We are happy to announce that this month EUPAP project is celebrating its 2-year anniversary! Even though this year has been challenging for all of us and many EUPAP implementation activities were suspended, we are proud to share that many of our partners continued their preparation activities such as focussing on finishing their national feasibility studies, offering online trainings for the EUPAP prescribers, meeting with local health-care providers and other stakeholders when possible, organizing online conferences and finding new innovative ways (Social media, local intranets) to promote PAP method and its effectiveness. Well done all!

Some of our milestones:

• 3rd and final EUPAP training for healthcare practitioners organized online
• EUPAP Feasibility study report assessing the context and country readiness towards 10 European regions and Feasibility Study Guides prepared
• Almost 100 physicians (key prescribers) reached during training in the EUPAP method in Germany
• Local intranet page for the hospital employees working with PAP, where they can download the prescription form for PAP, SF-36 surveys, patient leaflet, Borg scale, evidence-based recommendations for physical activity, set up in Denmark
• Facebook group consisting of patients and health professionals to promote PAP activities such as sharing of home workout exercises, information’s about the benefits of the Physical activity, the use of pedometer and accelerometer created by a general practitioner involved in EUPAP implementation process in Romania
• And many more.

EUPAP project extension confirmed by CHAFEA

Due to Covid-19 pandemic and national lockdowns across EU countries in 2020 many EUPAP partners had to put on hold their activities, which caused a delay in overall EUPAP project implementation process. Therefore, the project coordinators in Sweden after alignment with all the partners reached out to CHAFEA for the EUPAP project’s timeline extension of 12 months. The request was made, and CHAFEA has taken a decision to extend project’s deadline until 2023. Thanks to the extension of the project we have the possibility to continue EUPAP activities despite the difficulties and limitations we had imposed by Covid-19. 

Feasibility Studies Report Infographic

An infographic is representing main study findings and Feasibility Study attributes gathered from Feasibility Study Report.

Interview with Mette Mærsk Clausen and Natasha Bøgh Harvey Engelbredt from Danish EUPAP team

We interviewed Mette Mærsk Clausen and Natasha Bøgh Harvey Engelbredt, both project leaders of the EUPAP in Denmark about the main challenges and obstacles they faced when implementing EUPAP activities during Covid-19 period and how they managed to overcome them. During an interview they presented some of their recent activities regarding Swedish PAP method implementation, findings they gathered after the first pilot study and adjustments they had to make for further successful project implementation. Also, they shared some of their recent achievements such as set up of a local intranet page for the hospital employees working with PAP to provide them with essential PAP tools and material needed and a local flyer prepared to hand out to patients when they receive PAP to introduce them with PAP program and its benefits, as well as help to manage their expectations. 

Finally, they also shared some of their best practices and recommendations for other EUPAP partners on how to stay resilient and overcome challenges regarding EUPAP implementation imposed by pandemic. Read full interview here.