Impact - Hong Kong Polytechnic University...adequate pain reduction, so that the patient would be...

SPRING / 2009

20

The Department of Rehabilitation Sciences (RS) has been providing high-quality internationally benchmarked entry-level education to occupational therapists and physiotherapists for 28 years. Our graduates are competent professionals serving clients in Hong Kong, Mainland China, and many other countries. We also offer excellent opportunities to practitioners and researchers for pursuing further education from a disciplinary-specific or multidisciplinary perspective in rehabilitation sciences. In order to achieve its mission of providing high-quality education and mediating professional development, our Department still has a lot to do in the future. Your support is vital to facilitate this process!

Please offer your support by making a donation. Your donation, no matter whether big or small, will make an impact on the future of rehabilitation in Hong Kong and throughout the world.

Donation FormName: Prof. / Dr. / Mr. / Mrs. / Ms. / Miss

Address:

Contact Tel. No.: Email:

Company: Position:

Year of Graduation: (For RS alumni only)

Donation Amount:

I wish to contribute to the development of RS; please allocate my donation for the following purpose(s). (Please add a “✓ ” where appropriate)❏ Research conducted by RS❏ RS student development❏ At the discretion of RS❏ Other (Please specify):

Please make your cheque payable to:THE HONG KONG POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITYand mail it to:Department of Rehabilitation SciencesThe Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Hong Kong

** A donation receipt will be issued by the University for tax deduction purposes

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Your BIG or small Donationwill make an Impact !

S P R I N G / 2 0 0 9

Also in this issue:

Cover Story

Prof. Gabriel Ng (Associate Head)

The 6th Pan-Pacific Conference on Rehabilitation

To celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Department ofRehabilitation Sciences, the department jointly hosted the 6thPan-Pacific Conference on Rehabilitation (PPCR) with the Hong Kong Association of Rehabilitation Medicine Annual

Opening ceremony

Exercise and Healthy Life

Farewell to President Poonp.13

Rehabilitation services for clients in Sichuan afterearthquakesp.4-5

Scientific Meeting and the 2008 Graduate Student Conference in Rehabilitation Sciences on 4-5 October, 2008. The meeting also marked a milestone in the PPCR series, as itmarched into its second decade since its first meeting in 1998.

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SPRING / 2009

Over 260 staff, students, alumni and friends of theDepartment of RehabilitationSciences (RS) gathered together for a gala dinner incelebration of the 30th anniversary of the department.The event was graced by thepresence of the following: theGuest of Honour, Mr AnthonyWu, Chairman of the HospitalAuthority; Mr Alexander Tzang,PolyU Deputy President; Prof.Ko Jan-ming, Vice President;Prof. George Woo, Dean of theFaculty of Health and SocialSciences; Prof. Jack Cheng,Chairman of the DepartmentalAdvisory Committee of RS; Prof.Chetwyn Chan, Head of RS;Prof. Gabriel Ng, Chairman ofthe 6th Pan-Pacific Conferenceon Rehabilitation; and Dr Chui Tak-yi, President of the HongKong Association of Rehabilitation Medicine.

During the dinner, the 2008 RS Outstanding Alumni Awards were presented to honour graduates who have excelled in their profession and made importantcontributions to the community. The awardees were

From left to right: Prof. Gabriel Ng, Mr. Ip Yee Chiu, Prof. Alice Jones, Dr. Joyce Fung, Dr. Sidney Chu, Mr. Michael Chow, Prof. ChetwynChan, Prof. Tatia Lee, Mr. Bronco But, Mr. Terence Yu and Prof. Cecilia Li-Tsang

as follows: Dr Joyce Fung, Associate Professor, School of Physical and Occupational Therapy, McGillUniversity and Director of Research, Jewish RehabilitationHospital (JRH); and Dr Sidney Chu, Paediatric Occupational Therapy Service Manager, Ealing Primary Care Trust.

