School of Medicine launches Policy and Civic Engagement Report 2024

Posted on: 17 September 2024

The School of Medicine celebrated the achievements of a number of their civic engagement champions in a new report that showcases a diverse selection of activities and projects taking place across the 21 disciplines in the School. Through this celebration the School is fostering an ecosystem that advances collective knowledge and expertise, leading to innovative solutions for societal impact.

(L - R) Dr Catherine Darker, Emma McDonald, Prof Brian O'Connell, Austin Campbell, Prof Brian Lawlor, Dr Darach Ó Ciardha, Bridget Gavin, Lena Doherty, Declan Dunne, Prof Susan Smith, Michael Foley, Prof Colin Doherty, Dr Linda Doyle, Provost, Dr Sara Burke at the launch of the School of Medicine report.

Professor Jo-Hanna Ivers, Associate Dean of Civic Engagement for Societal Impact, said:

“Civic engagement, at Trinity, refers to the active involvement of our students, faculty, staff, and alumni in their communities to address societal issues, promote democratic values, and foster positive social change.

 This commitment to civic responsibility and the cultivation of associated knowledge, skills and attitudes enriches the academic experience, delivers impactful research and scholarship, and fosters collective action for the public good.”

Prof Colin Doherty, Head of School of Medicine, speaking at the report launch, with (L - R) Prof Susan Smith, Director of Health Policy and Engagement, School of Medicine and Provost, Dr Linda Doyle.

The report considers research and work under four main areas of civic engagement:

1.Supporting disadvantaged local and global communities: Equity in healthcare is a core tenet of the School of Medicine. By actively engaging in initiatives that support groups who are underserved or disadvantaged by health services, the School aims to address critical health disparities.

2.Promoting community health through creative engagement: Trinity’s School of Medicine endeavours to find creative ways to broaden the horizons of its own faculty, staff, and students. Engaging creatively with community health can break down barriers, making health education more accessible and relatable while simultaneously encouraging community and trust.

3.Learning together: teachers, students, and global communities: Civically engaged learning is an important component of health professional education that goes beyond the classroom. By integrating civic engagement activities into learning experiences, the School empowers future healthcare professionals to understand and address the diverse needs of the communities they serve.

4.Influencing health and social care policy: Trinity is proud of its long-standing reputation in shaping health policy and system reform. The School of Medicine has built constructive relationships with policymakers, influenced national policy, and contributed to understanding about health and care policy and performance in Ireland and abroad. The School has the combined expertise of two dedicated centres of excellence: the Institute of Population Health and the Centre for Health Policy and Management, both in the Discipline of Public Health and Primary Care.

Some examples of the School’s policy and civic engagement projects, outlined in the report, are below: 

The Brain Health Village Project

The Brain Health Village Project is a ground-breaking initiative to integrate brain health principles seamlessly into housing design and community development. The project is a Global Brain Health Institute (GBHI) at Trinity and Respond Housing Association partnership, both of whom are committed to advancing social justice and equity in their respective fields. The project aims to apply brain health informed approaches in an existing development managed by Respond, based in Rathcoran, Baltinglass, Co Wicklow. Rathcoran offers diverse housing options, providing for an inclusive community. The project began in 2023 and - with the input of Rathcoran residents - has created a framework for a ‘brain health friendly community’ which includes a number of on-going initiatives such as healthy eating programmes, community arts projects, a social walking club and development of education and awareness approaches for Respond residents and staff. A robust evaluation strategy will ensure that all learnings from this project are documented and will capture its impact on the brain health and wellbeing of residents.  The potential reach of the project is exciting, both nationally but also across the world through GBHI’s global network of alumni and collaborators, as learnings and models from this pilot are adapted across diverse communities and settings in other countries and regions.

(L - R) Declan Dunne, CEO, Respond and Prof Brian Lawlor, GBHI speak about the Brain Health Village project

Drop-in exercise programme for homeless adults

Homeless adults would value and participate in exercise programmes that are accessible and safe for them, according to a new study by Dr Julie Broderick, Assistant Professor at the Discipline of Physiotherapy. It is a concern that homeless people in their 20s, 30s and 40s have physical frailty of those in their 70s and 80s. With the support of Merchants Quay Ireland,  Dr Broderick, demonstrated how a targeted exercise programme combined with protein supplementation can help combat frailty in people experiencing homelessness, leading to improvements in both strength and fitness. The 16-week ‘drop in’ exercise programme exercise classes were led by Research Physiotherapist Fiona Kennedy, at Merchants Quay Ireland’s Riverbank Centre with positive outcomes for participants.

Mercer’s Institute for Successful Ageing: Creative Life Pillar

The Mercer’s Institute for Successful Ageing (MISA) is a state-of-the-art-facility for integrated clinical services and a hub for world-leading research in ageing based in St James’s Hospital in Dublin. Regius Professor Rose-Anne Kenny is the Director of the Institute. ‘Creative Life’ is one of four pillars within MISA that focuses on an ‘Arts and Health’ approach promoting creativity through the arts that enhances mental and physical well-being as we age. The programme has benefited MISA inpatients and hospital staff (St James’s Hospital). The programme also provides supports to artists/musicians working in the area of arts and health through education in best practices and mentorship at St James’s Hospital, as well as enhancing well-being, and opportunities for creative expression.

The ‘Books Are Good For You’ project

The School recognises the importance of children remaining in education and striving for higher levels of educational attainment as one way to improve health in socioeconomically disadvantaged communities. The ‘Books Are Good For You’ project is a partnership with Tallaght County Library and works with the children of St Anne’s Primary School in Fettercairn in Tallaght. Led by Associate Professor Catherine Darker, Assistant Professor Darach Ó Ciardha, both from the Discipline of Public Health and Primary Care and Lena Doherty, Faculty Administrator in the Faculty of Health Sciences, the project enables children to visit a public library, be issued with a reader card, take out books and sign up for library activities. It also provides a creative opportunity for children to write and illustrate their own stories and chance to learn about their own health, including their brain health, and the positive impacts that reading can have on their wellbeing. A number of medical students volunteer on the project, providing them with opportunities to interact with young people from the Tallaght community.

Lena Doherty, Faculty of Health Sciences at the launch of the report

The shaping influence of School of Medicine research

The School’s researchers have established a reputation among policy decision-makers for being highly responsive to requests for expertise and reliable research evidence in supporting the creation of effective legislation. This expertise is impacting policy in the fields of public health, infectious diseases, immunology, geriatrics, mental health and oncology.

At a national level, the School has close collaborative ties with the main architects of health policy including the Department of Health, the Health Information and Quality Authority, the National Cancer Registry Board, the Health Service Executive, the Economic and Social Research Institute and Oireachtas Eireann. Through the Institute of Population Health and the Centre for Health Policy and Management (in the Discipline of Public Health and Primary Care in the School) researchers have been involved in tackling major health and system challenges and programmes over the last number of years in Ireland such as COVID, smoking cessation and Sláintecare among others.Dr Sara Burke, Centre for Health Policy and Management speaks at the launch.

READ: You can read the full report, Advancing engagement for better health impacts at this link: https://www.tcd.ie/medicine/research/news/2024/celebrating-the-difference-that-the-school-of-medicine-is-making-in-the-lives-of-patients-and-communities/

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