help reduce the risk of falls and injurious falls by 25.0% and 22.2% respectively, bringing about significant improvement to the dual-task mobility of people post-stroke. As such, the programme has the potential to roll out in community and home-based settings, where healthcare resources are scarce. For more details, please visit: https://www.polyu.edu.hk/en/media/media-releases/2020/0917_polyu-designs-new-dual-task-exercise-for-stroke-patients/

RS Inauguration Ceremony 2020/21

The Inauguration Ceremony 2020-21 of Department of Rehabilitation Sciences (RS) was held on 2nd September 2020, marking the beginning of a new academic life for a new cohort of students. Due to the current COVID-19 epidemic, this is the first time for the Inauguration Ceremony to be held online instead of face-to-face. Despite of this difficult condition, we still have over 300pax guests and students joining our Ceremony online. During the Opening Address, Prof. Hector Tsang (Cally Kwong Mei Wan Professor in Psychosocial Health, Chair Professor of Rehabilitation Sciences and Head of RS) said that he was honoured to deliver the 1st speech in his second term in RS for the Inauguration Ceremony, which is also his 4th speech for the same event since he assumed his position as Head in 2017. He mentioned that RS has made great achievements in the areas of education, research and knowledge transfer over the past three years. He especially mentioned the establishment of the Tam Wing Fan Rehabilitation Services Centre in Occupational Threapy in room W210/211 with the generous donations from Mr and Mrs Tam. With the opening of this centre, RS can provide more high-quality OT services with the use of world-class rehabilitation equipment. He concluded that although most of this last academic year did not make us to enjoy a normal and face-to-face university life due to the social movements and the Covid-19 outbreak, surprisingly most of the students had a good overall impression of their online learning experiences. For the JUPAS admission figures of this year, Prof. Tsang mentioned that our subjects remain outstanding as ever, with the average scores of our PT and OT freshmen in their best SIX DSE subjects standing at 39.6 and 37.8 points respectively (or 34.4 and 33.2 points, if we use the old conversion method). The figures this year continue to rank 1st and 2nd places among ALL first-year, first-degree programmes in PolyU. It is so encouraging that Communications and Public Affairs Office of PolyU, for the first time, arranged a press conference to announce our great achievements in admission this year. Looking forward to the next 3 years, with the extension of MOT (Master in Occupational Therapy) and MPT (Master in Physiotherapy) programme, and also the developing of the new PolyU campus in Homantin, which can strongly admit over 500 students each year, it is no doubt that PolyU RS will maintain our leading position in the provision of professional education for qualified physiotherapists and occupational therapists in Hong Kong to meet the societal needs. Lastly, Prof. Tsang hopes that all of the freshmen will take them as role models, and set ambitious goals for themselves. In addition to working as a clinical therapist, excel themselves in health care management and become leaders in the health sector. We were honoured to have the presence of Prof. Herman Lau (Director of Allied Health CUHK Medical Centre) as our officiating guest and to give us a speech. As our outstanding alumni, he hopes that all of the freshmen will take their professors as exemplars and become educators and researchers in the next generation. In this role, all of them will like them nurture future talents, or to become top scientists in the two professional disciplines. We were also pleased to have the pre-recorded video form Mr Daniel Lo Chief Manager - Allied Health, Hospital Authority, who is also a former physiotherapy student of PolyU PT. He told the freshman to have passionate about study and work, so as to prepare themselves to be health professional upon graduation from the program. Followed by a series of prize presentations to both the awarded top students, Prof. Hector Tsang made a closing remark with warm congratulations to the recently promoted staff members and a vote of thanks to all the guests who attended the Ceremony.

Dr Shirley Ngai received national award - 2018 National Teaching Achievement Award (Higher Education) (Second Class Prize)

Dr Shirley Ngai (Associate Professor and Programme Leader of BSc (Hons) in Physiotherapy of RS) has been awarded the 2018 National Teaching Achievement Award (Higher Education) (Second Class Prize). The National Teaching Achievement Award (Higher Education) by the Ministry of Education is presented to individuals or teams who have made great contribution to either education theory or practice and achieved significant improvement in education quality and learning outcome. Dr Ngai is among the first academics from Hong Kong to receive this top honour in education at the national level. Dr Ngai specialises in research and teaching in cardiopulmonary physiotherapy. To enhance the confidence of her students in the real clinical scenarios, she has designed and introduced various innovative pedagogical methods including converting the classroom into a simulated “ward” to allow students applying their professional knowledge in a “simulated” clinical setting.