From left to right: Dr. Chui Tak Yi, Prof. George Woo, Prof. Ko Jan Ming, Mr. Alexander Tzang, Mr.Wu Ting Yuk, Prof. Jack Cheng, Prof. Chetwyn Chan and Prof. Gabriel Ng

Panel discussion session

Demonstration session

30 th Anniversary DinnerDespite concerns

about a possible tropical cyclonejust a few days before the conference, the event wentahead, and it turned out to be a great success. Over 200 delegates from 16 countries and regions around the worldjoined the conference. Thetheme for the conference was"Exercise and Healthy Life". On 3 October, a full day of threepre-conference short courses set the stage for the conferenceover the next two days. Fourkeynote speakers addressed the conference: Prof. KimberlyBennell (Australia), Prof. MarkTarnopolsky(Canada), Dr SandyHowell (United States) and DrTrisha Leahey (Hong Kong).

One of the highlights of the conference was the focus symposium"Health promotion in the Asia-Pacific region - are we heading inthe right direction?" in which plenary speakers from Australia,Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and thePhilippines spoke on the roles of allied health professionals inpromoting health in their respective countries and regions. Inaddition to the lectures and symposium, there were some 40high-quality papers and 30 posters presented at the conference,and three prizes were given out for best paper and poster.

The conference ended on a high note and the organizing committee is grateful to the donors who supportedthe event and to the participants and speakers for sharing theirideas at the conference. We look forward to seeing you all again at the next PPCR.

Lectures by Prof. Mark Tarnopolsky, Professor of Pediatrics and Medicine, Neuromuscular and NeurometabolicUnit, McMaster University Medical Center

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Our physiotherapyteam consists of Daisy(a graduate from ourMater in PhysicalTherapy Programme,Wuhan, China) andmyself. We are verypleased to have beeninvolved in establishingand providing rehabilitation services at the Deyang DisabledPersons' Federation-Hong Kong Red CrossRehabilitation,Prosthetic and OrthoticCentre since lateOctober.

This joint venture between theHong Kong Red Cross(HKRC) and the DeyangDisabled Persons' Federation was founded with the vision ofdeveloping one of the first models of multidisciplinary rehabilitation in Mainland China.

RS Activities

Rehabilitation services for clients in SICHUAN after earthquakes

After the earthquake in Sichuan on12 May, 2008, the Hong Kong RedCross has identified the urgent needto provide one-stop sustainable rehabilitation services to the survivors, particularly those withamputations and related orthopaedicproblems. A rehabilitation centre wassubsequently set up in collaborationwith the Deyang Disabled Persons'Federation (DDPF) within the next two months.

The missions of the centreare to provide one-stop quality rehabilitation services to the survivorsof the 5/12 earthquake, to serve as a training centre for the training andempowerment of related rehabilitation professions in the medical and rehabilitation services inSichuan Province, and to develop thecentre into a sustainable practice centre that can continue to be operated by the local rehabilitation professionals.

The centre adopts a multidisciplinary rehabilitationmodel, and provides occupational therapy, physiotherapy,

prosthetic, orthoticand clinical psychology servicesfor any survivors ofthe earthquake. Agroup of volunteerswith orthopaedic medical training also provides regular consultations andbiweekly surgeries.Our team consists of occupational therapists, physiotherapists,prosthetists andorthotists who are seconded from the Hong Kong

Polytechnic University to work in Deyang.Our role as occupational therapists is to provide

training and adaptations for clients to enhance their independence in relation to self-care, work or school, with theultimate goal of re-integrating them back into the community. Itis a challenging task for all of us since, on one hand, these

survivors have multiple medical and associated social and psychological problems, and, on the other hand, the environmentis not ready to facilitate our clients' return to the community.Some clients with prosthesis still live in rural areas or in themountains. They need to walk along uneven roads or pathwaysand to climb up and down hills or stairs to get to school or work.Some have to stay in temporary housing where there is no self-contained toilet or bathing facilities. This creates extremechallenges for those who have mobility and balancing problems.

Yet, with all of these challenges in front of us, our colleagues in Deyang have managed to establish a trans-disciplinary model of practice with a shared mission and visionfor helping these survivors. We are ready to help patients to faceall of these challenges and to enable them to go home and returnto school or the workplace.

