Features

Food Angel turns delivery female workers into community health workers with the support of nurses and mHealth

Dr Arkers Wong*, Assistant Professor, received a donation of over HK$11 million from the Li Ka Shing Foundation to carry out a project aimed at training food delivery female workers from Food Angel (惜食堂) to perform basic health check for older adults living alone in the community.   After the training, the delivery female workers will be equipped with basic health knowledge and the ability to measure physical vital signs, including blood oxygen level, blood pressure, and pulse and pain indices of around 100 older adults when they visit them to deliver meals. The health data collected by the delivery workers will be uploaded to the mHealth monitoring platform, developed by Dr Wong’s research team. Registered nurses (RNs) access to the platform to evaluate the health status of the older adults. When needed, a registered nurse will give in-depth personal care and interventions via the mHealth app to the older adult. Referrals to allied health professionals or social workers can also be made by the RNs for early interventions.  The team hope that this FIRST-of-its-kind grassroots community health model in combination with Health-Social Partnership will provide scientific research evidence for the Government to consider introducing the mHealth app and the service model to the community as a way to strengthen primary health care.  The mHealth app, is a pilot health management mobile app with an interactive nurse support function. The app enables nurses to monitor users’ health status and allow users’ to communicate with nurses when they have health concerns. Research findings released by the team in March 2023 showed that the use of the app for three to six months among the older adults resulted in a significant increase in self-efficacy, a significant decrease in depression level, a reduction in the use of medical services, and an improvement in the quality of life.  Click here to learn more about the project.    *Team members PolyU’s School of Nursing: Dr Arkers Wong, Principal Investigator; Co-Principal Investigator, Prof. Frances Wong, Chair Professor of Advanced Nursing Practice & Associate Dean (FHSS)]; Dr Cheung Kin, Dr Eva Ho & Dr Jed Montayre, Associate Professors; Dr Jonathan Bayuo, Postdoctoral Fellow.  PolyU’s School of Optometry: Dr Jinxiao Lian, Assistant Professor.  

PolyU and Fire Services Department sign MoU to nurture young generations

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) and the Fire Services Department (FSD) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) today to establish a collaborative partnership in jointly organising a training course on fundamentals of emergency care and critical response by the School of Nursing of PolyU and the Fire and Ambulance Services Academy (FASA). The course will equip students with the skills and knowledge of the application of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and automated external defibrillators (AEDs), as well as fire safety measures and emergency evacuation procedures. The aim is to further strengthen the awareness of community emergency preparedness in a bid to enhance the efficiency of life-saving treatments. The School of Nursing at PolyU has been pursuing academic excellence of practical value in nursing and healthcare services, while the FSD has long been formulating and implementing strategies on community emergency preparedness. The collaboration will help the FSD to further promote the “three basic skills on emergency preparedness" (namely Extinguish and Prevent Fire, Self-help and Help Others and Escape and Evacuate) in the community and also foster the culture of "self-help and help others" in the wider community. Witnessed by Prof. David SHUM, Dean of the Faculty of Health and Social Sciences of PolyU, and Mr. Andy YEUNG, Director of FSD, the MoU was signed by Prof. Engle Angela CHAN, Interim Head of the School of Nursing of PolyU, and Mr. YIU Men-yeung, the Commandant of the FASA. Prof. David Shum said, “We thank FSD for its unwavering support for the training course. The collaborative course will be included as a credit-bearing course in the curriculum of General Studies for all PolyU students in meeting the needs of the community. The course would also enhance students’ vigilance and problem-solving abilities and cultivate a spirit of mutual assistance and care among them.”     Mr. Andy Yeung said, “We hope the training course would enhance students' competence and confidence in saving patients from cardiac arrest, and strengthen the support for local patients with cardiac arrest to receive timely rescue in the community so as to increase their chances of survival. The MoU also signifies the sustainable co-operation of both sides in providing diversified learning opportunities in different aspects to nurture more outstanding young generations in Hong Kong.”  

PolyU’s School of Nursing hosted the 5th Hong Kong Innovation Day cum Innovation Awards Competition successfully