MOT and MPT Programmes train talents in occupational therapy and physiotherapy meeting urgent demand from the social welfare sector for healthcare/rehabilitation manpower

While the demand for healthcare services is growing drastically in Hong Kong, the supply of qualified therapists is far from adequate especially in the social welfare sector, bringing difficulties to non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in meeting the healthcare and rehabilitation needs of society. To alleviate this manpower shortage, the Social Welfare Department (SWD) of HKSARG has been offering a Training Sponsorship Scheme in collaboration with The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) and NGOs since 2012. The two master's entry degree programmes PolyU is offering under this Scheme are Master in Occupational Therapy (MOT) and Master in Physiotherapy (MPT). Introduced in 2012, these two-year full-time programmes provide an opportunity for those who aspire to serve the community as competent and qualified therapists. Under this Scheme, potential talents are funded by NGOs to take part in a two-year master's entry degree programme either in occupational therapy or physiotherapy. After graduation, these students are required to contribute to the work of the NGOs they signed up for three consecutive years. The Scheme has yielded good results with over 250 students having been trained in four cohorts under the Scheme to serve in NGOs that offer care and rehabilitation services for the elderly, persons with disabilities or children with special needs. Well received by the social welfare sector, the Scheme will be extended for another three cohorts in 2021, 2022 and 2023. The next cohort is open for application now until 26 August 2020. Professor Hector Tsang, Chair Professor of Rehabilitation Sciences and Head of Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, said, "According to the Report of the Strategic Review on Healthcare Manpower Planning and Professional Development , Hong Kong will have a shortfall of about 190 occupational therapists and 900 physiotherapists by 2030. Facing such surging societal need in NGOs, PolyU is set to help train talents in these disciplines with the two master's degree programmes. Students were admitted in alternate years in the previous four cohorts in 2012-2020. Due to the favorable feedback from the social welfare sector, we have decided to offer the programmes on an annual basis for the next three consecutive years from 2021 to 2023." The fifth cohort of the two programmes offered by PolyU is now open for applications. The first semester will commence in January 2021. All bachelor's degree holders, who have obtained credits for the subjects of human physiology and human anatomy (three credits each or equivalent), are eligible to apply. Preference will be given to those applicants who obtained their first degree in healthcare-related fields such as psychology, nutrition and kinesiology. Graduates will be fully qualified to register with the corresponding professional bodies for practising in Hong Kong. The Training Sponsorship Scheme provided by SWD is also available for successful programme applicants. For more details, please visit https://polyu.hk/QvZKu Application for MOT and MPT programmes opens now until 26 Aug 2020: https://polyu.hk/xWBuL

Occupational Therapy Online Summer Programme - Elite Occupational Therapist Taster Programme (EOTTP) 2020

With the full support from the Department of Rehabilitation Sciences (RS), members of Occupational Therapy Student Ambassador (OTSA) have successfully held the Elite Occupational Therapist Taster Programme (EOTTP) on 4 August 2020. This programme has been organized annually to promote Occupational Therapy (OT) profession to secondary school students. Due to the sudden surge of confirmed local COVID-19 cases, this year the Programme has been switched from face-to-face to online mode to minimize the risk of infections. A total number of 278 Secondary 4 and Secondary 5 students has joined the EOTTP held from 9:30am to 12:00noon on 4 August through Zoom. After the welcome speech given by Prof. Hector Tsang (Cally Kwong Mei Wan Professor in Psychosocial Health, Chair Professor of Rehabilitation Sciences and Head of RS), two mini seminars were delivered by Prof. Kenneth Fong (Professor and Programme Leader of BSc (Hons) in OT) and Mr Tony Wong (Clinical Associate (OT) of RS) to let audience have a brief understanding about OT and PolyU OT Programme. In order to let the participants know more about the actual work of Occupational Therapist, a student sharing session on “We Care, We Share“ which is a community service project for rural residents with disabilities has been conducted. Moreover, a virtual tour has been organized and led by OT Clinical Associates and Student Ambassadors, so that participants could develop basic understanding about human anatomy, splinting in musculoskeletal rehabilitation, sensory integration in pediatric rehabilitation and assistive technology for people with disabilities. Although the delivering mode this year is different from the previous years, it is still hoped that this online programme could give the participants an overview of OT beforehand.