Following the devastating earthquake of12 May, 2008, the HKRC recognized the need toestablish comprehensiverehabilitation services inSichuan. After extensivegroundwork and planning,the centre officially opened its doors on 3 November, 2008.

Currently, the centre provides freeorthopaedic consultationand surgery, physiotherapy,occupational therapy, prosthetic, orthotic andclinical psychology services.Planning is underway forfuture community rehabilitation programmes,and we are looking forward

to the first PolyU student placements in February.It has been an inspiring experience working here in

Deyang and we are looking forward to a fruitful 2009!

Sylvia Lim (Physiotherapist)

Patient joining the opening ceremonyTeam work with joint consultation sessions

Prof. Cecilia Li-Tsang (Associate Head)Calvin Yip (Clinical Associate)

Opening ceremony

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Psychiatric RehabilitationBacon Ng

Senior Occupational TherapistCastle Peak Hospital

1988 OT graduate

Dr Polly LauCluster Manager (Physiotherapy)

Kowloon Central Cluster1980 PT Graduate

Traditionally, patients seen in an Accident and EmergencyDepartment (AED) who needed physiotherapy (PT) serviceswere referred and portered to the PT department, which wassited separately from the AED. In Queen Elizabeth Hospital(QEH) we launched an immediate PT intervention programmein the AED for musculoskeletal injury patients who weremainly triage category 3 (urgent) and 4 (semi-urgent)patients and who would otherwise have required hospitaladmission.

The primary aims of this programme are to achieve adequate pain reduction, so that the patient would be able toresume normal activities(because the essence of activity in itself is an importantconstituent of healing), and toreduce the need for hospitalization, thus strengthening the gate-keeping function of AED andalleviating the overwhelming pressure on our health caresystem. The other aims of the programme include improving the quality of care and patient outcome by providing early intervention at the very acute stage, minimizing hospital length of stay, promoting effective self-management of symptoms through the provision of timelyand appropriate advice, improving patient accessibility andenhancing smooth interface with PT treatment in theOutpatients Department (OPD). The programme also aims tomaximize functional status and minimize disability and toattempt to prevent the transition to chronicity. It is targeted to tackling acute pain at multiple levels, altering attitudes, rebutting fears, fine-tuning medical care andspeeding employees' return to work as soon as possible.

The program was piloted in 2002 and implementedin six different phases over the subsequent five years tocover various musculoskeletal conditions. As the reviewdemonstrated favourable results, the programme was rolledout further to cover other suitable medical conditions. Theprogramme includes providing adequate information andreassurance to patients, empowering patients with knowledge and skills in home management, providing

adequate pain relief and symptom control, teaching bedmobility/transfer and providing necessary gait training.

A single-blinded randomized control trial was performed to evaluate the effectiveness of this novel servicefor patients with non-specific low back pain attending theAED. My findings showed that, compared to conventionalmedical treatments only, pain intensity was significantlyreduced in the acute phase after an immediate PTintervention in the AED. The participants who received earlyPT intervention in the AED also reported fewer disturbancescaused by the back pain and a better score in health-relatedquality of life. These observations were gradually tailed off,with follow-up implementation of PT interventions in theOPD for those with or without early PT intervention in theAED. We help most by giving the patient precise and practical advice on "survival tips for patients with agonizing pain during the critical time", reassurance, and contemporary scientific-based information on the components conducive to recovery and by warning againstthe detrimental effects on physical inactivity.

The enhanced roles of physiotherapists in an AEDmay include the following:performing a directed PTexamination; providing immediate PT services; giving adequate informationand practical advice on home management, as well as on self-management of symptoms; explaining which tests are (or are not) necessary; providing reassurance to patients that their painis being taken seriously; improving patient accessibility andenhancing the smooth interface with OPD specialist clinics;conveying the need for primary care follow-ups; contributingto the educational programmes of other members of theAED team; and participating in the multidisciplinary clinicalaudit process. A PT practitioner working in an extended roleis a valuable addition to an AED. This further step of a physiotherapist into the AED triggers a leap from traditioninto a new frontier in the supra-acute management ofpatient care.