The School of Nursing of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) hosted the 5th Hong Kong Innovation Day cum Innovation Awards Competition successfully yesterday on PolyU’s campus. The event provided a platform for entrepreneurs, healthcare and social care professionals, and scholars to showcase new innovations aimed at improving the delivery of healthcare and social services. The competition this year received strong support from the academic and healthcare sectors, with 15 teams selected as finalists to compete for the Innovation Awards. The jury panel was comprised of doctors and professors from universities. A Social Innovation category was included in the competition, demonstrating PolyU’s concern for the development of social services. The winning team will be awarded entry to the Global Healthcare Innovation Day to be held in Brighton in the UK later this year, where they will compete with other champions from different parts of the world for the Innovation for Health Award of Excellence. Speaking at the opening ceremony of the Hong Kong Innovation Day, Prof. Engle Angela CHAN, Professor and Interim Head of The School of Nursing of PolyU, said, “There has been an increasing demand for networking among entrepreneurs, scholars, and healthcare and social care professionals to promote innovation and explore collaboration opportunities. The significance of the Hong Kong Innovation Day has grown noticeably over the years and this is reflected in the high number of entries and participants.”   Results of the 5th Hong Kong Innovation Day cum Innovation Awards Competition: Champion Project Title: Liverscan: Palm-sized Real-time B-mode Ultrasound Imaging Guided System for Liver Fibrosis and Steatosis Assessment Project Leader: Prof. ZHENG Yong-ping, Henry G. Leong Professor in Biomedical Engineering, Chair Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Director of Research Institute for Smart Ageing and Director of Jockey Club Smart Ageing Hub, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University   First Runner-up Project Title: Robotic Surgery Remote Mentoring via AR with 3D Scene Streaming and Hand Interaction Project Leader: Dr DOU Qi, Assistant Professor, Department of Computer Science and Engineering, The Chinese University of Hong Kong   Second Runner-up Project Title: A novel green wide-spectrum antiviral/antimicrobial material: Polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) oligomer Project Leader: Dr ZHANG Ziheng, Chief Executive Officer, Ecolar Technology Limited   The Best Social Innovation Award Project Title: Virtual Hospital – an immersive virtual reality game to strengthen nursing education Project Leader: Dr Kitty CHAN, Senior Teaching Fellow, The School of Nursing, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University   The School of Nursing of PolyU has been hosting the Hong Kong Innovation Day cum Innovation Awards Competition in alternative years since 2013. For more information, please visit https://sn.polyu.edu.hk/hkia/

PolyU research shows mHealth mobile app with interactive nursing support enhances elderly health management

Primary healthcare is an integral part of the entire healthcare system. The Government put forward the Primary Healthcare Blueprint (the Blueprint) at the end of last year, which proposed prevention-oriented and community-based strategies to improve the overall health of the general public. The School of Nursing of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) has launched a pilot mHealth health management mobile app with interactive nursing support. Research data shows the app empowers the elderly to monitor their chronic diseases and mental health conditions. An interdisciplinary team formed by healthcare professionals and social workers offer support to the elderly, such as providing timely medical referrals, thereby reducing the unplanned use of health services and enhancing elderly health management. The mHealth app is jointly developed by The School of Nursing of PolyU and a local telecommunications company to help monitor the health condition of the elderly. When an abnormal vital sign (such as blood pressure, or blood glucose level) is detected, a registered nurse will be notified via the app and will contact the elderly person to understand their health condition.  Another highlight of the mHealth app is the 24-hour nurse interaction function. By tapping one button in the app, the elderly can make a video call to a registered nurse to support and evaluate their health and mental condition. The research team, led by Dr Arkers WONG, Assistant Professor of The School of Nursing of PolyU, recruited participants from five elderly service centres of the Hong Kong Lutheran Social Service.  A total of 221 elderly aged 60 or above with at least one chronic condition(s) (including hypertension, pain or diabetes) participated in the study. The study found that there was a significant increase in self-efficacy, a significant decrease in the level of depression, a reduction in the use of medical services, and an improvement in the quality of life* in physical aspects, after the elderly used the app for three to six months. Hong Kong has one of the most rapidly ageing populations in the world. The number of Hospital Authority patients with chronic diseases is projected to reach three million in the coming decade by 2039, which will bring a heavy burden to the public healthcare system. Dr Arkers WONG said, “There was a significant reduction in the unplanned use of health services and unplanned visits to general practitioners by 76% and 72% respectively, after the elderly used the mHealth app with nursing support for three months. This illustrates that the approach of combining nursing support and digital technology can relieve the pressure brought about by the rising demand for public medical services, helping to achieve the goals set out in the Blueprint to improve the overall health condition of the elderly.” The research team recommends promoting the use of digital technology for health management among the elderly, and strengthening health-social collaboration on digital platforms. The research and development team will enhance the app, adding functions such as artificial intelligence, and incorporating content that is more suitable for the needs and preferences of the elderly so that they will continue to use the app, which will contribute to the goal of reducing public medical expenses. *Physical component summary of quality of life includes four domains, which are general health, physical functioning (e.g., climbing several floors, moderate activities), role activities (limited kinds of activities), and bodily pain.

