Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Sprint Acceleration Characteristics Across The Australian Football Participation Pathway, Toby Edwards, Benjamin Piggott, Harry G. Banyard, G Gregory Haff, Christopher Joyce

Health Sciences Papers and Journal Articles

The aim of this study was to compare the force, velocity and power profiles of a maximal sprint acceleration through different competition levels of the Australian Football (AF) participation pathway. One hundred and sixty-two junior AF athletes across five competition levels including State under 18’s (ST 18), State under 16’s (ST 16), local under 18’s (LOC 18), local under 15’s (LOC 15), and local under 14’s (LOC 14) participated in this cross-sectional study. Velocity-time data from maximal sprint accelerations were analysed to derive athlete’s sprint acceleration characteristics and split times. ST 18 showed a more force-orientated profile than the LOC …

Sprint Acceleration Force-Velocity-Power Characteristics In Drafted Vs Non-Drafted Junior Australian Football Players: Preliminary Results, Toby Edwards, Benjamin Piggott, Harry G. Banyard, G. Gregory Haff, Christopher Joyce

Health Sciences Papers and Journal Articles

This investigation aimed to compare the maximal sprint acceleration profiles of drafted and non-drafted elite junior Australian football (AF) players. Nineteen players (10 drafted and 9 non-drafted) from an elite junior AF state team participated in this study. Instantaneous velocity was measured via radar gun during maximal 30 m sprints. The velocity-time data were analysed to derive individual force-velocity-power characteristics and sprint times. No significant differences existed between groups, however drafted players reached moderately faster maximum velocity (Hedges’ g = 0.70 [-0.08; 1.48] and theoretical maximum velocity (g = 0.65 [-0.13; 1.42]) than non-drafted players indicating a superior ability to …

Exploring Enablers And Barriers To Accessing Health Services After A Fall Among People With Intellectual Disability, Portia Ho, Caroline Bulsara, Shane Patman, Jenny Downs, Anne-Marie Hill

Nursing Papers and Journal Articles

Background: Adults with intellectual disability experience high rates of falls making falls prevention an important health need. The purpose of the study was to seek perspectives of older adults with intellectual disability and their caregivers to (a) explore the experiences of older adults with intellectual disability when seeking healthcare services after a fall and (b) identify enablers and barriers when taking up evidence-based falls recommendations.

Method: A qualitative exploratory study was undertaken as part of a prospective observational cohort study. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a purposeful sample. Data were analysed thematically using Colaizzi's method.

Results: Seventeen interviews were conducted …

An Examination Of Pain Education Of Medical Students In Australia And New Zealand, Elspeth Shipton

Theses

Background: Unrelieved pain is a significant public health challenge in Australia and New Zealand. Medical practitioners play an essential role in the management of acute, cancer and chronic non-cancer pain.

Aim: This thesis aimed to examine the delivery of pain education at medical schools in Australia and New Zealand, and to determine how effectively it equips medical students with pain medicine competencies required for internship.

Methods: An explanatory sequential mixed methods approach was used. Quantitative studies focused on gathering information regarding the pain-related content of medical curricula of all medical schools; and on testing pain medicine competencies of final-year medical …

"Spirituality Is Everybody's Business": An Exploration Of The Impact Of Spiritual Care Training Upon The Perceptions And Practice Of Rehabilitation Professionals, Kate Fiona Jones, Julie Pryor, Candice Care-Unger, Grahame Simpson

IES Papers and Journal Articles

Purpose: This study explored the impact of a brief spiritual care training program upon the perceptions and self-reported practice of rehabilitation professionals working in traumatic injury.

Methodology and methods: A qualitative study. Semi-structured interviews were held with staff from a rehabilitation hospital in Sydney, Australia, between six and eight weeks after participation in spiritual care training. A thematic analysis was conducted.

Results: Of the 41 rehabilitation professionals who attended the training (1 h online, 1.5 h face to face), 16 agreed to be interviewed. The majority worked in spinal cord injury and were female. Half reported holding a Christian affiliation. …

Who Cares For The Bereaved? A National Survey Of Family Caregivers Of People With Motor Neurone Disease, Samar M. Aoun, Paul A. Cafarella, Bruce Rumbold, Geoff Thomas, Anne Hogden, Leanne Jiang, Sonia Gregory, David W. Kissane

Medical Papers and Journal Articles

Background: Although Motor Neurone Disease (MND) caregivers are most challenged physically and psychologically, there is a paucity of population-based research to investigate the impact of bereavement, unmet needs, range of supports, and their helpfulness as perceived by bereaved MND caregivers.