Clinical Specialty

Patient education on back care

Early intervention at A & Edepartment

In my early workinglife, I switched from one hospital toanother, from psychiatry to physicaland then back to psychiatry. I havebeen working atCastle Peak Hospitalfor years (first"admission" in 1993 and then "re-admitted" in1995). As my tenurehas progressed (as a clinical educator for over 12 years), I havediscovered that my functional memory is deteriorating.Occasionally, I find myself unable to recall the name of some ofmy beloved students instantly. It is embarrassing as my visualmemory begins to dissociate with the names of the people that Ihave known during memory retrieval! Hence, I have begun to relyon photographs as memory cues.

Recently, I have met the first psychiatric patient I encountered in my career at a special occasion, and we had a memorable chat at dinner. Unbelievably, my long-term memoryrecovered and flashed back to the times in the past when we useddifferent handicraft skills as our treatment modalities and whenHKPU offered us chances to increase our competences through various practices, such as woodwork, metalwork, welding, horticulture, macramé, papier-mâché, tai chi, dancing, trampoline,tailoring, cooking, and so on. All of these enriched the bank of activities I use to provide treatment to our clients and also equippedme to repair the furniture and equipment in my home withoutexcuse. In those days, we grounded the role of OT in psychiatric

rehabilitation as a work rehabilitation specialist, and we specializedin various treatment regimes, such as different standardized psychometric tests, criteria reference comparison systems, jobanalysis, ergonomics, work capacity evaluation, simulated work posttraining, on-the-job training, work history analysis, job seeking andsustaining skills provision, job availability counselling, career potential and interest exploration.

In recent years, with the change in our economic situation and our professional mission, we have placed moreemphasis on soft skills and have switched our treatment strategies as follows:

from a problem-based to an asset-orientated focus from skills focus to meaning-centred therapy from the formation of habituation to volition and remotivation from self-control to self-efficacy from basic needs to patient choices from skills coaching to life coaching from intuition to evidence-based practice

I am fortunate to work with my clients. I enjoy the special privileges of receiving permission to read their distinctivelife stories, jointly venturing into their inner-world and observingtheir transformation process to tragic optimism. I deeply appreciate their openness and frankness in sharing their life'shurdles and allowing me to stand by their side to face their challenges and to support them in re-authoring their life stories. I also enjoy teaching and sharing my experiences with peers andstudents, as well as learning through teaching. On the otherhand, my students feed me with their creativity and unlimitedenergy. They revitalize me to become a middle-aged trend-setter. Ihave learnt to appreciate the beauty of diversities and to transform my momentary lapses into opportunities of learning.Occupational therapy is a fun job!

Bacon Ng(5th from the right in the 2nd row) and his team of colleagues in Castle Peak Hospital

Time flies! Our OT classmates celebrate the20th anniversary after graduating from HKPUlast year, and they all looked younger than me!

Extended Roles of Physiotherapists

Accident and Emergency Departmentin an

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QAmy, first of all congratulations for receiving the award

from the Home Affairs Bureau inDecember last year. How do youfeel about this and what doesthe award mean to you?

AI am grateful that thecontribution of our profession isbeing recognized by the

Secretary of Home Affair Bureau.Hopefully, this award can open up morespace for me and our profession to servethe community with regard to exerciseand sports participation in order toimprove health.

QAs far as I understand, most ofyour research has focused onsports injury prevention and

rehabilitation. Why are you interested insports rehabilitation? Was there anythingor anyone that inspired you to focus yourstudies in this area?

AWell, I enjoy exercising, and I had the opportunity to participate in inter-school

competitions when I was young. My passion for sports rehabilitation grew when I worked as a sports physiotherapist for the dancers at theHong Kong Academy for Performing Artsfrom 1991 to 1994. I derived satisfactionfrom the challenge of bringing thesedancers back on stage in good time withtheir optimal sharp. My time at theAcademy also brought me closer to scientists such as Prof. Ruth Solomanfrom the USA, and Prof. KM Chan and Dr.Eric Chein from Hong Kong. Prof. Chan'sencouragement and support was thespark for my MPhil study on sports biomechanics. Dr. Chein was the one whoadded oil to the flame so that it could

glow. I had been a clinician for more than 10 years and had no formal trainingin research, so Dr. Chein showed me howto make best use of the library at theAcademy, and joined the first session atthe Gait laboratory at the Hong KongPolytechnic. Prof. Christina Chan, my PhD supervisor, took me into the fascinating world of motor control insports rehabilitation.