Physiotherapy Summer Programme 2020

The PolyU Summer Programme, a university-wide activity for senior secondary school students, has been offered since 2015. This year, due to the sudden surge of confirmed local COVID-19 cases, the delivery mode has been changed from face-to-face to online mode to minimize the risk of infections. Despite the change of delivery mode, PolyU Summer Programme 2020 – Physiotherapy (PT) was successfully held by the Department of Rehabilitation Sciences (RS) on 28 July 2020 and attracted 275 Secondary 4 and Secondary 5 students from top local secondary schools to join the programme. After the 30-minute programme talk delivered by Dr Billy So (Assistant Professor in PT of RS) which gives the students a brief concept on the PT programme, a virtual teaching laboratory tour was organized to let students understand more about PT profession. A student sharing session has also been arranged, in which several PT students have been invited to share their views on pursuing PT study in PolyU. At the end of the programme, Dr Freddy Lam (Assistant Professor in PT of RS) delivered a mini online lecture with the topic as “Preventing Falls in Older People” to give the students a better understanding of PT practice. The whole programme received positive feedback from the participants and it is hoped that the programme can continue to be held every year to promote PT profession to secondary students.

Congratulations to 4 RS staff members on receiving Long Service Award

The Long Service Award Scheme has been introduced since 1990 to foster a sense of belonging among PolyU staff and acknowledge the long-serving staff for their years of dedication and devotion. This year, we are glad to announce that 4 RS staff members were honoured for their services over the years. 35 Years Long Service Award Prof. David Man 25 Years Long Service Award Prof. Amy Fu Mr Wilson Lam 15 Years Long Service Award Mr Michael Wong

Appreciation Ceremony for Dr Tsui Chi Man for contributing complimentary Nano-coating Service for RS OT teaching laboratories

An appreciation ceremony was held on 29 June 2020 to acknowledge Dr Tsui Chi Man for contributing complimentary Nano-coating Service for Occupational Therapy (OT) teaching laboratories of the Department of Rehabilitation Sciences (RS). It was hounoured to have the presence of Professor David Shum (Dean, Faculty of Health and Social Sciences), Ms Belinda Chow (Director of the Alumni Affairs and Development Office ) and Mr Loo (Head of Health, Safety and Environment Office) to attend this meaningful event. When delivering the speech, Ms Chow expressed her thankfulness towards Dr Tsui, an alumnus of RS OT, for his contribution and generous offerings to PolyU. From Dr Tsui’s presentation about the Nano-coating technology, we could all feel his strong sense of belonging to PolyU and RS. On behalf of RS, Prof. Hector Tsang (Chair Professor and Head of RS) gave his heartfelt thanks to Dr Tsui. As the Head of RS as well as Dr Tsui’s PhD supervisor, Prof. Tsang said he was touched by Dr Tsui’s considerable efforts which help colleagues and students of RS get protected from the spread of coronavirus. While Dr Tsui has set up a good example of giving back to alma mater, he hopes that more RS graduates could also do well to emulate his way. Towards the end of the ceremony, all the guests even had a try on applying the Nano-coating service inside the room.

RS students awarded the Innovation and Technology Scholarship and HSBC Hong Kong Scholarship

