Research Projects

Recruiting physiotherapists and timely filling vacancies are challenging for inpatient healthcare facilities. Understanding potential applicants’ preferences regarding future employment is crucial for making job offers and work conditions more attractive.

Assessment tools to evaluate the communicative abilities of people with dementia for healthcare professionals: a scoping review.

People with dementia are already affected by impairments in their communication skills in the early stages of the disease. This can lead to misunderstandings in daily communicative situations with relatives or carers. These problems in social interactions lead to people with dementia reducing their social contacts and participating less in leisure activities. Relationships, including with family members, can be difficult to maintain and lead to social withdrawal, which can negatively impact the quality of life of those affected and their relatives. One way of counteracting social withdrawal is to intensify the communication opportunities offered by family members or carers. To maintain dialogue, it is crucial to specifically collect and assess communication skills.

There is a large and even growing need for qualified nurses to provide high-quality care for people with dementia in the healthcare system. At the same time, studies show that nursing students have low preferences working in dementia care.

The diagnosis of interstitial lung disease (ILD) due to its complex pathologic mechanisms and similar clinical features is quite difficult to achieve. A possible approach to track local changes in lung tissue can be radiological imaging, commonly through high resolution computed tomography (HRCT). However, due to the complex character of ILDs, results from HRCT are limited because of the occurrence of similar radiological features and the lack of defining exposed tissue caused by inflammation.

Worksite based prolonged static sitting postures can cause musculoskeletal pain. While the development of pain increases due to the constant growth of digitalization at work, numerous interventions to reduce prolonged sitting periods have been created. The effects of such interventions have not yet been properly examined. Thus, the "DynSit-Pain" project was initiated to investigate the influence of dynamic sitting on the pain development of pain developers in office environments.

Thermal spa and health destinations in the Bavarian-Austrian program area as well as the entire health tourism industry are suffering massively from an enormous shortage of skilled workers. At least since the Covid-19 pandemic many specialists have left their companies, regions or even their industries ꟷ individual destinations can no longer solve these challenges on their own.

It is therefore important to join forces to counteract this exodus with sustainable strategies and measures in order to (re)gain urgently needed professionals and retain them within the companies in the long run, to improve current trainings and to continue education programs in line with demands, and to make the basic working and living conditions in the destinations more attractive.

Clinical computed tomography (CT) is a highly established diagnostic imaging tool in healthcare. Due to its high impact on medical diagnosis and therapy planning, the technology is evolving rapidly. ALARA (“As low as reasonably achievable”) in terms of radiation exposure for medical purposes with the primary intention to bring health benefits to the individual is one of the most important principles for acquiring medical images with radiation exposure. Hence, the optimization of image acquisition is an important part of clinical practice and is declared within the medical radiation protection regulation (§4 (1) MedSchV). In addition, the medical radiation regulation expels reference values for diagnostic CT imaging as a minimum requirement in clinical practice. However, due to new hardware technologies in computer tomography scanners as well as new acquisition and reconstruction techniques of imaging data the potential reduction of radiation exposure in medical CT imaging expands. Furthermore, especially with the availability of integrated photon counting detectors into clinical scanners, enhanced quantitative approaches lead to better tissue characterization and can add additional diagnostic information to raise the disease prognosis.

The objectives of this scoping review are 1) to provide a comprehensive overview of the current evidence on eccentric training modalities and flexibility, joint range of motion and/or fascicle length in the rehabilitation process of lower limb musculoskeletal disorders; 2) to describe in detail the modalities of training including dosage of eccentric training during the specific tissue healing phases; and 3) to identify the need for future research.

Differential analysis indicates that social inequality leads to health inequality and poverty is considered a co-founder in many health care settings. This project aims to present the impact of material deprivation on maternal and neonatal obstetric outcomes.

Following a cooperation request a treaty was signed between medical staff of the Hemodialysis Ward (Steyr hospital), the Institute of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (Steyr hospital) and the University of Applied Sciences for Health Professions Upper Austria. This cooperation comprises of six bachelor theses, proposals are already accomplished. Currently, the students are writing their theses, which should be finished at the end of January 2025.