QYou are now a very successfulprofessional in physiotherapy,but did you aim to be one when

you were small?

AThanks for the compliment.When I was small, physiotherapywas not known to the public. The

first time that I heard of this professionwas in a TV programme in the mid '70s.Mr. Law Chi Keung was being interviewed.This seemed to me to be a meaningfulprofession and it suited my character as I like to work with people.

QAs a professor at the University, I can imagine thatyou must be very busy. How can

you balance your academic work andyour personal life?

AI guess I am a "workaholic". I am extremely lucky that my husband is very supportive. He

allows me and helps me to do what I likedoing most. In addition, both of us enjoy

Attachment to theNATIONAL INSTITUTEOF HEALTH, USA

Dr. Margaret Mak (Associate Professor)

In 2008, I had a precious opportunity to undertake a three-month attachment in the USA at the National Institute of Neurological Diseases and Stroke (NINDS)of the National Institute of Health (NIH) in Bethesda and at Johns HopkinsHospital in Baltimore. The NIH is a government-funded research institute performing researches ranging from basic science to the development of innovative treatment approaches. Eligible subjects come from different parts ofthe USA to participate in these research projects. The purpose of my attachmentwas to learn the design and application of electrophysiological studies relatingto people with neurological disorders. One method used to study the electrophysiology of the nervous system is trans-cranial magnetic stimulation(TMS). In brief, TMS is a method of stimulating the brain through the intact scalpwithout causing pain at the surface. The stimulator produces a magnetic fieldthat lasts for only about 1/1000 second. The magnetic field easily penetrates thescalp and the skull, and, because it changes so rapidly, it induces electrical currents in the area of the brain beneath the coil. Effectively, the magnetic field'carries' the electrical stimulus across the barrier of the skull and the scalp intothe brain. The electrical current is thought to be strong enough to activate theaxon of the neurons, and this causes changes in their excitability.Electrophysiological properties of the brain, such as cortical excitability, intra-cortical inhibition and facilitation, as well as inter-hemispheric inhibitionand facilitation, can be recorded. These parameters are useful to reflect the cortical changes in the brain after an injury or a period of rehabilitation.

I had opportunities to work with the research fellows at the CorticalPhysiological Laboratory and Motor Control Laboratory of NINDS. There areongoing studies at the Cortical Physiology Laboratory, such as the examinationof the effects of motor learning (i.e., congruent vs. incongruent feedback, rewardvs. punishment) on enhancing cortical excitability in healthy subjects. In strokeindividuals, studies are conducted on the influence of the activation of the unaffected cortex on the affected cortex and on the effect of bilateral training onenhancing cortical excitation. I also spent time in the Motor Cortex Laboratory,which conducts studies into the understanding of the physiological mechanismsunderlying movement disorders such as Parkinson's disease, tics, epilepsy andataxia. I had the opportunity to participate in a treatment study of people withParkinson's disease using repetitive TMS and in a very interesting study examining the mechanism of inhibition of the cerebellum on the motor cortex.

Stephanie undertook a one-month attachment with me working with aresearch fellow at the Kennedy Kreiger Research Institute of Johns HopkinsHospital in Baltimore, Maryland. This institute has a spinal injury centre wherepatients receive clinical services and participate in relevant research studies. We had the opportunity to assist in the studies examining the effects of motortraining on cortical excitability in spinal cord injured patients.

All of these studies are very interesting, innovative and applicable to clinical practice. I have to take this opportunity to thank the Department for its support. This support allowed me to learn in a very nurturing and stimulating environment, so widening my horizons in conducting research studies in this area.

Dr. Amy Fu, AssistantProfessor, has just received an award from the HomeAffairs Bureau in appreciationof her contribution to sports development.

