Website: http://www.um.edu.mt/healthsciences; E-mail: healthsciences@um.edu.mt; Tel: 23401830
FHS Monthly Newsletter: July 2013
ANNOUNCEMNT
University Academic Promotions Board
Congratulations to Professor Donia Baldacchino, Dr Stephanie Bezzina Wettinger, Dr Mark
Sacco and Mr Andrew Scicluna on their promotion.
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Professor Donia Baldacchino, Associate Professor, Department of Nursing
Dr Stephanie Bezzina Wettinger, Senior Lecturer, Applied Biomedical Sciences
Dr Mark Sacco, Senior Lecturer, Department of Physiotherapy
Mr Andrew Scicluna, Visiting Senior Lecturer, Department of Podiatry
Well done to all!
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RESARCH, PUBLICATIONS & PRESENTATIONS
Anthony Scerri. Charles Scerri. Caring for persons with dementia: The
principles of Person-centred care BOLD (2013) 23 (2); 11-17. Available:
http://www.inia.org.mt/data/images/bold/BOLD_FEB_2013.pdf
ABSTRACT: Dementia is not a single disease or condition but a syndrome of multiple different
aetiologies. It is usually used as an ‘umbrella’ term (Moore, 2009) for more than 200 different
conditions and disorders characterized by a progressive deterioration in cognitive function,
some of which are considerably rare.. The following review will critically discuss the literature
in relation to the development of the principles of person-centred care in dementia. Eventually,
studies related to the application of these principles in formal care settings will be critically
appraised.
Cassar, V; Buttigieg, S.C.; Briner, R.B. (2013). “Causal Explanations of
Psychological Contract Breach Characteristics”, The Psychologist-Manager Journal, Vol.
16, No. 2, 85–106. doi: 10.1037/h0094949
Abstract: Cassar and Briner (2005) indicated that psychological contract breach is
characterized by at least five characteristics, namely delay, magnitude, type-form, inequity, and
reciprocal imbalance. This study investigated the extent to which explanations differed across
different characteristics of breach, as well as the relationships of explanations to response
reactions. Ninety-four participants supplied 180 episodes of contract breach, together with
explanations and reactions. Results showed that explanations (Rousseau, 1995) differed across
different breach characteristics. No association was found between explanations and response
reaction types. The study highlights specific implications about the management of breach
depending on the quality of the breach experience.
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Bartolo P, Mizzi S, Formosa C. 2013. An evaluation of foot care behaviours in
individuals with type 2 diabetes living in Malta. Journal of Diabetes Nursing. 17: 73-78
ABSTRACT: Improving how individuals with type 2 diabetes look after their feet is reported to
be one of the most effective strategies in minimising diabetic foot complications. This study
evaluated foot care behaviour in people with type 2 diabetes living in Malta. Participants were
grouped according to age (45–64 years [n=30] and ≥65 years [n=30]); the Nottingham
Assessment of Functional Footcare (NAFF; Lincoln et al, 2007) was used to determine foot
care behaviours in both groups. There was no significant difference in NAFF scores between
the two groups (P=0.635); the mean NAFF score for the group aged 45–64 years was 55.43
and for the group aged ≥65 years was 54.73. Since the possible maximum NAFF score is 87,
both groups showed suboptimal foot care behaviour in terms of footwear, hosiery and wound
management. Healthcare professionals play an important part in helping individuals with
diabetes improve their foot care behaviour and lifestyle to minimise foot complications.
Managed Care: Methods/Techniques, Types and Impact Analysis - Cultures for Change
(Cynthia Formosa, University of Malta) in Advances in Medicine and Biology. Volume 60.
Nova Publishers.
ABSTRACT: Managed care is an approach to financing and delivering health care that seeks
to control costs whilst ensuring or improve quality of care through a variety of methods. This
chapter will explore the role of culture when managing care in any organization. Both patients’
culture and the organizational culture will be explored and discussed in the context of
managing care effectively. Culture has important implications for organizations and managers
since organizational culture is said to be the personality of the organization (McNamara 2000).
The cultural beliefs and values of a population influence the meaning of management and also
show up differences in structure of organizations. Every organization is the product of the way
its members think and interact. Inside an organization culture are the psychological and social
aspects of an organization that influence how people think, what they see as important and how
they behave and interact at work (Mannion et al 2005). Culture is clearly an important
ingredient of effective organizational performance. The pervasive nature of organizational
culture means that if change is to be brought about successfully, then the changes will involve
culture.
Organizational change can be initiated deliberately by managers, it can evolve slowly within a
department, it can be imposed by specific changes in policy or procedures or it can arise
through external pressures. Most planned organizational change is triggered by need to
respond to new challenges or opportunities presented by the external environment, or in
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anticipation of the need to cope with potential future problems. Change is essential for
continued economic performance and competitiveness and new ideas and innovations should
not be perceived as threats by any member of the organization (Mullins 2007). Significant
organizational change must include not only changing structures and processes but also
addressing the current underlying organizational culture (Kimball 2005). In no country is there
complete satisfaction with the existing method of delivery of healthcare and there is a
continuing search everywhere for healthcare organizations to change and improve (Walshe
2003). Exposing people to alternative ways of understanding their work culture may encourage
them to consider changing their current work practice.
