Daily Tribune
The UST team including assistant dean Mojica (fourth from left) with Dr. Kirsten Schraeyen (seated, left), Dr. Dorien Vandenborre (standing, sixth from left), Dr. Nele De Witte (seated, right), and Dr. Tom Van Daele (standing, fifth from left)
PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF UST
The Ambassador of the Philippines to Belgium His Excellency Jaime Victor B. Ledda (center) receives a token from the University presented by UST CRS Assistant Dean Assoc. Prof. Georgina Mojica (left) and CRS academic staff and UST SIMBAHAYAN Community Development Office Assistant Director Asst. Prof. Christian Rey Rimando.
Researchers from the University of Santo Tomas (UST) College of Rehabilitation Sciences (CRS) engaged in a capacity building training at the Thomas More University of Applied Sciences in Belgium with the aim of strengthening their expertise regarding telerehabilitation. The training took place from 30 September to 4 October 2024.
The research team was led by asst. professor Christian Rey D. Rimando, and was composed of members from various allied health departments namely Christopher G. Cruz, Jordan Barbra P. Nava from the Physical Therapy Department; Diane Allison I. Lotho from the Occupational Therapy Department; Raymond Kenneth D. Ramos from the Sports Science Department; and assistant dean Ma. Georgina D. Mojica.
The training is an off-shoot of the project initiative titled, “Promoting health equality: Interprofessional Telerehabilitation for Persons With Disabilities in the Philippines.” This initiative was approved by the Vlaamse Interuniversitaire Raad - Universitaire Ontwikkelingssamenwerking (Flemish Interuniversities Council - University Development Co-operation) (VLIR-UOS).
This initiative is set to benefit rural barangays from Talim Island, which is part of the Municipality of Binangonan in the province of Rizal, to pave the way in developing an effective telerehabilitation program to improve the healthcare accessibility among persons with disabilities (PWDs). With the municipality being a partner in this project, a representative from Binangonan also joined the training, Mrs. Ma. Sheen Ymel P. Ceñidoza.
Bringing together a mix of healthcare expertise is aligned with the principle of ‘Interprofessional Collaboration’ to provide comprehensive quality healthcare service, which includes disability profiling and telerehabilitation. The creation of an interprofessional team is crucial for the implementation of this community-engaged project as it brings together diverse perspectives, fosters teamwork, enhances resource sharing, and leverages unique expertise for a better community health outcome.
The training was hosted on several campuses of Thomas More University with sessions facilitated by Dr. Kirsten Schraeyen, Dr. Dorien Vandenborre, Dr. Nele De Witte, and Dr. Tom Van Daele.
This mobility training included the contextualization of the implementation of the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) tool. The program offered immersive experience on effective techniques and exposure to best practices in digital health, with the goal of fostering innovative solutions to the healthcare challenges in remote islands in the Philippines. This tailor-made training experience provided an opportunity for the researchers to further develop their skills in research and to influence curriculum development by integrating telerehabilitation. The use of the UTAUT model helped the researchers identify facilitators and barriers for the implementation of telerehabilitation in rural areas.
In-depth discussion on the Implementation Research Logic Model (IRLM) was a key activity in the training because it is critical for the strategic development of online telerehabilitation toolkits. By adapting the IRLM strategies, a policy tailored for telerehabilitation in Binangonan may be created. The exposure at the Experience Hub at Thomas More – Campus National offered hands-on insight into cutting-edge virtual rehabilitation practices.