Professional Identity (PI) has been defined as an ongoing transformative evolutionary process. PI is the adoption of specific beliefs, attributes and (ethical) values and experiences to become a member of a profession or the way individuals „think and act in line with the… group, … expressed by normative behaviour and loyalty”. Lacking clarity of PI can lead negatively to a professional’s attenuated perceived self-value, can weaken the profession itself and the confidence in performing her/his role. On the other hand, a well-developed concept of one’s PI can lead to enhanced professional confidence and a better exercise of the profession chosen.

Even though increasing digitalisation reduces handwriting activities, the intensive use of a handwriting tool can lead to problems in the hand or finger areas. Since these problems are often induced by too much pressure and excessive forces during the handwriting process, an ideal design shall help in reducing them. Such an innovative design will be investigated in a cooperative study with the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

In Austria, as in many other countries, the older population continues to grow. Often elderly people prefer staying in their own homes for as long as they can, and only move into a nursing home at a later stage in their lives or only if need be. However, to respond to this important and understandable request for independence, family members and informal caregivers have to take on challenging responsibilities. Our project aims to support these individuals in home care for elderly people.

Early detection of language development disorders and a timely delivery of appropriate measures derived therefrom can prevent the secondary consequences of language learning disorders. In particular, phonologically delayed disorders, can have an impact on the development of literacy and placing the child at risk for dyslexia. Due to the high demand for speech therapy, however, many children wait up to 4 months before therapy can be started.

While the maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality in clinical and home births were analysed in a wide variety of studies, the data on maternal and neonatal outcomes of births, which are needed to be transferred from a home-birth setting into a clinical setting is poorly prepared and severely limited. The analysis of outcome quality after transferred home births provides important information on the process quality of extramural obstetric care.

The aim of the EFAD Breakfast Toolkit is the development of digitally supported nutritional strategies in breakfast to optimize the choice of food. The International Breakfast Research Initiative (IBRI) consortium developed evidence-based, nutrient-based recommendations. The goal of this project is to develop tools to translate the IBRI Breakfast Nutrient Recommendations into a convenient, digital profile for individuals.

Patients with chronic diseases require specific skills for managing their symptoms. Therefore, an education programme for chronically ill people will be developed at the University of Applied Sciences for Health Professionals Upper Austria. The programme will comprise six workshops, individual coaching sessions, and regular group meetings.

The programme will be implemented in a primary care centre. Experiences, effectiveness, and acceptance will be evaluated in a study.

People with dementia often develop problems to communicate with other people. Contacts with domestic pets, however, are often less complicated for them. For this reason, pets are employed to stimulate social interaction and well-being. If this is not allowed by the given institutional arrangements, robotic pets can be used instead. At present only little information is available on the reactions of persons concerned as well as on what to consider when using robotic pets with dementia patients.

According to the WHO, non-communicable diseases such as chronic heart and lung diseases, insult, cancer, diabetes or rheumatoid arthritis, accounted for around 40 million deaths worldwide in 2015, which is around 70% of the total number of deaths.

In Austria, nursing predominantly takes place at home. Mainly relatives or informal caregivers working for agencies which provide personal assistance are involved. Professional nurses and medical specialists are often contacted at a very late stage. This leaves both family and informal caregivers with a variety of challenges.

Due to their nutritional content in macronutrients (carbohydrates, lipids and proteins) and micronutrients (such as the comparatively high contents in vitamins and minerals) plant-based foods play an essential role for human nutrition. In addition, plants also contain non-nutritive compounds such as fibres and secondary plant substances (SPS). SPS can be credited with health-promoting properties which have a positive effect on metabolic processes.

With age, the performance and independence of people decrease. This is often further increased by illnesses and injuries. In addition to movement restrictions and problems in carrying out activities of daily life, there is a reduction of participation in social life and consequently in the quality of life.

The Austrian Space Forum (Österreichisches Weltraum Forum, head: Gernot Grömer) requested the support of the University of Applied Sciences for Health Professions Upper Austria now for the second time since the last project 2018.
The upcoming program AMADEE-20 will take place in fall 2020 in Israel and will cover a five week research in the desert to simulate the conditions on the surface of Mars.

