Higher Degree by Research Physiotherapy Students

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Carlee Holmes

Doctor of Philosophy
Commenced: OCT 2015 (Part time)

Assessment and management of the common postural characteristics in young adults with cerebral palsy

Supervisors: Prue Morgan, Kim Brock

Research setting: Adult cerebral palsy GMFCS IV and V, Measurement of postural asymmetry, Tertiary hospital specialist clinic

Clinical/research expertise: I am a senior physiotherapist working in the Young Adult Complex Disability Clinic at St. Vincent’s Hospital. This is a transition clinic from paediatric to adult healthcare specialising in cerebral palsy. I am interested in the assessment and management of the postural asymmetries seen in those reliant on wheelchairs for mobility. My research is focused on establishing the validity and reliability of a measurement tool that has been used primarily for children in England, known as the Goldsmith Indices of Body Symmetry.

Contact: carlee@synapsephysio.com.au

Shane Pritchard

Doctor of Philosophy
Commenced: JUNE 2014 (Part time)

Development of a model for educating physiotherapy students to be simulated patients.

Supervisors: Prof Jenny Keating, Prof Debra Nestel (Monash), A/Prof Felicity Blackstock (UWS)

Research setting: Education, simulation, health professional education, qualitative

Clinical/research expertise: I am a physiotherapist currently working in private practice with a primarily musculoskeletal caseload. Prior to this I worked as a rotating Grade 1 physiotherapist at the Alice Springs Hospital. I commenced this research project as an Honours project during my undergraduate training. I have an interest in simulation in health professional education especially working with simulated patients (SPs). SPs are defined as individuals who have learned to portray the role of a patient, with a character and health issues other than their own, in a realistic way.

Publications (click to view)

  • Peer-reviewed journal articles

    • Pritchard, S. A., Blackstock, F. C., Nestel, D., Keating, J. L. (2016). Simulated Patients in Physical Therapy Education: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Physical Therapy, 96(9), 1342-1353.
    • Nestel, D., Gray, K., Simmons, M., Pritchard, S. A., Islam, R., Eng, W. Q. C., Ng, A., Dornan, T. (2014). Community perceptions of a rural medical school: a pilot qualitative study. Advances in Medical Education and Practice, 5, 407-413.
    • Nestel, D., Watson, M. O., Bearman, M. L., Morrison, T., Pritchard, S. A., Andreatta, P. B. (2013). Strategic approaches to simulation-based education: A case study from Australia. Journal of Health Specialties, 1(1), 4-12.
    • Nestel, D., Layat-Burn, C., Pritchard, S. A., Glastonbury, R., Tabak, D. (2011). The use of simulated patients in medical education: Guide Supplement 42.1 – Viewpoint. Medical Teacher, 33(12), 1027-1029.

  • Book chapters

    • Nestel, D., Morrison, T., Pritchard, S. A.Chapter 2 – Scope of contemporary simulated patient methodology, in Simulated Patient Methodology: Theory, Evidence and Practice, eds Debra Nestel and Margaret Bearman, Wiley-Blackwell, UK.
    • Blackstock, F., Pritchard, S. A.Chapter 20 – Skills development in person-centred physiotherapy, in Simulated Patient Methodology: Theory, Evidence and Practice, eds Debra Nestel and Margaret Bearman, Wiley-Blackwell, UK.

  • Conference Presentations:

    • International Meeting on Simulation in Healthcare (IMSH), Jan 2016, San Diego USA
    • Pritchard, S., Blackstock, F., Nestel, D., Keating, J., Simulated patients in physical therapy education: a systematic review and meta-analysis (poster presentation).
    • Pritchard, S., Blackstock, F., Nestel, D., Keating, J. (2015). Simulated patients in physical therapy education: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Simulation in Healthcare, 10(6), 485.
    • Asia Pacific Meeting on Simulation in Healthcare (APMSH), Oct 2013, Shanghai China
    • Pritchard, S., Blackstock, F., Bowman, K., Keating, J., Nestel, D. Expert perspectives on simulated patient methodology: A tri-continental interview study with simulated patient educators (poster presentation).
    • SimHealth conference, Sept 2013, Brisbane Australia
    • Pritchard, S., Morrison, T., Keating, J., Nestel, D. Simulated patients’ perspectives on practice: a qualitative study (oral presentation).
    • Pritchard, S., Blackstock, F., Bowman, K., Keating, J., Nestel, D. Expert perspectives on simulated patient methodology: A tri-continental qualitative study (oral presentation).
    • Nestel, D., Morrison, T., Pritchard, S., Kiegaldie, D. The Victorian Simulated Patient Network: evaluation of a statewide resource (poster).
    • International Conference on Faculty Development in the Health Professions, Aug 2013, Prague, Czech Republic
    • Nestel, D., Morrison, T., Pritchard, S.The Victorian Simulated Patient Network: a statewide faculty development initiative in simulated patient methodology (poster).
    • AMEE (An international Association for Medical Education) 2013 Conference, Aug 2013, Prague, Czech Republic
    • Pritchard, S., Blackstock, F., Bowman, K., Keating, J., Nestel, D. Simulated patient methodology across three continents: a qualitative interview-based study (oral presentation).
    • Australia and New Zealand Association for Health Professional Education (ANZAHPE) conference, June 2013, Melbourne Australia
    • Nestel, D., Morrison, T., Pritchard, S., Fundamentals of simulated patient methodology: training approaches for role portrayal (90 minute workshop).
    • Nestel, D., Morrison, T., Pritchard, S., Kiegaldie, D., English, L. The Victorian Simulated Patient Network: a statewide faculty development

Contact: shane.pritchard@gmail.com -

Paul Jansons

Doctor of Philosophy
Commenced: AUG 2013 (Part time)

The PhD thesis is a comparative, trial-based, incremental cost effectiveness analysis of gym versus home-based exercise intervention with telephone follow up for adults with chronic health conditions who had previously completed a short term, supervised group exercise program.

Supervisors: Professor Terry Haines, Dr Lisa O’brien

Research setting: Exercise Adherence, Chronic disease, Community, Health economics, Rehabilitation, Telehealth

Clinical/research expertise: I am an exercise physiologist for Monash Health Community in the Integrated Community Health Team. My research interest is in strategies to promote/maintain physical activity in older adults with chronic disease. Other interests include health economics.

Publications (click to view)

  • Peer-reviewed journal articles

    • Jansons, P. S., Haines, T. P., & O'Brien, L. (2016). Interventions to achieve ongoing exercise adherence for adults with chronic health conditions who have completed a supervised exercise program: Systematic review and meta-analysis. Clinical rehabilitation.

Contact: paul.jansons@monashhealth.org - Paul LinkedIn

Thusharika Dilrukshi Dissanayaka

Doctor of Philosophy
Commenced: OCT 2015 (Full time)

Transcranial pulsed current stimulation: a new paradigm for induction of cortical and behavioural changes.

Supervisors: Associate Professor Shapour Jaberzadeh, Dr Maryam Zoghi, Professor Gary Egan, Associate Professor Michael Farrell

Research setting: Non-invasive brain stimulation, transcranial magnetic stimulation, transcranial pulsed current stimulation, transcranial direct current stimulation, transcranial alternating current stimulation, pain threshold, corticospinal excitability

Clinical/research expertise: I am a PhD candidate working in Non-invasive Brain Stimulation and Neuroplasticity Laboratory at the Department of Physiotherapy, Monash University. My research focuses the effect of transcranial pulsed current stimulation (tPCS) on cortical and behavioral changes such as pain and motor function. I am particularly interested in investigating different tPCS approaches and mechanism behind their effects by combining neuroimaging techniques such as transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).

Publications (click to view)

  • Peer-reviewed journal articles

    • Does transcranial electrical stimulation enhance corticospinal excitability of the motor cortex in healthy individuals: A systematic review and meta-analysis? (Submitted to the European Journal of Neuroscience)
    • Sham transcranial electrical stimulation and its effects on corticospinal excitability: A systematic review and meta-analysis (Submitted to the Neuroscience Research Journal) Hydraulic pressure algometry to quantify pressure pain threshold of thumb nail using multiple random staircase method: A reliability study (Under preparation)

  • Conference Presentations:

    • Thusharika D Dissanayaka, Maryam Zoghi, Gary Egan, Michael Farrell, Shapour Jaberzadeh, Does transcranial alternative current stimulation in low Hz range enhances the corticospinal excitability in healthy individuals? A systematic review and Meta-analysis, Australia Society for Medical Research, 3rd June 2016, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, 1G Royal Parade, Parkville – Poster presentation
    • Thusharika D Dissanayaka, Maryam Zoghi, Gary Egan, Michael Farrell, Shapour Jaberzadeh, Blinding integrity and placebo effects of sham transcranial electrical stimulation on corticospinal excitability: A systematic review and meta-analysis, Second Australian Brain Stimulation Meeting, 28th-29th July 2016, Alfred Hospital, 99 Commercial Road, Prahran 3181 – Oral presentation

Contact: thusharika.dissanayaka@monash.edu

Alethea Ang

Doctor of Philosophy
Commenced: OCT 2014 (Part time)

The effect of functional maintenance programs for acutely hospitalised older adults and factors that influence program implementation.

Supervisors: Dr Stephen Maloney, Dr Lisa O'Brien, Dr Christian Osadnik (Primary)

Research setting: Functional maintenance programs in hospital, Multicomponent targeted interventions, Preventing functional decline, Geriatric syndromes, Acute hospital care

Clinical/research expertise: I am an acute respiratory physiotherapist working in a tertiary hospital where majority of my patients are 65 years or older. My research interest is in acute hospital care for older adults, especially how multicomponent interventions can prevent geriatric syndromes such as functional decline.

Publications (click to view)

  • Peer-reviewed journal articles

    • Ang AY, Cooper I, Jenkins S. (2010): Sexual professional boundaries: physiotherapy students' experiences and opinions. New Zealand Journal of Physiotherapy 38(3) 106-112

Contact: yaang1@student.monash.edu

Eloise Harrison

Doctor of Philosophy
Commenced: MAY 2016 (Part time)

The effect of trauma release exercises (TRE) on the severity of restless legs syndrome (RLS), and a qualitative analysis of the lived experience of RLS.

Supervisors: Jenny Keating

Research setting: Restless legs syndrome, non-pharmacological therapies, randomised controlled trial, trauma release exercises, community

Clinical/research expertise: I am a grade one rotating physiotherapist working for Ramsay Health. As an honours student, I commenced a research project investigating the effects of trauma release exercises for restless legs syndrome. As part of the project, focus group data was also gathered regarding the lived experience of RLS. After graduating, I have converted to a part time Master’s degree to refine and complete this research.

Contact: eloise.harrison@monash.edu

Jonathan Foo

Doctor of Philosophy
Commenced: 2016 (Part time)

International skills migration – physiotherapists in Australia.

Supervisors: Stephen Maloney, Prue Morgan, Mick Storr

Research setting: Workforce, Professional regulation, International migration

Clinical/research expertise: I am a private practice physiotherapist working with a general musculoskeletal caseload. I also work as a research assistant for the Monash University Physio Department. I am interested the future of the health workforce, and am currently involved in research to do with workforce, education, and economics.

Publications (click to view)

  • Peer-reviewed journal articles

    • Foo J, Rivers G, Ilic D, Evans D, Walsh K, Haines T, Paynter S, Morgan P, Lincke K, Lambrou H, Nethercote A, Maloney S (in press). The economic cost of failure in clinical education: a multi-perspective analysis. Medical Education (ref MED-2016- 0752.R2).
    • Maloney S, Reeves S, Rivers G, Ilic D, Foo J, Walsh K (2017). The Prato Statement on cost and value in professional and interprofessional education. Journal of Interprofessional Care 31(1).
    • Foo J, Storr M, Maloney S (2016). Registration factors that limit international mobility of people holding physiotherapy qualifications: A systematic review. Health Policy 120 (2016).
    • Rivers G, Foo J, Ilic D, Nicklen P, Reeves S, Walsh K, Maloney S (2015). The Economic value of an investment in physiotherapy education: a net present value approach. Journal of Physiotherapy 61(3).
    • Maloney S, Nicklen P, Rivers G, Foo J, Ooi YY, Reeves S, Walsh K, Ilic D (2015). A Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Blended Versus Face-to- Face Delivery of Evidence-Based Medicine to Medical Students. Journal of Medical Internet Research 17(7):e182.