INTERVIEW with Dr. Amy Fu

Picture with Mr TSANG Tak-sing, the Secretary for Home Affairs

Staff Activities

Dr. Amy Fu (left) and her husband. Research and Diving: Indulge yourself in a fascinating world, but expectto encounter the unexpected challenge

playing sports. We play tennis, run half-marathons, and go diving in thebeautiful world of the sea.

QCan you share with us your keyto success?

AWell, I am far from being a success. God took me to where I am, so I don't have any

worries. I just try to do my best and toenjoy the tasks God puts before me.

QHave you been inspired in youracademic or personal pursuitsas a physiotherapist to provide

services to athletes in the OlympicGames?

ADetermination, focus, strategy, and hard work are the common characteristics of

the gold medallists that I have had the opportunity to work with. Luck is not acommon factor.

QWhat are your future plans interms of both academic and personal aspects?

AI wish to continue with my research on chronic pain associated with

musculoskeletal problems such as tendonopathy and instability problemsin athletes with Anterior CruciateLigament Deficit. In terms of personalaspects, I want to explore SouthAmerica. I love travelling. SouthAmerica is the continent that I mostwish to visit.

QWhat advice would you give tostudents?

AFirst, explore your horizonsand potential by meeting andtalking with people. There are

many opportunities, such as volunteerwork, talks, workshops, and conferences. Second, enrich yourknowledge by life-long learning. Third,determination, focus, strategy, and hard work are the common factors ofsuccess in any field.

QThank you for your time and I wish you even more successin the future.

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Six Weeks in HONG KONG

Lu Jia Jing Zhao Occupational Therapy (U2)

McGill University, Canada

I am Lu Jia JingZhao from theOccupationalTherapy Program(U2) of McGillUniversity(Montreal,Canada). Comingto Hong Kong (HK)for an internationalplacement was my first choice, as I have always wanted to explore HK's health care system and Chinese culturemore. Thanks to the Polytechnic University's good studentexchange programme, I was given the chance to have a fantastic experience in Hong Kong.

My placement was at the Prince of Wales Hospitaland I followed the hand team. As we all know, actual clinicalpractice is quite different from the basic knowledge that we learn at school. Although I have learnt a wide variety of theories and case conditions from my professional educationat McGill, there is still more to be learnt from actual caseswithin departments. The placement allowed me to beexposed to different hand injuries and diagnoses (i.e., burns,amputations, rheumatoid arthritis, fractures, etc.), as well

as to practice different assessment tools and treatmentplans. It was impressive to see how the occupational therapists and the co-workers work co-ordinately and efficiently. The hand team sees 40-50 clients per day, and the team works together to give each client the best care they can provide within a limited period of time.

During the six weeks of my placement, I also got the chance to attend in a 5-day workshop on "Steps to becoming a hand therapist: theories and practice" thatenriched myknowledge ofhand therapy.

Doctors, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, and students from different cities all joined together to learn andpractice. Overall, both the placement and the workshop stimulated my interest for further studies in occupationaltherapy, and I spent a wonderful six weeks in Hong Kong.

MEDICAL FairYu Shuk Yiu, Yoyo

Year Three Occupational Therapy Student

It was certainly a valuable experiencebeing a student ambassador for the Faculty of Health and SocialSciences (FHSS) at the Hong KongInternational Medical and Health CareFair 2008. Organized by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council andChina Promotion Limited, this fair is aresponse to the growing demand forproducts, services and information from the medical and health care industry as well as from the generalpublic. It also provides up-to-date information on new technology andemerging issues.

Dedicating to promoting public awareness of health and a better

Student's Activities

Eight Weeks as a HONG KONG "LOCAL"Cindy Hai

MSc OT Candidate, 2008Student from McMaster University, Canada

I was very fortunate to undertake a split occupational therapyplacement at two very diverse non-governmental organizations,because this exposed me to life as a "local" in various settings.During my six weeks at the Fu Hong Society on theChak On Estate, I worked predominately with clientsin the Sensory Integration Services programme andwas able to practice speaking Cantonese.Fortunately, I was still able to document in English!In the last two weeks of the placement, I foundmyself on Hong Kong Island at The Nesbitt Centre,which is a vocational and rehabilitation centre foradults with special needs. The Nesbitt Centre is avery unique setting in Hong Kong because it catersfor people whose first language, or in most instancesonly language, is English.