In the context of demographic change with an increase in medical services and at the same time a demand for a cost-efficient and affordable healthcare system, it is important to optimize processes. This also applies to laboratory analyses, which make an important contribution to patient care.

E-learning is defined as „all types of learning with the use of digital media, either the presentation or the distribution of learning material or the communication between students and teachers“ (Kerres und Preußler 2012). In physiotherapy education parts of lessons could be added by e-learning, to offer students the opportunity to learn and repeat at their own responsibilty.

In addition to the increasing use of digital technologies in healthcare, there is also an increased use of health apps in private life. A common focus of digital solutions is often on promoting physical activity or improving musculoskeletal complaints. To develop these digital solutions, companies need knowledge and the latest findings in the fields of anatomy, physiotherapy and motion analysis. According to the University of Applied Sciences for Health Professions Upper Austria, the FFG qualification seminar "Moving" contributes to the improvement of existing digital solutions and the development of new innovations.

Students at the University of Applied Sciences for Health Professions in Upper Austria have to complete numerous internships within the scope of their studies. Especially during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic both their unpaid work as interns and their participation in official antigen-testing activities are of great value for the health care system. Studies have shown that health care workers are at increased risk of becoming infected with SARS-CoV-2. In a proportion of hospital personnel, SARS-CoV-2 antibodies are detectable in the blood even without evidence of Covid-19 disease. Thus, the question arises whether this also occurs in interns.

With the frequent application of anthelmintics, the targeted micro-organisms become more and more resistant. For some time now, the focus has been on searching for alternative active agents to treat farm animals. Furthermore in the case of parasite infestation, biological treatment is preferable, in order to preserve the animals as a resource for food production.

The prevalence of work-related physical stress in primary school teachers worldwide depending on the region ranges from 32% to 67%. The three most affected regions of the body are the neck (39% to 69%), the lower back (38% to 48%) and the shoulders (28% to 73%)(Moom et al., 2015; Karakaya et al., 2015; Yue et al., 2012; Korkmaz et al., 2011; Chong and Chan, 2010; Nurul et al., 2010; Cardoso et al., 2009).

The aim of stroke rehabilitation is to significantly increase the patient’s quality of life. In addition to traditional therapy, the use of more widespread consumer electronics (e.g. smart phones, tablets, gesture-controlled devices or virtual reality devices) can help to support the rehabilitation.

Diversified food products offer high potential for food producers, for major enterprises, as well as for medium-sized enterprises or food manufacturers to adapt and further develop their products. There is a trend towards healthy and nutritious choices in food and beverages.

The term “subacromial pain syndrome“ covers many shoulder pains, often clinically difficult to differentiate. Among the most commonly diagnosed are Subacromial Impingement-Syndrome, Tendinitis calcarea, Bursitis subacromialis, Periarthropathia humeroscapularis or degenerative changes in the rotator cuff.

Fitness Trackers and Fitness Apps have rapidly gained popularity during the last five years. As part of our research focus on assistive technology, project „New Generation“ investigates, how smart phone appliances can contribute to health promotion for elderly persons by increasing physical activity levels. According to WHO recommendations, older adults should engage in at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity per week.

This project is carried out by the Bachelor Programme Midwifery in cooperation with the Institute for Clinical Epidemiology at the Tiroler Kliniken GmbH. The average birthing age in Austria has risen dramatically in the last few decades. A maternal age over 35 is discussed as an independent risk factor for the pregnancy and birth due to a higher intervention rate.

Language acquisition is a precondition for oral communication, literacy, and social aspects of life. Up to 16.3 % of all children in Germany are affected by speech sound disorders. Difficulties with the speech processing system (e.g. listening, discriminating speech sounds, etc.) can have an impact on the development of literacy and placing the child at risk of dyslexia.

HLS-EU study shows comparatively less health literacy for Austria and points to the extraordinary challenge for the Austrian population to find their way around the healthcare. In order to avoid wrong ways in the health care of patients and to protect from waiting times, the project “Der gelungene Patientenkontakt” started in October 2018.