Mr Martin Ward, Mental Health Nursing, at the University of Southern Indiana, USA
In May 2013 Martin Ward was the guest for a week at the University of Southern Indiana,
USA, to develop an International Masters programme in community psychiatric nursing.
Previously a team from America had visited UoM in June 2012 and the preliminary framework
for the programme had been developed during the intervening year. Agreement was reached on
all the necessary challenges associated with such a programme and after meeting with the heads
of the various departments linked to international studies, including the University President, it
was agreed to progress to the next stage of the process, the writing of the draft programme
document. This will be undertaken by Martin Ward over the next two months and edited by the
international team. It is hoped to open the programme in October 2014 to be taught at the
Valletta campus, where UoM will host students from the USA and Europe on what is a unique
masters programme in psychiatric and mental health nursing.
Shown in the photograph
are the team who worked
on the project in America.
Martin Ward (UoM), Prof.
Mayola Rowser, Asst.
Dean and Director of
Masters
of
Science
programme (USI), Prof.
Kathy Reidford, Director
of Advanced Practice
Psychiatric Nursing studies
(USI) Dr Ann White, Dean
of the Faculty of Nursing
(USI), and Yvonne Beavin,
College
Administrative
Associate (USI)
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NEW RECRUIT
Ms Dianne Bonnici
Ms Dianne Bonnici has been posted to the Faculty of Health Sciences as a Graduate Trainee
and will act as Secretary to the Department of Communication Therapy. Dianne can be
contacted on 2340.1835 Room 41; E-mail: dianne.bonnici@um.edu.mt.
PAST EVENTS
Presentation by Dr Vasilis Valdramidis, Department of Food Studies & Environmental
Health, June 2013
Research Seminars 2012/2013
Presentation by Dr Carlo Conti: The influence of trunk-thigh angle on the feasibility of
maintaining a neutral lumbar spine during prolonged sitting, 15 May 2013.
ABSTRACT: Sitting has become the predominant stance from which most of the Western
Civilisation performs its activities. In sitting we commute, dine, work, socialise, study, relax,
and carry out many other chores. Yet sitting has been associated with a high incidence of low
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back pain (LBP). In attempting to decrease the prevalence of this ailment a quest for the
optimal sitting posture was embarked upon. The trend moved from a sitting posture that
favoured flexion of the lumbar spine, to of standing lumbar lordosis, and finally to positioning
the lumbar spine in neutral. However, the influence of the lumbo-femoral rhythm was not
acknowledged as being influential to the lumbar mechanics of sitting. Thus it is unknown if the
neutral spine sitting posture can be maintained during prolonged sitting, and whether the
position of the thighs in relation to the trunk bares an influence on this.
This study has been carried in part-fulfilment for the Doctor of Clinical Physiotherapy. For this
study it was hypothesised that sitting participants will be more able to maintain their lumbar
spine in sagittal neutral during prolonged when adopting a trunk-thigh angle of 120⁰ (a.k.a. as
half-sitting or active sitting) in contrast to sitting with a trunk-thigh angle of 90⁰ (a.k.a.
conventional upright sitting or Victorian sitting).
We would like to thank Dr Carlo Cini for his contribution.
This was the last Research Seminar for this academic year and the Faculty would like to
thank all participants for their interesting presentation, contribution and commitment.
Department of Radiography
Members of the Department of Radiography have presented the following papers during the
European Congress of Radiology held in March 2013.
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Comparison of radiation dose and image quality between sequential and spiral brain
CT presented by Dr Francis Zarb.
A review of diagnostic imaging frequency to aid research exploring the issue of
consent for higher dose paediatric examinations presented by Dr Paul Bezzina and Mr
Jonathan L Portelli.
An investigation into the psychological anxiety of Maltese women before and after a
mammogram presented by Ms Connie Falzon.
A survey of the various methods and techniques employed in myocardial stress testing
presented by Dr Paul Bezzina and Ms Karen Borg Grima.
Evaluation of image quality optimisation using VGC and ordinal regression analysis
presented by Dr Francis Zarb.
All the above publications are available from the Department of Radiography.
MD Exams 2013
During May and June, the Faculty of Health Sciences Laboratories were used for the fourth
time to host the Medical Doctors practical examinations. This event involved not only the use
of 14 laboratories pertaining to 6 departments (Midwifery, Nursing, Occupational Therapy,
Physiotherapy, Podiatry, Radiography), but also a substantial amount of personnel namely: • 88
medical students; • 85 patients; • 60 examiners.
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The examinations were conducted on a rotation basis where each student had to go from one
station to another, each station containing a different scenario. The laboratories were
transformed into different configurations to reflect the type of scenario required such as Offices
with couch/plinth, Offices with X-Ray viewing boxes, 4 bedded and 8 bedded wards and
breakout room and results office.
A big thank you goes to Mr Joe Mark Gatt, responsible for this event as well as Mr Malcolm
Farrugia (handyman), Mr Alfred Saliba (cleaner), Mr Raymond Degiorgio and Mr Kevin
Camilleri (beadles) and Mr Nocolai Schembri (IT) for their contribution.
FHS Annual BBQ at Tigne Beach Club, Sliema
The end of year BBQ held at Tigne Beach Club on Friday, 19 July, 2013 was once again a
huge success. A good number of administrative and academic members of staff attended.
Special thanks go to Ms Doris Briffa (Dean`s Office) who organised the BBQ.
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