  • Conference Presentations:

    • Oral presentation (September 2016). Costs of the Underperforming Student. Monash Health Physiotherapy and Exercise Physiology Research and Innovation Conference. Melbourne, Australia.
    • Foo J, Storr M, Maloney S (2016). The global profile of physiotherapy migration regulation - A website audit. World Health Professions Regulation Conference, May 2016. Geneva, Switzerland (Poster presentation).

Contact: jon.foo@monash.edu - Jon Linkedin

Peter Nicklen

Doctor of Philosophy
Commenced: 2014 (Part time)

A Comparison of Remote-Online, and Face-to- Face, Case Based Learning.

Supervisors: Stephen Maloney, Jenny Keating

Research setting: Education, undergraduate, blended learning, web-conferenced case-based learning, web-conferencing, cost and benefit of education, economic value to student

Clinical/research expertise: I am primarily working in private practice at Performance Medicine, mainly with dancers and music theatre performers. I also work with singers and professional voice users utilising vocal unloading, as well as, a sessional tutor in the third year of the undergraduate physiotherapy course. My research explores blended learning, particularly within case-based learning, as well as the cost and benefit of education from a student perspective.

Publications (click to view)

  • Peer-reviewed journal articles

    • Maloney, S.R., Nicklen, P.D., Rivers, G.S., Foo, J., Ooi, C., Reeves, S., Walsh, K., & Ilic, D. (2015) A cost-effectiveness analysis of blended versus face-to- face delivery of evidence-based medicine to medical students. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 17(7): 1-10.
    • Rivers, G.S., Foo, J., Ilic, D., Nicklen, P.D., Reeves, S., Walsh, K., & Maloney, S.R. (2015) The economic value of an investment in physiotherapy education: A net present value analysis. Journal of Physiotherapy, 61(3): 148-154.
    • Nicklen P, Keating JL, Maloney S
Student Response to Remote-Online Case-Based Learning: A Qualitative Study JMIR Medical Education 2016;2(1):e3
URL:http://mededu.jmir.org/2016/1/e3/
doi:10.2196/mededu.5025

    • Nicklen P, Keating JL, Maloney S
Exploring Student Preconceptions of Readiness for Remote-Online Case-Based Learning: A Case Study JMIR Medical Education 2016;2(1):e5
URL:http://mededu.jmir.org/2016/1/e5/
doi:10.2196/mededu.5348

    • Nicklen P, Rivers G, Ooi C, Ilic D, Reeves S, Walsh K, Maloney S. (2016) An Approach for Calculating Student-Centered Value in Education – A Link between Quality, Efficiency, and the Learning Experience in the Health Professions. PLoS ONE 11(9): e0162941. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0162941
    • Nicklen, P., Keating, J.L., Paynter, S., Storr, M., Maloney, S. (in press) Remote-online Case-Based Learning: A Comparison of Remote-online and Face-to- face, Case-Based Learning - A Randomized Controlled Trial. Education for Health.

  • Conference Presentations:

    • Nicklen, P.D., Keating, J.L., Rivers, G.S., & Maloney, S.R. (2014) Students' savings through web-conference learning within health professional education. Medicine 2.0, 9-10 October, JMIR Publications Inc, Canada, p. 2053.
    • Nicklen, P.D., Rivers, G.S., Ooi, C., Ilic, D., Reeves, S., Walsh, K., & Maloney, S.R. (2015) An approach for calculating student-centered value in education - the link between quality, efficiency, and the learning experience in the health professions. ANZAHPE-AMEA, 29 March-1 April, The University of Newcastle, Newcastle, p. 333.
    • Nicklen, P.D., Keating J.L., Maloney S. (2016) Student Response to Remote-Online Case Based Learning: A Qualitative Study. ANZAHPE-OTTAWA 2016, 19 – 23 March, Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre, Perth (Poster Presentations).

Contact: peter.nicklen@monash.edu - Peter Linkedin

Deb Mitchell

Doctor of Philosophy
Commenced: APR 2014 (Part time)

Disinvestment and disinvestment research in healthcare.