Methods: An anonymous national population-based cross-sectional postal and online survey of bereavement experiences of family caregivers who lost a relative/friend to MND in 2016, 2017, and 2018. Recruitment was through all MND Associations in Australia.

Results: 393 valid responses were received (31% response rate). Bereaved caregiver deterioration in physical (31%) and mental health (42%) were common. Approximately 40% did not …

The Influence Of A Positive Empathetic Interaction On Conditioned Pain Modulation And Manipulation Induced Analgesia In People With Lateral Epicondylalgia, Ahmad Muhsen, Penny Moss, William Gibson, Bruce Walker, Angela Jacques, Stephan A. Schug, Anthony Wright

Physiotherapy Papers and Journal Articles

Objective: Conditioned pain modulation (CPM) and manipulation induced analgesia (MIA) are two forms of endogenous analgesia. Many forms of analgesia can be influenced by the nature of the patient clinician interaction. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of an empathetic and supportive interaction on CPM and MIA in people with Lateral Epicondylalgia (LE).

Methods: In a double-blind, randomised, controlled trial, 68 participants with LE were assigned to two groups: the empathetic and neutral interaction groups. The interactions were carried out by a trained, professional role play actor, playing the part of a research assistant (RA). The …

Referral Patterns To Continence Physiotherapy Services For Patients With Chronic Respiratory Conditions, Hannah Brien, Cath Bunting, Shane Patman

Physiotherapy Papers and Journal Articles

Chronic respiratory conditions are a widely recognised risk factor for urinary incontinence and current chronic respiratory condition management guidelines state that patients should be screened for urinary incontinence and referred to continence physiotherapists for treatment. This study aimed to firstly confirm anecdotal sentiment that referrals of these patients to continence physiotherapists are low; and, secondly, to investigate barriers to the referral of these patients. Two online de novo surveys were disseminated across the metropolitan area of Perth, Western Australia: one to continence physiotherapists (Survey A) to investigate referral rates, and the other to respiratory physiotherapists, respiratory physicians and general practitioner …

The Resolve Trial For People With Chronic Low Back Pain: Statistical Analysis Plan, Matthew K. Bagg, Serigne Lo, Aidan G. Cashin, Robert D. Herbert, Neil E. O'Connell, Hopin Lee, Markus Hubscher, Benedict M. Wand, Edel O'Hagan, Rodrigo R.N Rizzoli, G Lorimer Moseley, Tasha R. Stanton, Christopher G. Maher, Stephen Goodall, Sopany Saing, James H. Mcauley

Physiotherapy Papers and Journal Articles

Background: Statistical analysis plans describe the planned data management and analysis for clinical trials. This supports transparent reporting and interpretation of clinical trial results. This paper reports the statistical analysis plan for the RESOLVE clinical trial. The RESOLVE trial assigned participants with chronic low back pain to graded sensory-motor precision training or sham-control.

Results: We report the planned data management and analysis for the primary and secondary outcomes. The primary outcome is pain intensity at 18-weeks post randomization. We will use mixed-effects models to analyze the primary and secondary outcomes by intention-to-treat. We will report adverse effects in full. We …

The Association Of Working Alliance, Outcome Expectation, Adherence And Self-Efficacy With Clinical Outcomes For Achilles Tendinopathy: A Feasibility Cohort Study (The Map Study), Adrian Mallows, Jo Jackson, Chris Littlewood, James Debenham

Physiotherapy Papers and Journal Articles

Introduction: This study evaluated the feasibility of a large longitudinal cohort study utilizing an online platform to investigate the association and predictive relationship of working alliance, outcome expectations, adherence and self-efficacy with outcome in Achilles tendinopathy. The objectives were: (1) to determine the recruitment and retention rate and (2) to carry out preliminary data analysis of the selected variables and clinical outcomes.

