Alison Porter-Armstrong
alison porter armstrong

Dr Alison Porter-Armstrong DPhil, BSc (Hons) OT, MRCOT, HCPC Registered

Professor

 0131 455 4570

  A.Porter-Armstrong@napier.ac.uk

   

Biography

Alison is Professor of Healthcare Technology Innovation and Assessment in the School of Health and Social Care at Edinburgh Napier University, and leads the Healthcare Technology Research Group. Alison is an occupational therapist whose research interests include: assistive technologies, seating and postural support, pressure care, and innovations in upper limb rehabilitation and stroke care. She has published widely in these areas authoring 200 peer reviewed publications, commissioned research reports, keynote addresses and conference presentations. As a Cochrane Fellow, she led the Cochrane Review team on the systematic review of education of healthcare professionals for the prevention of pressure ulcers. Her research programme has generated significant research grant income of approximately £7million, involving collaboration with a variety of prestigious organisations, including the University of California Los Angeles, The University of Pittsburgh, Georgia Institute of Technology and the University of Massachusetts-Amherst. Alison has won many awards for her work including First Placed lead academic for the Best Knowledge Transfer Partnerships in both Northern Ireland and subsequently in the United Kingdom competition; was a finalist in the Praxis Unico Impact Awards (Business Achieved Category) and is a recipient of the H21 Award for Services to the European Seating Symposium.

Alison is a Trustee and Treasurer of the European Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel (EPUAP), immediate past Co-Chair of the Scientific Committee for the European Seating Symposium (ESS),and is an invited member of the International Society for Wheelchair Professionals (ISWP). Alison has been a review panel member for many prestigious funding bodies including the Department of Health, the Wellcome Trust, and the Health Innovation Challenge Fund.

School

Research Groups

News

Esteem

Advisory panels and expert committees or witness

  • Member of the Advisory Board, Royal College of Occupational Therapists' Research Foundation
  • Member Judging Panel, The Irish Education Awards
  • Trustee, Member of Executive Board , & Treasurer, European Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel (EPUAP)

 

Conference Organising Activity

  • Chair, Scientific Committee European Seating Symposium

 

Editorial Activity

  • Editorial Board Member, Journal of Tissue Viability
  • Editorial Board Member, Quality and Ageing

 

External Examining/Validations

  • PhD examiner

 

Fellowships and Awards

  • H21 Award for Services to the European Seating Symposium
  • Cochrane Fellowship Award
  • Lead Academic, First Placed Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP), UK
  • Lead Academic, First Placed Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) NI

 

Membership of Professional Body

  • European Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel
  • Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) Registered
  • Member of the Royal College of Occupational Therapists

 

Reviewing

  • Manuscript review: British Journal of Occupational Therapy; Physical Therapy Reviews; Journal of Tissue Viability

 

Filter by

Date


57 results

The reliability of the graded Wolf Motor Function Test for stroke

Journal Article
Turtle, B., Porter-Armstrong, A., & Stinson, M. (2020)
The reliability of the graded Wolf Motor Function Test for stroke. British Journal of Occupational Therapy, 83(9), 585-594. https://doi.org/10.1177/0308022620902697
Introduction The graded Wolf Motor Function Test assesses upper limb function following stroke. Clinical utility is limited by the requirement to video record for scoring purp...

A systematic review of the application and psychometric properties of the graded Wolf Motor Function Test

Journal Article
Turtle, B., Porter-Armstrong, A., & Stinson, M. (2020)
A systematic review of the application and psychometric properties of the graded Wolf Motor Function Test. British Journal of Occupational Therapy, 83(5), 285-296. https://doi.org/10.1177/0308022619879074
Introduction Adapted from the Wolf Motor Function Test, the graded Wolf Motor Function Test is an upper limb activity assessment for use following stroke and brain injury. The...

A pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT) of mirror box therapy in upper limb rehabilitation with sub-acute stroke

Report
Porter-Armstrong, A., McIlwaine, P., Abbi, L., Bradbury, I., Morrow, F., Turtle, B., …Stinson, M. (2018)
A pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT) of mirror box therapy in upper limb rehabilitation with sub-acute stroke. London: Royal College of Occupational Therapists

Education of healthcare professionals for preventing pressure ulcers

Journal Article
Porter-Armstrong, A. P., Moore, Z. E., Bradbury, I., & McDonough, S. (2018)
Education of healthcare professionals for preventing pressure ulcers. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2018(5), https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.cd011620.pub2
Background Pressure ulcers, also known as bed sores or pressure sores, are localised areas of tissue damage arising due to excess pressure and shearing forces. Education of he...

