Dr Wendy Maltinsky

Senior Lecturer

Psychology Stirling

Dr Wendy Maltinsky

Contact details

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http://www.stir.ac.uk/people/wendymaltinsky

About me

Health Psychologist CPsychol My work involves the application of behaviour change principles and theories predominantly to two areas: 1) the training of health professionals to use evidence based behaviour change techniques as part of consultations in practice settings. Using behaviour change principles as part of training helps to adapt the training outcomes from 'knowing' how to implement a new practice behaviour to 'implementing' that behaviour in a practice setting. 'Knowing how' and 'Practicing in practice' can be quite distinct and my approach to training bridges this gap. 2) the integration of digital health in the prevention, diagnosis and management of health and long term conditions. I work with multidisciplinary teams bringing behavioural science to ensure that technology has a role and a meaning and that the barriers and facilitators to the use of the technology have been considered and integrated into the design.

In both contexts behaviour change theories and techniques can assist in maximising potential positive health outcomes. Chair Division of Health Psychology - Scotland 2022-2024 Past Chair Division of Health Psychology Scotland 2024 - Committee Member Division of Health Psychology - Scotland 2018 - Review Panel: Napier University Psychology Programme 2024 University of Luxembourg, MSc Psychological Interventions: External Lecturer on Applications of Health Psychology 2015 - Senior Fellow Higher Education Academy - 2016 Principal Fellow Higher Education Academy - 2021 University of Stirling Digital Champion 2020 - 2022 University of Stirling Community of Scholars Mentor 2024 - University of Stirling Equality, Diversity and Inclusiveness committee member 2022 - 2024 Scottish Diabetes Education Group Member SIGN Council committee member

Professional membership

Advance HE Principal Fellow
Awarded Principal Fellow of Advance HE (previously HEA - Higher Education Academy).

Research (3)

I have two central areas of interest: Global Health: My work for the Scottish Diabetes Group has led onto other projects. This has included work in Uganda with the Royal College of Midwives and the Ugandan Private Midwives Association. Facilitated through the Change Exchange of Manchester University we looked into the factors that could increase self efficacy in a student midwifery mentoring project. I have also been interested in how behaviour change training of health professionals can be made more culturally sensitive in work with Health Extension Workers in Ethiopia (again through the Change Exchange) and will shortly be extending this focus in a co-development project with health professionals in St Helena (University of Stirling Escalator and Burdett Trust funded project). The training I develop is informed by the Health Behaviour Change Competency Framework (Dixon and Johnston, 2010) which considers behaviour change competencies through motivation, action and prompt pathways. I am also interested in how the form of delivery of training may influence the development of knowledge, skills and implementation to practice. Digital technology integrated with behavioural science: I am interested in how we can ensure that digital technology harnessed for the benefit of health outcomes is informed by behavioural science. This way we can ensure that the technology is fit for purpose, that it is safe, easy and acceptable for use and that barriers to use are addressed. Further this approach ensures that the technology will be assessed for potential to disadvantage certain groups or individuals and these disadvantages are addressed.

Projects

Digital Health: Optimuscle - Improving health outcomes through the optimisation of muscle function
PI: Dr Wendy Maltinsky
Funded by: Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
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On-organ sensing for bowel monitoring - a bottom up approach
PI: Dr Wendy Maltinsky
Funded by: Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
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MAP Behaviour Change: Competency Based Training in Individual Level Support for Behaviour Change for Nurse-Leads in St Helena
PI: Professor Vivien Swanson
Funded by: The Burdett Trust for Nursing
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Outputs (17)

Outputs

Article

Protocol of the COVID-19 Health and Adherence Research in Scotland (CHARIS) study: understanding changes in adherence to transmission-reducing behaviours, mental and general health, in repeated cross-sectional representative survey of the Scottish population

Den Daas C, Hubbard G, Johnston M, Dixon D, CHARIS Consortium, Allan J, Fitzgerald N, Farquharson B, Hunt K, Macaden L, Maltinsky W & O'Carroll R (2021) Protocol of the COVID-19 Health and Adherence Research in Scotland (CHARIS) study: understanding changes in adherence to transmission-reducing behaviours, mental and general health, in repeated cross-sectional representative survey of the Scottish population. BMJ Open, 11 (2), Art. No.: e044135. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2020-044135

Article

Physical activity referral to cardiac rehabilitation, leisure centre or telephone-delivered consultations in post-surgical people with breast cancer: a mixed methods process evaluation

Hubbard G, Campbell A, Fisher A, Harvie M, Maltinsky W, Mullen R, Banks E, Gracey J, Gorely T, Munro J & Ozakinci G (2018) Physical activity referral to cardiac rehabilitation, leisure centre or telephone-delivered consultations in post-surgical people with breast cancer: a mixed methods process evaluation. Pilot and Feasibility Studies, 4 (1), Art. No.: 108. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40814-018-0297-1

Teaching

I am a Principal Fellow with the Higher Education Academy. I supported the digital pivot within the Faculty of Natural Sciences during the lockdowns imposed during covid19. I assisted academics to consider the mechanisms by which to teach using online platforms and methods to engage with student in non face-to-face environments both synchronously and asynchronously. I currently act as a mentor with the Community of Scholars; academics on teaching and learning contracts to explore collaborative objectives in relation to a scholarship activity. In teaching and research, I frequently use interactive approaches which I have honed through many years as a trainer working with industry, Higher Education, the NHS and third sector organisations. I have developed many training programmes for the NHS including Health Behaviour Change, Raising sensitive issues, child nutrition, physical activity. I have an extensive background in teaching and training using interactive approaches as appropriate. I have developed training, education and interventions using digital technology.

Research programmes

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Research themes