Rehabilitation (Medical and Allied Health) Programme

 

 

·          Improve understanding of the physical (biological) and psychological processes following trauma and injury

·          Identify prognostic indicators of poor or delayed functional recovery

·          Improve clinical assessment methods following trauma and injury

·          Improved early intervention strategies to facilitate functional recovery

·          Improving management strategies for later stage consequences of injury

 

 

 

This ARC funded project is aiming to validate a unique set of physical and psychological predictors of outcome following whiplash injury. The predictor set were identified in an earlier prospective study of recovery following whiplash undertaken by our research group. This is a multicentre study involving collaboration with Latrobe University, Melbourne; McGill University, Montreal, Canada; The University of Iceland; and The Centeno Clinic, Denver, USA.

 

Status: Continuing

Funding: Australian Research Council (ARC), Motor Accident Insurance Commission (MAIC), Suncorp, Centeno Clinic (USA) (ARC-Linkage grant: $522,011 over three years).  

 

 

This NHMRC funded project, in collaboration with the Division of Physiotherapy, is aimed at developing improved early treatment for whiplash injured people. Treatment approaches under investigation range from an interdisciplinary approach including a physiotherapist, medical practitioner and psychologist for those people with a more complex condition (based on identified physical and psychological factors) to a less intensive approach involving physiotherapy only.

 

Status: Continuing

Contacts: Associate Professor Michele Sterling

Funding: National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC)

 

This ARC funded project utilizes unique methodology to measure daily life function and processes involved in recovery or the development of persistent pain following whiplash injury. It explores inter-relationships between physical (muscle and sensory) function, psychological factors and the daily life experiences of whiplash injured people from soon after injury. This project is being conducted in collaboration with the University of Sydney.   

 

Status: Continuing  

Contacts: Associate Professor Michele Sterling

Funding:  ARC

 

Currently there are two randomised controlled trials being undertaken to investigate the effectiveness of interventions for chronic whiplash. One trial is run in collaboration with the George Institute, Sydney and is testing the effects of combined neck specific exercises and functional activity in decreasing pain and disability of chronic whiplash. The second trial investigates the complimentary medicine approach of dry-needling in conjunction with exercises on pain and disability levels in whiplash.  Both trilas are funded by the NHMRC

 

Status: Continuing  

Contacts: Associate Professor Michele Sterling

Funding:  NHMRC

 

Our research group has previously identified important physical and psychological factors associated with delayed recovery following whiplash injury. These factors were identified using laboratory equipment. This project aims to develop and validate an inexpensive clinical test kit and clinical prediction rule for use in primary care practice. This will facilitate improved diagnosis and classification of the whiplash condition that will allow the targeting of appropriate interventions and enhance recovery.  

 

Status: Continuing 

Contacts: Associate Professor Michele Sterling

Funding: University of Queensland/MAIC

               

 

These studies aim to further explore the phenomena of sensory hypersensitivity (central hyperexcitability) following whiplash injury and to develop interventions to modulate such sensory disturbances. Innovative methodology including in depth quantitative sensory testing, magnetic resonance imaging and measurement of inflammatory biomarkers allows further characterization and classification of the whiplash condition . This project involves collaboration with the University Medical and Dental School, New Jersey, USA, University of Bern, Switzerland, Centre for Magnetic Resonance Imaging (UQ), the Queensland Brain Institute and the School of Pharmacy (UQ).    

 

Status: Continuing 

Contacts: Associate Professor Michele Sterling, Dr James Elliott 

Funding: Physiotherapy Research Foundation

 

Assessment is fundamental to measuring outcomes in the rehabilitation process. Knowing the validity and appropriateness of assessments that are in use enhances outcomes for the individual and the rehabilitation service provider by indicating the best choices available. This work has been conducted as part of the core activities of CONROD. It provides critical reviews of assessments used in rehabilitation following serious injury, in particular traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, burns and whiplash.

 

Status: continuing

 

This project investigates the role of environmental factors as barriers in the lives of persons with spinal cord injuries living in Qld. This work has been conducted as part of the core activities of CONROD. It represents a novel research collaboration with a non-governmental organization such as the Spinal Injuries Association and provides a model for future collaborations.

 

Status: continuing

 

 

This project investigates the role of environmental factors as barriers in the lives of persons living in Qld who have experienced such an injury or condition and who have requested assistance from LifeTec in the previous 18 months. The specific results provide important information about barriers experienced by people with injuries or debilitating conditions as well as the response of LifeTec to those barriers. Such information can be of help to LifeTec in developing future strategies for providing assistance as well as in its representations to State and Commonwealth governmental bodies.

 

Status: continuing

 

 

Since the first National Rural Health Strategy, there has been a decade characterised by significant rural and remote health service innovation and reform in Australia . The problem in rural and remote Australia has not been the absence of innovation, rather the failure to learn lessons from our experience and generalise these in the bush. This rural and remote APHCRI spoke has recently identified exemplary models of primary health care service delivery for small, dispersed rural and remote communities. The next stage of this study is to examine how these models can be implemented and sustained more broadly across other rural and remote communities that currently lack adequate primary health care services.

 

Status: continuing

Funding: Australian Primary Health Care Research Institute (APHCRI)

 

 

This study examines the role and contribution of education and training programs (including continuing professional development) in enhancing workplace attractiveness and thereby improving retention of primary health workers in small rural and remote communities. In particular, it examines how education and training contributes to increasing workplace attractiveness and workforce retention in small rural and remote communities, the best way of providing effective education and training to rural and remote primary health care workers, and evaluates the costs and benefits associated with providing such education and training.

 

Status: continuing

Funding: Australian Primary Health Care Research Institute (APHCRI)

 

 

Rural health policies over the past decade have been driven by the need to reduce health inequalities between metropolitan and rural Australia. These policies have concentrated on addressing workforce issues, targeting the medical workforce in particular. Little policy attention has focused specifically on the systematic development of sustainable comprehensive Primary Health Care (PHC) service models appropriate to rural and remote Australia. There is a need to know what model works best where, and why.

Status: completed

 

Published: http://www.anu.edu.au/aphcri/Domain/RuralRemote/index.php

Funding:  Australian Primary Health Care Research Institute (APHCRI)

 

 

Recognising that one of the challenges in the continuum from inpatient ABI rehabilitation to the community is ensuring that patients are connected with their home, family, community and social context, this study explored a way of introducing these issues into outpatient rehabilitation.  Using the 'environment' dimension of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) this study trialled a weekly group programme which integrated 'environmental' issues into outpatient ABI rehabilitation practices.

 

Status: completed (manuscript in progress)

Funding: CONROD

 

 

Examination of the experiences of individuals who have undergone a Return to Work rehabilitation program following a work-related burn injury, with particular emphasis on identifying barriers and facilitators to successful return to work two years after that program and comparison with experiences and perceptions at the time of the program. This work has been conducted as part of the core activities of CONROD and has been presented at the past two meetings of the International Forum on Disability Management.

 

Status: completed (manuscript in progress)

Research Team:

Director: Associate Professor Michele Sterling

Research Fellow: Dr James Elliott

Research Assistant: Mr Andrew Popple

Research Assistant/PhD scholar: Mr Andrew Stone

Research Assistant: Ms Helena Motlagh

Research Assistant: Mr Matthew Roodveldt

Research Assistant: Ms Stephanie Valentin