The aim of the research project is to convey expert knowledge and experience in the fields of obstetrics, anaesthesia and neonatology on an inter-professional level with regard to mothers with motoric and sensory disabilities in the peripartal context.

Operating theatre nurses work in sterile zones under the supervision of surgeons and are responsible for preparing surgical instruments before procedures, keeping count of surgical instruments and passing instruments to surgeons and surgical assistants. More than 50% spend their time in a standing position and standing for long hours (up to 10 hours for some surgical procedures, such as a lumbar fusion) is a significant contributor to lower back pain and pain in the other body areas.

The demographic development shows, that the elderly population and very elderly is increasing more and more in society. Therefore more illnesses occur (stroke etc) which among others can lead to dysphagia. Difficulty in swallowing in turn increases the risk of malnutrition.

The Klippel-Trenaunay-Syndrome is a rare congenital development disorder of the vessels, which are linked with multiple vessel malformations in the arterial, venous and lymphatic area. Due to the rarity of the disease there is currently very little evidence on treatments and the majority of these are in the form of Case Reports.

In this project, we focussed on the meaningful leisure-time activities of 10 to18 year old children and adolescents. Within the scope of a co-operation with the “Khevenhüller Gymnasium Linz”, we reviewed the following questions: How do 10-18 year olds spend their time (especially their leisure time), do they experience occupational balance, does this have an effect on their well-being?

The aim of this project, which was approved for the Upper Austrian Tender 2015 – Medical Technology (Health care, ageing society), is the development of orthoses for people with limited mobility.

A brachial plexus lesion is able to induce alterations in the peripheral and the central nervous system, leading to neuropathic pain. Treatment methods targeting the reoganisation of central supraspinal information processing have shown promising results in the last few years.

Every four years a survey of the nutritional status of adults in Austria is carried out. A continual nutrition survey makes it possible to observe and document developments and trends of the nutritional state. The continual nutritional survey is a support for decisions in politics, business and science.

This project was executed at the University of Applied Sciences for Health Professionals Upper Austria in cooperation with the Institute for clinical Epidemiology at the Tiroler Kliniken GmbH. The gender of the unborn child and the resulting specifics have so far been overlooked in obstetrics, studies available on this are thus limited.

The aim of this project is, on the one hand, to establish to which extent special service- and support offers and structural measures were implemented in the obstetrics departments in Austria, in order to be able to guarantee both barrier-free access and equal care for women with disabilities and on the other to analyse the obstetric care, advice and nursing care of the women affected. The project is being carried out in cooperation with the FH Gesundheit Tirol (University of Applied Sciences for Health in Tyrol) and with the support of the Austrian Midwives Board.

The prospective pilot study on carbohydrate resorption disorders was implemented as a cooperation project between the University of Applied Sciences for Health Professions Upper Austria (Bachelor Programmes Biomedical Science and Dietetics) and the Hospital in Steyr (Institute for Medical and Chemical Laboratory Diagnostics).

Rationale, Aims and Objectives: Research examining the use of evidence-based practice (EBP) in physical therapy in many countries has revealed positive attitudes, varying degrees of EBP use and barriers at practitioner-, patient- and organizational levels. In contrast to these countries, Austria does not have an academic or research tradition in physical therapy.

The decrease in physical activity among children in developed societies and the consequential long-term effects on health and development is a major challenge already today and for the future. The Upper Austrian Department of Health, in collaboration with the University of Applied Sciences for Health Professions (Physiotherapy Program), has therefore drafted a physical activity program for after school care, based on the general criteria of health promotion (e.g. empowerment, multiplicative approach, etc.). A pilot project in selected after school care facilities started in the school year 2013/14.

The project’s aim was to develop a training software based on PixelSense technology that is suitable for patients with acquired brain injury. One of our special concerns was to motivate patients using a clear and attractive design (making it “fun”), the use of multi-touch and the integration of objects (“tast”, German for touch) as well as the possibility to use the table (“tisch”, German for table) from different angles. In total, we developed 14 modules for application in neuro-rehabilitation.

The light normal diet is used as a gastroenterological basic diet in Austrian hospitals. The recommendations in the context of this nutrition represent an important basis for nutritional therapy in specific and unspecific gastroenterological illnesses.