Supervisors: Terry Haines, Anne Bardoel, Lisa O'Brien

Research setting: A qualitative study investigating how staff respond to disinvestment research. This is part of a larger study “Weekend allied health services for acute medical / surgical patients to improve efficiency and safety of patient care” which was undertaken at Monash Health’s Dandenong Hospital and Western Health’s Western Hospital, Footscray.

Clinical/research expertise: My background is in Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy but I have worked in a number of other roles in healthcare; as a Quality Coordinator and more since 2013, as the Interprofessional Practice Advisor in Monash Health’s Allied Health Workforce, Innovation, Strategy, Education and Research Unit (WISER). I was the site liaison for the larger project at Dandenong Hospital and became interested in how the staff responded to the withdrawal of service in order to ascertain the impact on patient outcomes.

Publications (click to view)

  • Peer-reviewed journal articles

    • Deb Mitchell, Lisa O'Brien, Anne Bardoel, Terry Haines. Challenges, uncertainties and perceived benefits of providing weekend allied health services - a managers' perspective. Accepted for publication. BMC Health Services Research
    • Deb Mitchell, Lisa O'Brien, Anne Bardoel, Terry Haines Health professional responses to service disinvestment: A qualitative study. Under review. Social Science and Medicine
    • Terry Haines, Kelly-Ann Bowles, Deb Mitchell, Lisa O’Brien, Donna Markham, Samantha Plumb, Kerry May, Kathleen Philip, Romi Haas, Mitchell Sarkies, Marcelle Ghaly, Melina Shackell, Timothy Chui, Fiona McDermott, Elizabeth Skinner. Do allied health services contribute to a “weekend effect” on acute medical and surgical wards? Two stepped-wedge randomised trials. Under review. BMJ
    • Lisa O’Brien, Deb Mitchell, Elizabeth Skinner, Romi Haas, Marcelle Ghaly, Fiona McDermott, Terry Haines. What makes weekend allied health services effective and cost-effective in acute medical and surgical wards? Perceptions of medical, nursing, and allied health workers. Under review. BMC Health Services Research
    • M.N. Sarkies; K.-A. Bowles; E.H. Skinner; b R. Haas; M. Ho; K. Salter; K. May; D. Markham; L. O’Brien; S. Plumb; T.P. Haines Data collection methods in health services research: hospital length of stay and discharge destination Applied Clinical Informatics 2015; 6: 96–109 Do daily ward interviews improve measurement of hospital quality and safety indicators? A prospective observational study Journal of evaluation of clinical practice. Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice 2016 Oct; 22(5):792-8.
    • Terry Haines, Lisa O’Brien, Fiona McDermott, Donna Markham, Deb Mitchell, Dina Watterson, Elizabeth Skinner; A novel research design can aid disinvestment from existing health technologies with uncertain effectiveness, cost-effectiveness, and/or safety. J of Clinical Epidemiology. 67 (2014) 144-151
    • Terry Haines, Elizabeth Skinner, Deb Mitchell, Lisa O’Brien, Kelly Bowles, Donna Markham, Samantha Plumb, Timothy Chui, Kerry May, Romi Haas, David Lescai, Kathleen Philip, Fiona McDermott. Application of a novel disinvestment research design to the use of weekend allied health services on acute medical and surgical wards – randomised trial and economic evaluation protocol. BMC Health Services Research. 2014, 14 (Suppl 2):P53
    • Terry P Haines, Lisa O’Brien, Deb Mitchell, Kelly-Ann Bowles, Romi Haas, Donna Markham, Samantha Plumb, Timothy Chiu, Kerry May, Kathleen Philip, David Lescai, Fiona McDermott Mitchell Sarkies, Marcelle Ghaly, Leonie Shaw, Genevieve Juj, Elizabeth H Skinner. Study protocol for two randomized controlled trials examining the effectiveness and safety of current weekend allied health services and a new stakeholder-driven model for acute medical/surgical patients versus no weekend allied health services. Trials (2015) 16:33

  • Conference Presentations:

    • Advantages and challenges of providing weekend allied health services on acute medical and surgical wards: the managers’ perspective. ANZ Health Services Research Conference November 2016
    • Staff reactions to disinvestment research. 3 MT presentation ANZ Health Services Research Conference November 2016

Contact: debra.mitchell@monash.edu