The occupational therapy staff membersfrom the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, the FuHong Society and The Nesbitt Centre were very sup-portive, but I was also very fortunate to have thesupport of Jing, a fellow classmate from McMaster,and Jane, an occupational therapy exchange studentfrom Australia. All of these people, combined withthe knowledge and skills that I have gained from the

past two years of my occupational therapy master's programme,have helped me to problem solve my way through Hong Kong,both inside the clinic and in normal everyday life!

understanding of its achievements in health-related research and innovations, the FHSS set up a prominent "Avenue ofHealth" booth, which comprised of eight showrooms, to addressthe heightened awareness of personal well-being among the general population.As the ambassador in the Sports Hall showroom, I was responsible for introducing the functions ofsplintage and the dementia programmes to the public; OTprofessions were also promoted. People were highly curious,especially about the manufacture of the mallet finger. Many ofthem revealed that they have not seen splinting before, whilesome even showed an interest in buying the splinting material!

I thoroughly enjoyed the Medical Fair; not only can itenhance communication with the public, but it also allowed me to explore in depth the latest medical and health care productsexhibited in the other booths and to broaden my horizons.

Cindy Hai (first from the right) and friends

YoYo Yu (first from the left) and classmates

Lu Jia Jing Zhao (first from the right) andfriends

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SPRING / 2009

President Professor Poon Chung-kwong retired on31 December, 2008 aftercompleting 18 years ofdistinguished service tothe Hong KongPolytechnic University.Prof. Poon has madetremendous contributionsto the advancement ofhigher education in the territory and to the development of PolyU,particularly in leading the institution to its achievement of full university status in 1994during his tenure.

This year theinstitution begins a newera in welcomingProfessor Timothy W. Tongas its new President witheffect from 1 January,2009. Prior to his currentappointment, Prof. Tongwas Dean of the School ofEngineering and Applied

Science (SEAS) at TheGeorge WashingtonUniversity in the UnitedStates. More news about the new president'svisit to our department will be featured in the next issue.

News

Dr. Matthew YauAssistant Professor

Miss Crystal TjungMarketing Officer

Miss Avis LeungAssistant Marketing Officer

Farewell to

President Poon

Dr. David R. Strauser, Associate Professor, Department of

Kinesiology and Community Health, University of Illinois

at Urbana-Champaign

Labour Department, HKSAR

Government

Huazhong University of

Science and Technology,

China

Curtin University of Technology, Australia

Sichuan University,

China

Visitors

We also wish to Farewell

to our

Department

December 15

2008

November 11

2008

October 13

2008

November 5

2008

November 11

2008

and of the Course Committee of theOccupational Therapy School at BrunelUniversity. I have been given the status of an honorary member of the SensoryIntegration Network UK and Ireland in recognition of my contribution to thedevelopment of sensory integrative therapy in the UK. I am also a professional adviser for the DyspraxiaFoundation.

I have received different awards from various professional andacademic bodies. For example, I receivedthe Byers Memorial Fund Award from the COT and a PhD scholarship from theHospital Saving Association for my doctoral study at Brunel University. Inaddition, I received the Vice Chancellor'sAward for Outstanding PhD Study in2005. In December 2007, I was awardedan Honorary Fellowship by BrunelUniversity in recognition of my contribution to the field and to society.

I am also active in research and publications. I am an article reviewerfor the British Journal of OccupationalTherapy. I have had over 40 research andclinical articles published in differentjournals, and have also contributed chapters to professional books. I amdelighted to receive the award ofOutstanding Graduate in OccupationalTherapy. It provides me with an impetus to develop my professional practice to a higher level.

