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Changing Practices To Better Support First-Year Health Science Students, G Hoyne, K Mcnaught

Health Sciences Conference Papers

Entrance to university in Australia, in a post-Bradley era, is diversified and massified, with targets and programs to increase the participation of equity groups that were previously not represented. The changed cohorts have major implications for universities, in meeting the students’ needs, and as a moral and ethical response to enrolment. At the University of Notre Dame Australia (UNDA) Fremantle campus, the 2011 cohort entering Health Sciences, experienced a high rate of failure and withdrawal from university. They entered university at a time when UNDA had begun to implement first year experience (FYE) pedagogical approaches but these had not been …

Cortical Training In The Management Of Acute Upper Limb Burns: A Pilot Randomised Controlled Trial, L M. Zorzi, N Brockman, M Clifford, C Griggs, F M. Wood, Benedict M. Wand, D W. Edgar

Health Sciences Conference Papers

Introduction: A burn injury causes pain which leads to decreased use and loss of function. Pain and decreased function are themselves distressing and when excessive may impede healing of the burn. Hyperalgesia will enhance the pain experience and may contribute to avoidant behaviours. Primary hyperalgesia is driven largely by local tissue events; however central nervous system changes appear to contribute strongly to secondary hyperalgesia. Within days, neural system changes such as reorganization of the cortical representation of the injured area can occur. Such cortical re-organization has been linked to hypersensitivity and may play a role in the development of ongoing …

Cortical Training In The Management Of Acute Upper Limb Burns: A Pilot Randomised Controlled Trial, L M. Zorzi, D Edgar, Benedict M. Wand, F Wood

Health Sciences Conference Papers

The aim of this study is to examine the feasibility, safety and efficacy of a prophylactic cortical training programme in patients with an acute upper limb burn.

A randomised controlled pilot study is being carried out at the Royal Perth Hospital (RPH) Telstra Burns Outpatient Department. Subjects who have sustained isolated upper limb burns and presented to RPH within seven days of injury are randomised into experimental or control groups.

Subjects in the control condition receive usual physiotherapy care for four weeks; those in the experimental group receive usual care and the addition of a cortical training programme which includes …

Australian Adolescents' Motor Competence And Perceptions Of Physical Activity Outcomes, Elizabeth Rose, Dawne Larkin, Beth P. Hands, Helen Parker

Health Sciences Conference Papers

Benefits that are generally associated with physical activity include enjoyment of the activity, expectation of positive benefits, intention to exercise, perceived fitness or health self-efficacy, intrinsic motivation, and positive physical self-perceptions (Sallis & Owen, 1999). In the Australian context where motor skill is highly valued, the ability to participate in play, games, and sports is likely to be particularly important in the socialization process of adolescents, such as their opportunity for reaffirming friendships and gaining social support from significant others. To be competent at movement would seem a clear advantage in order to experience quality of life through physical activity. …

Tactile Thresholds Are Preserved Yet Cortical Sensory Function Is Impaired In Chronic Non-Specific Low Back Pain Patients, Benedict M. Wand, Flavia S. Di Pietro, Pamela George, Neil E. O’Connell

Health Sciences Conference Papers

Introduction: A substantial amount of evidence points to an alteration in brain structure and function patients with chronic non-specific low back pain (CNSLBP) [1-6]. One interpretation of these findings is that the observed brain changes may represent a disruption of the brain’s representations of the body part and the resultant body perception disturbance may underpin this clinical problem. The current study aimed to investigate sensory dysfunction in CNSLBP. Specifically we aimed to distinguish cortically mediated sensory dysfunction from peripheral dysfunction by comparing simple tactile thresholds with more complex cortically mediated sensory tests

Methods: We investigated tactile thresholds (TTH), two point …

T Cell Homeostasis Is Regulated By A Program Of Mrna Alternative Splicing Mediated By Heterogeneous Nuclear Ribonuclear Protein L-Like (Hnrnpll), Gerard F. Hoyne

Health Sciences Conference Papers

It is essential that the immune system maintains stable numbers of a diverse range of lymphocytes since they play important roles in both innate and adaptive immune responses. T lymphocytes are critical for generating cellular immunity and memory following infections (e.g. CD4+ and CD8+ TCR ab + cells), they are also involved in immune regulation (e.g. CD4+ foxp3+ regulatory T cells), as well as immune surveillance at mucosal surfaces and controlling responses to tumors (e.g. TCR gd + cells, NKT cells). Each cell lineage must be contained within a defined cellular compartment and the size of each compartment is physically …

Systematic Review Of Physiotherapy During Acute Exacerbations Of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (Aecopd), K Hill, Shane Patman, D Brooks

Health Sciences Conference Papers

In COPD patients, acute exacerbations are important events. Reviews of studies investigating treatment during AECOPD focus on medical management, with little discussion of physiotherapy. Therefore a systematic review was undertaken of the studies pertaining to physiotherapy during AECOPD. Methods: Studies were identified by searching databases and scanning reference lists. Appropriate studies were reviewed by two independent investigators. Data were extracted using a standardized form. Where possible, a score was assigned using the PEDro scale for assessment of study quality.

