An exploration of the current HPV education provision for 15-16 year old adolescents in post-primary schools in Northern Ireland

Background:The impact of sexually transmitted infections remains high in adolescents with high-risk strains of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) leading to the development of various cancers. While, HPV school-based vaccination programmes offer the HPV vaccine to students 12-13 years old, adolescents’ knowledge of HPV remains low.Aims- Establish the need for HPV education at 15-16 years old to provide students with HPV information, their vaccination status and the opportunity to receive the HPV vaccine through self-consent. - Develop a HPV intervention based on a systematic review and results from focus groups and interviews.Methods:Between January 2021 and August 2022, focus groups and interviews were conducted throughout Northern Ireland, UK, with immunisation nurses (IMNs), post-primary school nurses and teachers, and 15-16 year old students. ResultsTwenty-six IMNs, 12 teachers, 6 school-based nurses and 34 students participated. The COM-B model was utilised to establish barriers/facilitators to HPV education delivery. Participants supported the addition of mandatory HPV education at 15-16 years old. Identified barriers included lack of parental education, school ethos/religion and insufficient education regarding consent legislation. Participants indicated that a non-judgemental health professional would ideally deliver this interactive intervention. IMNs were highly motivated to design/deliver this education.Conclusion: Participants agreed that the implementation of this HPV education, alongside removal of identified barriers, would lead to safer sexual practices and increased HPV screening awareness and vaccination uptake. Recommendations provided by participants need to be supported by the Education Authority in conjunction with the Department of Health in order to be successfully implemented. <br/

A single centre service evaluation of patients’ experiences participating in Radiotherapy Clinical Trials during and post COVID-19 in Northern Ireland, UK

Introduction: Radiotherapy (RT) clinical trials allow patients to access cutting-edge innovative cancer treatments. Clinical Research Therapy Radiographers (CRRs) play an important role in the management and care of RT trial patients. The COVID-19 pandemic caused major disruption to RT trial delivery. Measures to mitigate COVID-19 risk continue to have an effect on patient contact and communication within cancer centres in the United Kingdom (UK). This study aimed to explore patient perspectives regarding their recent RT trial experience in Northern Ireland (NI), UK.Methods: A single centre service evaluation was conducted in NI. Patients who were recruited into a RT clinical trial from January 2020 to January 2023 were invited to participate. Surveys were posted to 50 participants in April 2023. Quantitative and qualitative data was captured and analysed using descriptive statistics and Braun and Clarke’s six-step thematic analysis framework respectively. Ethical approval was obtained through Ulster University and the NHS Trust.Results: Forty-three of the 50 invited participants responded (86%). Forty-two respondents (79%) had a prostate cancer diagnosis. Forty-one (98%) participants indicated that CRRs were always approachable, polite and courteous and would recommend taking part in a RT trial to friends and family. Identified areas for improvement included aspects regarding consent and participant decision-making. Conclusion: This study suggests that despite the implemented measures to suspend research and mitigate COVID-19 risk, patients remained highly satisfied with the quality of care that they received through their participation in RT trials. Implications for practice: The results of this service evaluation will facilitate maintenance and improvement of patient focused delivery of cancer trials within the host centre. This study builds on evidence highlighting the importance of the CRR role and role development for radiographers. <br/

An exploration of the journey to diagnosis of Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) for women living in Australia

IntroductionEhlers-Danlos syndromes (EDS) is an umbrella term for a group of hereditary connective tissue disorders usually featuring hyperextensible skin, easy bruising, poor healing, and joint hypermobility. According to international Ehlers-Danlos support groups, the average time to diagnosis of this rare genetic condition is 10–12 years. Consequently, the journey to diagnosis can potentially be traumatic. This pilot study aims to explore female patients’ journey to a diagnosis of EDS while living in Australia.Materials and methodsOver six weeks, from January to February 2023, a survey was distributed on EDS social media platforms including Facebook and LinkedIn. Ethical approval was obtained through the Ulster University Institute of Nursing and Health Research Ethics Filter Committee (FCNUR). Thematic and statistical analysis of the anonymous data was completed during March 2023.Results152 women completed the survey. More than half of the respondents first noticed symptoms of EDS more than 15 years prior to diagnosis and more than three quarters of respondents received other diagnoses prior to their EDS diagnosis. Most respondents saw their general practitioner, a physiotherapist and/or a rheumatologist prior to being correctly diagnosed with the condition. While some respondents had positive experiences with these health professionals, many felt that they were not listened to and, after doing their own research, had to educate their health professional/s about EDS.ConclusionThis pilot survey demonstrated that the journey to diagnosis of EDS for women in Australia is frequently long and traumatic. Participants indicated that more EDS education and training is needed for health professionals, especially GPs, to improve the diagnostic process

The effectiveness of interprofessional peer-led teaching and learning for Therapeutic Radiography students and Speech and Language Therapy students

BackgroundTherapeutic Radiographers (RT) and Speech and Language Therapists (SLT) work closely together in caring for people with head and neck cancer and need a strong understanding of each others’ roles. Peer teaching has been shown to be one of the most effective methods of teaching; however, no studies to date, have involved RT and SLT students. This research aims to establish the effectiveness and perceptions of peer-led teaching between undergraduate RT and SLT students in Ulster University. MethodsTwenty SLT students and 14 RT students participated. Knowledge tests were taken online before the peer-led teaching session (T1), after the session (T2) and 3 months later (T3). Students’ perceptions of the experience were collected at the end of the session. Wilcoxon signed-rank tests were used to analyse the impact of the intervention on knowledge scores. Qualitative content analysis was used for open text response data. ResultsRT students’ own professional knowledge score at T2 was statistically significantly higher than the score at T1; the score at T3 was not deemed to be statistically significantly higher. RT students’ SLT knowledge score at T2 and T3 was found to be statistically significantly higher than the score at T1. SLT students’ own professional knowledge score was not statistically significantly higher at T2 or T3 than T1. They did have a statistically significantly higher score at T2 on the RT test, but score at T3 was not deemed to be statistically significantly higher. The majority of students across both professions agreed or strongly agreed that the peer-led teaching experience had a positive impact on their learning. ConclusionThis investigation highlights the benefits of an interprofessional peer-led teaching intervention for RT and SLT students and the findings add to the evidence of more objective study of knowledge gain as a result of interprofessional peer teaching.(Keywords: Radiotherapy; Speech and Language Therapy; students; allied healthcare; education; peer; teaching; learning; intervention)<br/