New national interdisciplinary care model to treat post-concussion symptoms awarded MRFF grant funding
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A project to deliver coordinated treatment to the more than 30 percent of people with a mild traumatic brain injury who experience persistent and disabling post-concussion symptoms has been awarded a $1.4 million Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) 2024 Traumatic Brain Injury Mission grant.
Professor Jennie Ponsford, Director of the Monash-Epworth Rehabilitation Research Centre, will lead a national project team of neuropsychologists, physiotherapists, sports and rehabilitation physicians to deliver the 8-week ‘i-RECOverR’ program, which will provide coordinated psychological, physiotherapy and medical treatment to address participants’ post-concussion symptoms.
The i-RECOveR project will evaluate the efficacy of both in-person and telehealth delivery of the 8-week interdisciplinary care model for adults of all ages who experience delayed recovery after concussion, focusing on improved access for rural and remote communities.
The project will assess outcomes including symptom reduction, functional goal attainment and quality of life, providing robust evidence of the effectiveness of the interdisciplinary model in addressing longer-term concussion consequences. A process evaluation will assess treatment integrity and content, participant experience and cost-effectiveness.
The project team will also evaluate the scalability of the intervention by embedding the i-RECOveR model of care in two public hospital concussion clinics in Brisbane, providing training, supervision and evaluation of patient outcomes.
“The iRECOveR project aims to provide a successful evidence-based model to support the establishment of clinics Australia-wide, including in rural and remote areas where concussion treatment is harder to access,” Professor Ponsford said. “At a time of heightened public discussion about the impact of concussion in sports, whether at junior, community or professional levels, our goal is to support the widespread implementation of best practice concussion care to improve the long-term health outcomes of people who are suffering from persistent post-concussion symptoms that have a disabling impact on their lives.”
The full list of organisations partnering with Monash on the iRECOverR project include
LaTrobe University, University of Queensland, Queensland Health, The Prince Charles Hospital, Neurological Rehabilitation Group, Australian Football League, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Southern Queensland Rural Health, Australian Physiotherapy Association, Brain Injury Australia, Australasian Society for the Study of Brain Impairment, National Rural Health Alliance and the Australian Psychological Society.
About Monash University
Monash University is Australia’s largest university with more than 80,000 students. In the 60 years since its foundation, it has developed a reputation for world-leading high-impact research, quality teaching, and inspiring innovation.
With four campuses in Australia and a presence in Malaysia, China, India, Indonesia and Italy, it is one of the most internationalised Australian universities.
As a leading international medical research university with the largest medical faculty in Australia and integration with leading Australian teaching hospitals, we consistently rank in the top 50 universities worldwide for clinical, pre-clinical and health sciences.
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