HIll, K., Patman, S., & Brooks, D. (2008). Systematic review of physiotherapy during Acute Exacerbations of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (AECOPD). …

Cardiorespiratory Physiotherapy Education – Are We Achieving The Vision?, Shane Patman

Health Sciences Conference Papers

This action research project comprised a broad macro situational analysis type review targeting clinicians conducting cardiorespiratory placements and those providing mentoring/supervision for the The University of Notre Dame Australia. The intent was to gain a perspective from the clinicians and supervisors whether current curriculum content and design was effectively preparing students for the real world of cardiorespiratory physiotherapy. By inference, an avenue for reflection on teaching skill and performance was provided.

Profiling Physiotherapy In Australian And New Zealand Intensive Care, Kristin Leslie, Shane Patman

Health Sciences Conference Papers

Physiotherapy for ICU patients is considered essential by many health professionals and professional bodies, yet the evidence base for this service is insufficient. No published research outlining optimal management of this service exist. Effective evaluation and implementation of best practice ‘critical-care physiotherapy’ requires knowledge of the current profile of ICU physiotherapists’.

Leslie, K., & Patman, S. (2008). Profiling physiotherapy in Australian and New Zealand intensive care. Anaesthesia and Intensive Care, 36(6), 897.

ISSN: 0310-057X

Benchmarking Intensive Care Physiotherapy Staffing In Australian Tertiary Hospitals, Wenxing Sun, Shane Patman

Health Sciences Conference Papers

Physiotherapy is an important component in the management of patients in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Existing guidelines on ICU physiotherapy staffing represent European settings and are not contemporary. With no specific recommendations in Australia, medical and nursing staffing guidelines reflected the need to have designated physiotherapy services available and accessible 24 hours a day in ICU. Therefore, this study aimed to pinpoint a guideline for ICU physiotherapy staff allocation by examining the current physiotherapy staff levels in ICU of Australian tertiary hospitals and comparing it with staff levels desired by senior physiotherapy leaders.

Optimising Physiotherapy Care For Acute Low Back Pain – Identifying Non-Responders To Treatment, James H. Mcauley, Benedict M. Wand, C Bird, Lorraine H. De Souza

Health Sciences Conference Papers

Recent evidence suggests that positive effects of physiotherapy for acute low back pain patients can be achieved if treatment is delivered early enough. However it is clear that not all patients treated with physiotherapy are likely to report equally positive outcomes from their treatment. The identification of clinical characteristics of those patients who do less well will help refine models of care for acute low back pain.

Aim: To identify non-responders to early active physiotherapy.

Method: A secondary analysis was conducted on the data from a recently published randomised controlled trial of early physiotherapy for acute low back pain. All …

International Low Back Pain Guidelines: A Comparison Of Two Research Based Models Of Care For The Management Of Acute Low Back Pain., Benedict Wand, C Bird, James H. Mcauley, Maureen Macdowell, Lorraine H. De Souza

Health Sciences Conference Papers

Evidence based guidelines for the management of acute low back pain (ALBP) have been formulated by numerous countries. There are discrepancies between guidelines regarding physiotherapy treatment.

The aim of this study was to compare two research based models derived from international LBP guidelines. A single-blind randomised controlled trial was undertaken in a physiotherapy outpatients department. Subjects with ALBP were randomly allocated to an ‘assess/advise/treat’ group (n = 50) or an ‘assess/advise/wait’ group (n = 52). The primary outcome measure was the Roland and Morris Disability Questionnaire (RMDQ). Secondary outcome measures of pain (VAS, usual pain intensity) depressive symptoms (MZSRDS) somatic …

Physical Wellness: The Relationship Between Motor Skill, Fitness And Physical Activity In Young Children, Beth P. Hands, Helen Parker

Health Sciences Conference Papers

The health benefits of adequate physical activity levels for children are well reported. However, we cannot assume that children will choose to be sufficiently active of their own accord. Motor competence and fitness are increasingly highlighted as key co-determinants of physical activity in young children (Hands, Parker, & Larkin, 2001) and where possible strategies to enhance these factors should be included in early childhood settings. However few studies have adopted an integrated view of the collective effects of these three factors on developing healthy children. This presentation explores interrelationships between measures of motor skill competence, fitness, and weekly physical activity …

How Can We Best Measure Fundamental Movement Skills?, Beth P. Hands

Health Sciences Conference Papers

The assessment of movement skill is a critical component of many disciplines and professions. In particular, the effectiveness of movement programs hinges on accurate information about the skill level of participants. This information should be based on assessment that is valid, comprehensive, educative, fair and explicit. The chosen process is matched to the assessment purpose. In this paper, the advantages and disadvantages of quantitative and qualitative strategies will be presented and the areas for future research highlighted.

What Do We Really Know About The Constraints And Enablers Of Physical Activity Levels In Young Children?, Beth P. Hands, Helen Parker, Dawne Larkin

Health Sciences Conference Papers

Ample evidence exists to support the benefits of habitual physical activity levels on long term health and well-being for adults, youth and, more recently, children. However information about factors that impact on young children’s choices to be active or inactive is limited because the accurate measurement of physical activity in young children is difficult. Consequently, many statements found in the literature about young children’s physical activity levels are not founded on empirically validated information. Some conclusions are extrapolated to younger children from findings in studies of older children.

This paper is based on an extensive review of literature and the …