The effectiveness of interventions aimed at increasing physical activity in adults with persistent musculoskeletal pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Journal Article
Marley, J., Tully, M. A., Porter-Armstrong, A., Bunting, B., O’Hanlon, J., Atkins, L., …McDonough, S. M. (2017)
The effectiveness of interventions aimed at increasing physical activity in adults with persistent musculoskeletal pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders, 18(1), https://doi.org/10.1186/s12891-017-1836-2
Background Individuals with persistent musculoskeletal pain (PMP) have an increased risk of developing co-morbid health conditions and for early-mortality compared to those wi...

Exploring repositioning movements in sitting with ‘at risk’ groups using accelerometry and interface pressure mapping technologies

Journal Article
Stinson, M., Ferguson, R., & Porter-Armstrong, A. (2018)
Exploring repositioning movements in sitting with ‘at risk’ groups using accelerometry and interface pressure mapping technologies. Journal of Tissue Viability, 27(1), 10-15. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtv.2017.11.001
Background Despite high quality guidelines underpinning pressure ulcer care (NPUAP/EPUAP/PPPIA, 2014), pressure ulceration still poses a significant financial impact on health...

Education of healthcare professionals for preventing pressure ulcers

Journal Article
Porter-Armstrong, A. P., Moore, Z. E., Bradbury, I., & McDonough, S. (2015)
Education of healthcare professionals for preventing pressure ulcers. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2015, https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.cd011620
This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (Intervention). The objectives are as follows: To assess the effects of educational interventions on the knowledge and clinical behav...

A systematic review of interventions aimed at increasing physical activity in adults with chronic musculoskeletal pain—protocol

Journal Article
Marley, J., Tully, M. A., Porter-Armstrong, A., Bunting, B., O’Hanlon, J., & McDonough, S. M. (2014)
A systematic review of interventions aimed at increasing physical activity in adults with chronic musculoskeletal pain—protocol. Systematic Reviews, 3(1), https://doi.org/10.1186/2046-4053-3-106
Background Chronic musculoskeletal pain is highly prevalent, affecting around one in five people across Europe. Osteoarthritis, low back pain, neck pain and other musculoskele...

Using a template to improve the accuracy and efficiency of the Jebsen–Taylor Hand Function Test: A comparative study

Journal Article
Harte, D., Curran, D., Hamill, P., Porter-Armstrong, A., & Wilson, L. (2014)
Using a template to improve the accuracy and efficiency of the Jebsen–Taylor Hand Function Test: A comparative study. Hand Therapy, 19(1), 11-16. https://doi.org/10.1177/1758998314522435
Introduction The Jebsen–Taylor Hand Function Test is a standardised assessment that relies upon precise test administration through the placement of a number of small items in...

A Literature Review of Pressure Ulcer Prevention: Weight Shift Activity, Cost of Pressure Care and Role of the Occupational Therapist

Journal Article
Stinson, M., Gillen, C., & Porter-Armstrong, A. (2013)
A Literature Review of Pressure Ulcer Prevention: Weight Shift Activity, Cost of Pressure Care and Role of the Occupational Therapist. British Journal of Occupational Therapy, 76(4), 169-178. https://doi.org/10.4276/030802213X13651610908371
Introduction: Pressure ulcers are a major concern for those who spend a prolonged period of time sitting. Weight shifts are one prevention strategy used to reduce the risk of ...

Current Post Grad projects

Non-Napier PhD or MSc by Research supervisions

  • Beverley Turtle.Mirror box therapy in upper limb rehabilitation with sub-acute stroke patients. PhD.
  • Joanne Marley.Using the Behaviour Change Wheel to develop Interventions to Increase Physical Activity in Adults with Persistent Pain and Improve the Promotion of Physical Activity by Healthcare Professionals. PhD.
  • Lorna Semple.Optimising pressure ulcer prevention: exploring applications and effectiveness of the SKIN bundle. PhD.
  • Katy Pedlow.Constraint Induced Movement Therapy for patients with acquired brain injury. PhD.
  • Rachel Ferguson.The impact of activities of daily living on seating interface pressure. PhD.
  • Daniel Harte.A randomised controlled trial to investigate the collaborative use of pressure and silicone in reducing hypertrophic scar formation after burns. MClinRes.
  • Clare Wright.Establishing best practice in paediatric seating and mobility assessment. MClinRes.
  • Jill Drysdale.The effectiveness of community living skills training in improving functional ability of children with moderate learning disabilities. MClinRes.
  • Catherine Adams.Sensor and imaging technologies in pressure ulceration: exploring use and application. PhD.
  • Mary McGrath. The efficacy of a home based memory rehabilitation programme for patients with mild alzheimers disease who are stable on acetylcholinesterase inhibitors. MPhil.
  • Shelley Crawford.The application of the FSA pressure mapping system in clinical settings. PhD.
  • Laura McKeown.Caregivers of individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS): Intervention and needs during the caregiving experience. PhD.
  • May Stinson. An investigation into the efficacy of the Force Sensing Array pressure care mapping system as a method of assessing pressure sores. PhD.