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PHTY30450

Academic Year 2025/2026

Digital Transformation in Physiotherapy & Sports Science (PHTY30450)

Subject:
Physiotherapy
College:
Health & Agricultural Sciences
School:
Public Hlth, Phys & Sports Sci
Level:
3 (Degree)
Credits:
5
Module Coordinator:
Professor Brian Caulfield
Trimester:
Autumn
Mode of Delivery:
Blended
Internship Module:
No
How will I be graded?
Letter grades

Curricular information is subject to change.

Digital technologies have the potential to make an enormous impact in the intersecting fields of health, wellness and sport. We are witnessing a global healthcare crisis, with an ageing and more sedentary population, rising healthcare costs and an undersupply of healthcare practitioners. At the same time, we also see the promise that digital transformation could bring to the healthcare sector, with the possibility of more proactive and preventive care in the home and community setting, and advanced personalised therapies in the acute setting. However, the process of digital transformation in healthcare is complex and slow, and we are yet to see a revolutionary transformation as we have seen in the entertainment and travel sectors. On the other hand, in the wellness and sports sectors we are seeing a rapid adoption of digital technologies - however in this case the value proposition is not always clear. In this module we will introduce the key concepts associated with use of digital technologies in these fields and will explore the benefits and challenges of digital transformation through examination of case studies in different contexts, with a specific focus on applications in Physiotherapy and Sport Science. The module will be delivered in a series of lectures and students will be tasked with reading targeted papers/reports and implementing tools in practice where appropriate.

Mapped to CORU SoP: 1.13, 2.7, 5.5, 5.6, 5.12

About this Module

Learning Outcomes:

On completion of this module students should:
1. Understand key concepts associated application of digital technologies in key areas related to physiotherapy and sports science.
2. Recognise the potential opportunities/benefits and implementation challenges associated with digital technologies in physiotherapy and sports science, focusing on issues such as digital and health literacy, clinical and economic impacts, data privacy and security with respect to appropriate legislation, ethical and responsible application of AI in healthcare, and change management.
3. Apply evidence-informed practice by being able to synthesise available research evidence and apply structured evaluation frameworks to digital solutions for specific treatment/intervention applications in physiotherapy and sports performance. Gaining an overall appreciation in how digital technologies can be incorporated into professional practice.
4. Present, discuss and evaluate specific examples of digitally enabled pathways and solutions in different settings.

Indicative Module Content:

Introduction & key concepts - the opportunity
Defining digital health, connected health, e-health, mobile health.
Challenges: adoption, change, sustainability, interoperability, privacy and security, digital literacy, ethical and responsible AI
Consumer grade wearables and associated mobile apps.
Digitally enabled wellness and lifestyle programmes
Digital supports for chronic disease management.
Virtual Reality supported Chronic Pain Management
Digitally enabled triage and screening services
Advances in measurement of human behaviour and performance
Interactive exercise biofeedback technologies and digitally supported rehabilitation
Digitally enabled sports performance capability measurement
Use of digital technologies to support clinical assessment
Use of robotic technologies in rehabilitation
Evidence synthesis and application of evaluation frameworks in digital health
Regulatory aspects of digital wellness and health
AI and large language models in the clinical setting

Student Effort Hours:
Student Effort Type Hours
Lectures

24
Specified Learning Activities

40
Autonomous Student Learning

40
Total

104

Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
The module is primarily delivered through face to face lectures, supported with links to pre-recorded material and selected articles from scientific and grey literature.

AI/Academic Integrity:
Staff may utilise Artificial Intelligence (AI) during the programme to support teaching and learning and it will be clearly indicated if and when AI is used. Students are prohibited from representing work as their own that they did not write, code or create. Submission of AI-generated content to this module by a student without explicit permission and attribution is not allowed and it may reflect unacceptable professional behaviour. This may result in the initiation of a student disciplinary procedure in accordance with the “University Student Code of Conduct and Academic Integrity Policy.

Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations

Not applicable to this module.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Incompatibles:
PHTY30440 - DigitalTransformationinHealth


 

Assessment Strategy
Description Timing Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade In Module Component Repeat Offered
Group Work Assignment: Students are assigned to groups of 5/6, each of which will be required to prepare and present and evaluate a case study of a digitally enabled product or service relevant to Physiotherapy practice. Week 12 Graded No
100
 No

Carry forward of passed components
No
 

Remediation Type Remediation Timing
In-Module Resit Prior to relevant Programme Exam Board
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 

Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Group/class feedback, post-assessment
• Peer review activities

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Not yet recorded.

Name Role
Assoc Professor Brona Fullen Lecturer / Co-Lecturer
Assoc Professor Olive Lennon Lecturer / Co-Lecturer

Timetabling information is displayed only for guidance purposes, relates to the current Academic Year only and is subject to change.
Autumn Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - Autumn: Weeks 2-12 Wed 09:00 - 10:50
Autumn Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 13 Wed 13:00 - 16:50
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