Two SN projects supported by phase 2 of Mental Health Initiatives Funding Scheme to enhance psychosocial well-being of different community groups

School of Nursing (SN) of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) has received support for two projects under Phase 2 of the Mental Health Initiatives Funding Scheme (the Funding Scheme) coordinated by the Advisory Committee on Mental Health, developing innovative social services programmes to benefit the mental well-being of people in the community. SN-led projects awarded under Phase 2 of the Mental Health Initiatives Funding Scheme Project Title Project Summary Principal Investigator Increasing Mental Health Literacy and Peer Support among Caregivers: An Electronic Painting and Peer Supportive (EPPS) Platform The project will develop an Electronic Painting and Peer Supportive (EPPS) Platform to provide mental health support for caregivers. It aims to enhance mental health literacy and peer support among caregivers. This electronic interactive platform motivates caregivers to share their paintings with others and seek help from families and professionals when they are stressful. Prof. Angela LEUNG Professor and Associate Head (Research) of School of Nursing Peer Support Virtual Reality-based Intervention for AD/HD Carers - Stress Relieving and Empathy Improving Programme A novel peer support virtual reality-based therapy will be developed for AD/HD carers to reduce their stress and improve empathy in getting along with their AD/HD children. The project aims to provide stress management for the carers to sustain healthy living conditions and relationships with AD/HD children. Dr Harry QIN Associate Professor of Schoo For more detailed information, please refer to the PolyU’s media release.  

PolyU and NECHK Join Hands to Provide Interactive Social Robots for Older Adults and Caregivers

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) announced today the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with NEC Hong Kong (NECHK) to provide intelligent interactive social robots for older adults and their caregivers. A series of research projects will also be carried out to investigate the effects of using social robots on managing self-care and to encourage older adults’ proactive engagement in interpersonal activities to foster a physically and mentally healthy life.

PolyU pioneers nursing education with first-of-its-kind VR learning system “Virtual Hospital”

Nursing education mainly comprises classroom teaching and clinical practice. Yet, face-to-face teaching and clinical placements at medical institutions have been affected amid the epidemic. With a view to enhancing the learning outcomes of nursing students, a research team led by Dr Justina LIU, Associate Professor of School of Nursing, and Dr Kitty CHAN, Senior Teaching Fellow of the same school, has developed a virtual learning system “Virtual Hospital” which makes use of virtual reality (VR) technology to offer an innovative experiential approach to nursing education. Virtual Hospital is a first-of-its-kind virtual learning system in Hong Kong that simulates the complex and chaotic environment of a real-life hospital ward. With a total of 11 games, the system provides five scenarios, namely “Clinical Practicum Orientation”, “Challenges of Delirium”, “Managing Multitasks”, “Prevention of Errors” and “Potential Heart Attack”. More than 1,200 combinations of randomised situations and multiple choices make it difficult for students to predict the tasks they will be handling, while they are required to provide instant responses to multitasks and make appropriate nursing decisions through assessing a patient’s condition and interpreting their medical information.  

Secretary for Food and Health visits the Caroline Hill Road Community Vaccination Centre today

Professor Sophia CHAN, Secretary for Food and Health, today visited the Caroline Hill Road Pop-up Community Vaccination Centre (PCVC) in Causeway Bay, which is operated by The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) in a non-profit-making mode, and commenced operation on 29 March 2022. Accompanied by PolyU President Prof. Jin-Guang Teng, Professor CHAN toured the centre to understand its operation and gave encouragement to the medical team on duty. She also expressed her gratitude to the University to support the Government’s vaccination programme.   Supported by a team of 300 students, teaching staff and alumni from PolyU’s School of Nursing, the Caroline Hill Road PCVC offers the BioNTech vaccination to people aged 12 or above. The School’s final year students will assist in the administration of the vaccine under the supervision and support of the teaching staff and alumni who are experienced registered nurses. The Caroline Hill Road PCVC is open daily from 8am to 8pm and will operate until the end of June. Learn more about PolyU’s initiatives to help fight the pandemic in Hong Kong: https://www.polyu.edu.hk/combatcovid19/

PolyU’s School of Nursing strongly supports the Caroline Hill Road Pop-up Community Vaccination Centre; Chief Executive and Secretary for the Civil Service visit the Centre today

Vaccination is paramount to fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. In response to the community demand for vaccination, the Hong Kong SAR Government has established the Caroline Hill Road Pop-up Community Vaccination Centre (PCVC) in Causeway Bay, which commenced operation today (29 March). Located at the site provided by Hysan Development and the Chinachem Group, the PCVC is fully supported by The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU). The University is operating the PCVC in a non-profit-making mode to help the community battle the pandemic.  

Schools of Nursing at PolyU and Tung Wah College join hands to conduct N95 respirator fit tests for community isolation facility healthcare practitioners from Hong Kong Baptist University

Wearing the correct size of respirator properly can reduce the risk of infection from COVID-19 for frontline healthcare practitioners. Recently, the Schools of Nursing at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) and Tung Wah College (TWC) are collaborating to jointly conduct N95 respirator fit tests at TWC’s Integrative Health Centre for over 200 nursing staff and students from Hong Kong Baptist University’s (HKBU) School of Continuing Education (SCE) who will be working at the Kai Tai Holding Centre. The latter will be looking after elderly COVID-19 patients who have mild symptoms or those who have recovered but cannot yet return home or to their care homes.