The first transnational event of the PROMINENCE Consortium was successfully hosted by University College Dublin, Ireland. The event was held across 2 days dedicated to enhancing Obesity Education for Physiotherapists with all project partners coming together to progress the important work of the PROMINENCE Consortium.

 

Professor Catherine Blake (Head of School of Public Health, Physiotherapy and Sports Science, UCD) welcomed attendees to UCD. PROMINENCE Project Lead Caitriona Cunningham from UCD kicked off the day by presenting on the project’s mission, goals and overall work plans. Day one was packed with insightful sessions, including a needs assessment workshop that pinpointed the critical learning needs for physiotherapists. Notable discussions led by Aitor Carpio García (General Secretary, Europe Region of World Physiotherapy) and Emilia Kosińska (Project Manager, Europe Region of World Physiotherapy) provided a clear vision on their role in delivering on the PROMINENCE OER (Open Education Resource). This was followed by Kenneth Verboven’s (Hasselt University), presentation on the scoping review by being conducted as part of the Project Needs analysis alongside Saswati Ghosh’s overview of the proposed systematic website search. Led by Dr Grainne O Donoghue, an engaging workshop, with representatives from the Irish Coalition for People Living with Obesity provided critical insights to facilitate development of education resources which will support inclusive and equitable healthcare for people living with obesity. Tiina Pystynen and Pipsa Tuominen (Tampere University) presented their plans for development of the PROMINENCE obesity competency framework for Physiotherapists.  

Day two built on the foundational discussions of the previous day, opening with a review and forward-planning session by Caitriona Cunningham. Cecilia Fridén (MDU) introduced a strategic communication plan essential for the successful impact of the project. This paved the way for discussions on resource management and project coordination involving  the various leads across partner organisations.

The event not only underscored the collaborative effort required in creating impactful educational resources but also set the stage for the next phases of the project, emphasising innovation and accessibility in education.