Methods: A multi-centred, longitudinal feasibility cohort study was used. Eligible participants were directed to a bespoke online platform hosting study information and the outcome measures in the form of an online questionnaire. Responses from the online questionnaire were …

Clinical Validation Of Expert Consensus Statements For Respiratory Physiotherapy Management Of Invasively Ventilated Adults With Community-Acquired Pneumonia: A Qualitative Study, Lisa Van Der Lee, Anne-Marie Hill, Shane Patman

Physiotherapy Papers and Journal Articles

Objectives: To conduct multidisciplinary peer-review of expert consensus statements for respiratory physiotherapy for invasively ventilated adults with community-acquired pneumonia, to determine clinical acceptability for development into a clinical practice guideline.

Research methodology: A qualitative study was undertaken using focus groups (n = 3) conducted with clinician representatives from five Australian states. Participants were senior intensive care physiotherapists, nurses and consultants. Thematic analysis was used, with a deductive approach to confirm clinical validity, and inductive analysis to identify new themes relevant to the application of the 38 statements into practice.

Setting: Adult intensive care.

Findings: Senior intensive care clinicians from physiotherapy …

Understanding Falls In People With Intellectual Disability In Western Australia, Portia Ho

Theses

Adults with intellectual disability (ID) experience earlier age-related changes, compared with other age-matched populations, but concurrently their life expectancy is increasing. Falls often result in serious injuries and reduced health-related quality of life, however there is limited research regarding falls in older adults with ID. The purpose of this research was to investigate falls among community dwelling older adults with ID, including the epidemiology, risk factors and experiences when engaging with health services after a fall.

A meta-analysis of the incidence and prevalence of falls in adults with ID was initially conducted to inform the research aims. Prospective research was …

Exploring The Validity Of Script Concordance Testing To Assess The Clinical Reasoning Of Medical Students, Micahel Sh Wan

Theses

Assessment of clinical reasoning is often challenging, as it is a complex process of thinking and decision making. Script Concordance Testing (SCT), using authentic clinical scenarios with diagnostic or management uncertainties, has been developed to assess clinical reasoning. As SCT is a relatively new assessment modality, more empirical evidence is needed to support the validity of SCT scores.

This thesis examines key aspects of the validity of SCT scores in the assessment of the clinical reasoning ability of medical undergraduates. A review of the current literature informs the use, design and standard setting of SCT, as well as evidence for …

Early Post-Operative Rises In Serum Metal Ion Levels In Total Hip Arthroplasty: A Prospective Cohort Study, Michael Le

Theses

Background: Serum Cobalt (Co) and Chromium (Cr) forms part of the diagnostic process for metallosis following Total Hip Arthroplasty (THA). While knowledge exists on longer term metal ion levels, expected early post-operative rises in serum Co and Cr in Metal-on-Polyethylene (MoP) THAs are currently unknown. This study aims to describe early rises in serum Co and Cr at 6 months post-operatively.

Methods: A prospective cohort study of 84 consecutive patients with an uncemented titanium stem from a single THA manufacturer was performed. Patients had either a metal (n=43) or ceramic (n=41) head articulating with a highly cross-linked polyethylene. Serum Co …

Outcomes Of Resistance Exercise Training In Adults With Acute Burn Injury, Paul M. Gittings

Theses

Decreased quality-of-life and impairments in physical function, muscle strength and muscle volume are known complications of a burn injury. As such, rehabilitation is an important aspect of the burn care journey. Rehabilitation of burn injury is currently hampered by a lack of tools to reliably measure muscle strength and lower limb function, as well as an incomplete understanding of the effect of resistance training after a burn injury. Specifically, there is currently no data on the safety or efficacy of resistance training immediately after a burn injury.

The series of studies presented in this thesis aimed to: 1) systematically review …

Depression In Parkinson's Disease: Perspectives From An Australian Cohort, Michal Lubomski, Ryan L. Davis, Carolyn M. Sue

Medical Papers and Journal Articles

Introduction: Depression is often an under-recognised feature of Parkinson's disease (PD). It is detrimental to physical and interpersonal functioning, negatively impacting a patient's clinical management, quality of life and well-being. We aimed to identify clinical predictors and management implications of depression in Australian PD patients.