RS is pleased to announce that there are two students, namely Alison Tse (PT year 3 student) and Erina Chow (OT year 2 student) won this highly competitive and prestigious scholarship - Innovation and Technology Scholarship 2020. There are 25 awardees nominated by the university presidents and then selected by the Awardee Selection Committee with members from different sectors each year, who will receive HK$150,000 each to participate in a series of initiatives, including Overseas or Mainland Attachment Programme, Mentorship Programme, Local Internship Programme and Service Project Programme. Also, Angel Lam (OT Year 3 student) has been awarded the HSBC Hong Kong Scholarship 2019/20. This scholarship is set up to award students who have achieved good academic results (CGPA of 3.7 or above/ top 3% in class ranking / distinction (or equivalent)) as at the end of the first semester of 2019-20; and have strong commitment to Hong Kong. Three students have the following sharing: Alison Tse (PT Year 3 student) - Innovation and Technology Scholarship 2020 It is such a privilege to be awarded the prestigious Innovative and Technology Scholarship 2020. Not only is it a ticket for me to explore more state-of-the-art knowledge from other countries and professionals, but it also reinforces my passion for technology and my field of study -- Physiotherapy. Nowadays, with the advent of technology, there are a wide scope of captivating treatment choices. Through this precious chance, it is hoped to be acquainted with more medical technologies that are conducive to patients with physical health problems. In the future, combining those insights into my Physiotherapy practice, I truly wish that I can contribute back to the community and facilitate the patients to live their life to the fullest. Lastly, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the RS department and the teachers who have been providing enduring encouragement for me to pursue this golden opportunity and guidance throughout my study in the past 3 years. They have always inspired me to be an active and humble learner. The success would not have been possible without them. Thank you very much! Erina Chow (OT Year 2 student) - Innovation and Technology Scholarship 2020 Chow Tsz Ching, Erina, is the first-ever Occupational Therapy student receiving the Innovation and Technology Scholarship. Having been a strong advocate for humanities subjects such as psychology throughout the past years, she had never expected to be inspired by technology before her first placement in a hospital. “How rehabilitation technology was able to give geriatric patients motivation, has completely changed my attitude towards the way occupational therapy interacts with innovation, and how technology can go hand in hand with humanities to improve one's well-being.” As one of the newly awarded scholars, Erina is very grateful for the opportunity and is excited to embark on her journey to gain experiences in prestigious colleges and research labs, and acquire knowledge about neuroscience, gerontechnology, and telerehabilitation. She believes these invaluable opportunities will allow her to bring the latest technological advancement to both occupational interventions and the healthcare system in Hong Kong, ultimately empowering patients both physically and mindfully. Holding a strong passion to fulfill her conviction that everyone should lead a purposeful and contented life, Erina aspires to promote accessibility of rehabilitation services to the public, and further advance occupational therapy practices in Hong Kong with an innovative mind, while keeping a human touch. Angel Lam (OT Year 3 student) - HSBC Hong Kong Scholarship 2019/20 I am grateful and honoured to be the recipient of the HSBC Hong Kong Scholarship 2019/20. I believe this is not my sole effort, but the combined effort of OT professors’ guidance and well-designed teaching, schoolmates’ generous help and inspirations, as well as the fruitful and diverse learning experiences offered by our curriculum. These all provided me a great learning platform to attain good academic results and equip me to be a more competent OT in the future. Hence, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to all the professors, students and staff who have helped me along my learning process, as well as my family, and to share this massive joy with them. Thanks to the HSBC scholarship, I can further expose myself to knowledge and research in various OT areas of expertise, for instance, through joining conferences and exhibitions on such topics as AI and assistive devices and technologies. Moreover, the scholarship will allow me to pursue some extra-curricular interests. This scholarship will motivate me to work hard in my final year at Poly U and clinical placements. Thank you once again HSBC for investing in my future and that of other students.

Dr Kenneth Fong's teaching team awarded the Faculty Team Award for Outstanding Performance/ Achievement in Teaching (2018/19)

RS is pleased to announce that our teaching team for subjects related to "Environmental Issues and Assistive Technology" has been awarded the Faculty Teaching Award for Outstanding Performance/Achievement in Teaching 2018/19, in recognition of the team’s outstanding performance and achievement in teaching. The team is also the recipient of the RS Outstanding Teaching Award 2018/2019. The team consists of the following members:  Dr Kenneth Fong, Associate Professor, RS (Team Leader) Mr Eddie Hai, Clinical Associate, RS Mr Philip Ng, Technical Officer, RS The team has incorporated innovative prototype making and interactive showcase, flipped classroom in contextual learning and blended learning in interactive virtual reality into the teaching of RS320 Environmental Issues in OT Practice, RS3200 Enabling Occupation: Environmental Issues and Assistive Technology, and RS5366 Environmental Issues in OT Practice. The subject-based projects supervised by the teaching team greatly enhanced the creativity of students, broadened their horizons and further inspired them with valuable experiences from showcases, presentation and overseas competition, influencing their current study as well as life-long learning. Such positive and intriguing experiences would benefit students on making significant contribution to the society at present and in the future. The impact of the project can be further demonstrated based on the positive feedback received from students, and many local and international awards gained for products designed. In particular, the students taking these teaching subjects have been inspired and invented many creative products that have won awards in many international competitions, such as gaining awards in Global Student Innovation Challenge (gSIC) at International Convention on Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology (i-CREATe) for six consecutive years. In the recent i-CREATe 2019, two teams of students won Gold and Bronze awards in the Design Category (details).