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SPRING / 2009

HKSAR Government Scholarship

CHOY Kwok Ting

(Year 3, Physiotherapy)

WONG Kai Ting


WONG Yin Lam


WONG Hock Wing Winnie


CHEUNG Hiu Chun


KWONG Wai Hang


WONG Cheuk Yan Collins


CHAU Sui Pan


CHENG Yui Kwan


LEUNG E Lim Evelyn


LAU Hiu Yan


LUN Ka Yi Carina


DASWANI Dinisha Deepak


Rehabilitation Equipment DesignCompetition 2008Congratulations to Ms Shirley Fong for her innovative design (bowl and cutlery set) which facilitates self-feeding. Ms ShirleyFong won the first runner-up prize at the RehabilitationEquipment Design Competition 2008 organised by theAssociation for Engineering and Medical Volunteer Services.

Secretary of Home Affairs (SHA)Nomination Award 2008Dr. Amy Fu received the Secretary of Home Affairs (SHA)Nomination Award in recognition of her contribution to sportsdevelopment. Dr. Amy Fu and her team gave substantial supportto the athletes at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

HKAUW UndergraduateScholarship

CHENG Ting Yiu Yoyo


Department of RehabilitationSciences - Entrance Scholarshipfor Outstanding Achievement

CHAU Tsz Ling

(Year 1, Occupation Therapy)

CHEUNG Chun Man


Sir Edward Youde Memorial(SEYM) Scholarship 2008/09

WONG Kai Ting


Sonca Products Gold MedalAward 2008

KU Siu Ting

(Graduate, Physiotherapy)

Editors’ Corner

Editors: Ms Sharon M H Tsang &Ms Wood P S Lee

Department of Rehabilitaion Sciences

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Tel: 2766 4332

Fax: 2330 8656

Email: [email protected]

Welcome to Our New Colleagues

Miss Doris Au Marketing Officer

Miss Fion HoAssistant Marketing Officer

After qualifying as an occupationaltherapist in 1982, I made a consciousdecision not to enter the field of education and research until I hadacquired advanced clinical skills andhigher degrees. I believe that goodresearch should be informed by clinicalpractice and that a good educator shouldbe able to share practical experienceswith students. My ambition is to developexcellence in the areas of clinical practice, education and training,research and publication, service andstaff development.

I moved to the United Kingdom(UK) in March 1987 after working forabout five years at the Heep HongSociety for Handicapped Children inHong Kong. After settling in London, Ihad opportunities to develop my clinicalskills further and to gain different professional and academic qualifications.Academically, I completed a Post-Graduate Diploma in Biomechanics, a British Dyslexia Association Diploma, a Master of Science Degree in HealthPsychology and a PhD in Health Scienceand Social Care. My doctoral study wason multi-faceted intervention for children

with Attention Deficit HyperactivityDisorder (ADHD). I have also acquiredadvanced clinical skills in different treatment methods, for example neurodevelopmental treatment, sensoryintegrative therapy, and the InstrumentalEnrichment Programme.

I have been recognised as anexpert in the field of paediatric occupational therapy in the UK. Besidesmaking contributions to different undergraduate and postgraduate OTcourses, I have also conducted over 90clinical workshops for occupational therapists and other professionals withinthe UK and overseas (e.g., in Jordan,Malta, the Republic of Ireland, Singaporeand Hong Kong). In terms of service management, I have developed one ofthe largest paediatric occupational therapy services in the country. This service is recognised as a centre of excellence in the UK.

I have made significant contributions to the profession throughdifferent professional activities; forexample, I was a member of theEducation and Practice Board of theCollege of Occupational Therapists (COT)

Congratulations

RS Outstanding Alumni 2008Dr. Sidney Chu

Paediatric Occupational Therapy Service ManagerEaling Primary Care Trust, Ealing, London

Scholarships (September 2008 - February 2009)

The Hong Kong PolytechnicUniversity Scholarship(Academic)

LI Cheuk Hin Ken


CHUNG Suk Fan Josiben E


TSE Pui Yee


NG Ching Man


WEN Chun Pong


NG Pui Hin Jay


PUN Kai Kwong


CHEUNG Chun Man


CHAN Chun Yin


LEONG Yuan Mun


CHAU Tsz Ling

(Year 1, Occupational Therapy)

Impact - Hong Kong Polytechnic University...adequate pain reduction, so that the patient would be...

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