Methods: 103 PD and 81 Healthy Control (HC) subjects were evaluated using the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and other validated PD motor and non-motor symptom (NMS) tools.

Results: Nearly twice as many PD patients were depressed, (38.9% vs 20.1%, p = 0.009), with a corresponding increase in depression severity on the BDI (11.9; standard deviation …

Parents' Ability To Access Community Health Occupational Therapy Services In A Disadvantaged Area: A Proof Of Concept Study, Rachel Smith, Gisselle Gallego

Medical Papers and Journal Articles

Introduction: In New South Wales children from disadvantaged backgrounds have poorer health outcomes and reduced access to health services than their more advantaged counterparts. This study aimed to identify barriers and enablers to accessing child and family occupational therapy services in a disadvantaged area.

Methods: This was a mixed methods study that included: 1) a retrospective analysis of de-identified routinely collected Community Health service utilisation data from 2016-2017, and a 2) face to face interview guided survey with parents and carers.

Results: The retrospective data analysis showed outreach at the targeted suburbs’ Early Childhood Health Centres (ECHC) improved attendance for …

Using A Clinical Deterioration Scenario (Video) As An Approach For Interprofessional Learning, Kylie P. Russell, Heidi Waldron, Elina Tor, Nick Waldron

Nursing Papers and Journal Articles

For effective management of clinical deterioration, health professionals must work together to recognise and respond to the patients changing health status. This paper provides an overview of the clinical deterioration video, used as a learning tool to engage medical, nursing and physiotherapy students and junior clinicians for the purpose of identifying the deteriorating patient and to support the development of interprofessional teamwork skills. This paper describes the perspectives of educators who have used this resource, a description of the resource, its evaluation, and access to the resource. The educators felt that the clinical deterioration video provides a learning environment in …

Do Peers Increase Older Adults' Participation In Strength Training? Pilot Randomized Trial, Elissa Burton, Karen Levit, Jim Codde, Keith D. Hill, Anne-Marie Hill

IHR Papers and Journal Articles

Fewer than 20% of older adults participate in strength training (ST). Barriers to ST participation include not knowing where to go or not having someone to go with. To address these barriers, the authors provided older adults with a peer (older person already participating in ST) to support their engagement. The aim of this pilot randomized controlled trial was to determine whether older adults who were provided with a peer when participating in ST were more likely to be participating in ST 4 weeks postintervention, compared with those receiving ST alone. Fifty-one ST participants were recruited; 40 completed the intervention …

Systematic Reviews That Include Only Published Data May Overestimate The Effectiveness Of Analgesic Medicines For Low Back Pain: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Matthew K. Bagg, Edel O'Hagan, Pauline Zahara, Benedict Wand, Markus Hubscher, G. Lorimer Moseley, James H. Mcauley

Physiotherapy Papers and Journal Articles

Objective: Systematic reviews of analgesics for low back pain generally include published data only. Obtaining data from unpublished trials is potentially important because they may impact effect sizes in meta-analyses. We determined whether including unpublished data from trial registries changes the effect sizes in meta-analyses of analgesics for low back pain.

Study Design and Setting: Trial registries were searched for unpublished data that conformed to the inclusion criteria of n = 5 individual source systematic reviews. We reproduced the meta-analyses using data available from the original reviews and then reran the same analyses with the addition of new unpublished data. …

Exploring The Efficacy Of The Expiratory Muscle Strength Trainer To Improve Swallowing In Inclusion Body Myositis: A Pilot Study, Nika Mohannak, Gemma Pattison, Bronwyn Radich, Kathryn Hird, Erin Godecke, Frank L. Mastaglia, Merrilee Needham

Medical Papers and Journal Articles

Inclusion Body Myositis (IBM) is the most common acquired myopathy in older individuals with more than two thirds of patients experiencing impaired swallowing. There are currently no standardized exercise therapies to improve or sustain swallowing despite good evidence for exercise therapy in limb muscles. Reduced upper esophageal sphincter (UES) opening is a common abnormality associated with dysphagia in IBM. This pilot study recruited IBM patients with abnormal UES function and dysphagia into an exercise program. It was hypothesised that regular practice using the Expiratory Muscle Strength Trainer (EMST) device would improve hyolaryngeal movement by strengthening suprahyoid musculature and facilitate opening …