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Exploring the lived experiences of the consumers of the Transition Care Program
No full textIntroduction: The Transition Care Program (TCP) provides short-term, goal-orientated, therapy-focussed, client-centred care for older people across Australia, following discharge from hospital, to maximise functional independence, prevent readmission to hospital and prevent premature admission to permanent care. Several studies have identified positive consumer outcomes from TCP, although there is limited research on the consumer’s lived experiences of the program. Objective: This study aimed to gain an understanding of the lived experiences of consumers of a metropolitan Queensland TCP site to assist in quality improvement by identifying any opportunities for service improvement to better meet consumers’ needs. Method: A qualitative phenomenological approach was utilised to gain an understanding of the consumer’s lived experience while participating in the TCP. Semi-structured individual interviews were conducted with consumers who had recently discharged from the program. Interview data were analysed using thematic analysis. Results/practice implications/findings: Themes included that consumers were very satisfied with the service, praising the knowledge, skills, and communication from the staff. Consumers were also satisfied with several client-centred aspects of the service, including their engagement in decision-making throughout the program, the individually tailored services, and the quality of the services received. Additional findings suggested that areas for improvement could include increasing consumer’s initial understanding of the TCP and clarifying expectations, as well as streamlining transition between healthcare services. Conclusion: An understanding of consumer perspectives of healthcare services can assist in the delivery of client-centred healthcare services that effectively meet consumer’s need
Editorial June 2025
Get PDFIt’s a pleasure to present this June 2025 edition of the Australian and New Zealand Continence Journal. We’ve been working through the Journal’s metrics over the last year, and it is clear that we are in a period of considerable growth. Downloads of our articles increased by 600% in 2024, and our published works received double the citations from the previous year. As such, we’re in good stead to commence listing on a wider variety of databases and will be working through this process over the next year. In the meantime, we are working with our team and CSIRO Publishing to refine all the Journal’s policies. One of the requirements is that we continue to develop our editorial team so that it encompasses a variety of professional expertise and has a geographically diverse group of professionals. As such, we are expanding and present the call for editors below.Within this edition of the ANZCJ we are delighted to present some excellent articles. The first paper by Lakhan et al.1 highlights the need for a comprehensive primary health services model of care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women living with, or at risk of, urinary incontinence. Nagy et al.2 demonstrate the potential for transperineal ultrasound to act as an alternative to endoanal ultrasound for evaluating obstetric anal sphincter injury. Neumann et al.3 present important insights from physiotherapists involved in the management of women with prolapse. Finally, P. Dewan4 outlines the investigations considered clinically indicated in children with constipation and megarectum and provides experienced commentary on the associated outcomes
A scoping review: Occupation-based activities to improve balance in at-risk older adults
No full textIntroduction: Falls are a significant public health concern for older adults, leading to increased hospital admissions, medical expenses, and diminished quality of life. As the population ages, the incidence of falls and their associated consequences continue to rise, with balance impairment being a major factor. Occupational therapy is crucial in addressing fall risks through occupation-based activities that enhance balance and mitigate fall risks in community-dwelling older adults.Objective: This review aims to synthesise and evaluate the existing literature on occupation-based activities that enhance balance and reduce fall risk in older adults.Method: A scoping review was conducted in August 2023, adhering to the PRISMA-ScR checklist. Comprehensive searches were performed across multiple databases, including PubMed, CINAHL, Cochrane, Embase, and PsycINFO, to identify studies focussing on balance-targeting occupations for adults aged 65 and older. The review applied the Occupational Therapy Practice Framework to analyse the impact of specific interventions on balance and fall risk.Results: The search yielded 3333 results, with 15 studies meeting the inclusion criteria. Identified activities included sports, dancing, cognitive exercises, aqua-based activities, education, and training related to fall prevention strategies. Improved outcomes included balance, mobility, psychosocial health, quality of life, and overall wellbeing.Conclusion: Occupation-based activities promise to improve balance and reduce fall risks in older adults. While current studies support the efficacy of specific occupations, further research is needed to establish comprehensive guidelines. These findings reinforce the role of occupational therapy in supporting successful ageing and promoting independence in daily activities among older adults
Patient reported experience measures in paediatrics: A scoping review
Get PDFIntroduction: The WFOT is concerned with quality performance within the profession, prompting the development of the Quality Evaluation Strategy Tool [QUEST], with patient experience as an integral component. Paediatric services globally are increasingly acknowledging the importance of delivering patient-centred care for improvement in all quality dimensions. Patient-reported experience measures [PREMs] capture experiences with care received and should recognise the subjective nature of experience from both child and carer perspectives. Currently, no PREMs have been identified for global use within paediatric occupational therapy.Objective: To identify different PREMs used with paediatric patients, analyse characteristics, and synthesise findings relevant to occupational therapy, supporting the use of QUEST.Methods: A systematic search of Medline, Embase, Cochrane, CINAHL, and PsycINFO was conducted (inception to June 2024) following PRISMA-ScR guidelines. Articles are being screened by two independent reviewers. Extracted data will be synthesised inductively, tabulating PREMs by geography, type, domains, and characteristics.Results: The initial search identified 19,907 articles after removing duplicates. To date, 2451 have been screened, with 133 awaiting full-text review. Final results are expected in December 2024.Conclusions: Preliminary results identified a broad range of existing PREMs across diverse practice settings and geographic locations. Despite occupational therapy's characteristic priority for holistic and patient-centred care, limited field-specific literature was identified. The significant heterogeneity in terminology complicated study selection and highlighted a need to streamline definitive terminology to ensure accuracy in future research and consistency in practice. Findings are relevant to inform care improvement and aid selection and operational use of PREMs
Performing spinal manipulation and mobilisation or not? A perspective on managing paediatric clients
No full textSession outline:Using case-stimulated recall and the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) Framework, we plan to stimulate clinical reasoning, debate, and discussion on paediatric spinal manipulation and mobilisation, the related beneficial or harmful effects, and the recent IFOMPT/IOPTP Position Statements (1, 2). We will briefly summarise the IFOMPT and IOPTP Position Statement developed using an evidence-to-decision framework: 1. Scoping review (3) with the aim of identifying and mapping the available evidence regarding effectiveness and harms of spinal manipulation and mobilisation for infants, children and adolescents; 2. Psychometric properties review on clinical outcome measures (4, 5) which investigated the clinometric properties of outcome measures identified in the scoping review; 3. 3-Round Delphi study of international physiotherapy experts (6, 7) aimed to describe current practice, , and perceptions of peers in the field of orthopaedic manipulative therapy and paediatric physiotherapy regarding appropriateness of spinal mobilisation and manipulation in infants, children, and adolescents.; 4. Position Statements based on an evidence-to-decision summative analysis (1). Participant perspectives from a broader survey will be noted (8).The international taskforce findings will be highlighted using infant (0-2 years), child (3-12 years) and adolescent (13-18 years) case reports, interactive group polling, and discussion as follows: 1. Infant case – musculoskeletal condition: torticollis 2. Infant case – non-musculoskeletal condition: colic, cerebral palsy, scoliosis 3. Adolescent spinal pain – musculoskeletal condition: low back pain 4. Child spine pain – musculoskeletal condition: neck pain The session will end using panel discussion with Q & A session about spinal manipulation-mobilisation: The reasons physiotherapists should or should not manipulate or mobilise the paediatric population and valid alternate Clinical Practice Guideline care pathways including consenting and legal issues in various countries. The type of research that needs to be conducted in the future to advance our knowledge of spinal manipulative therapy in the paediatric population.Learning objective 1:1. Apply the joint IFOMPT-IOPTP position statements to case-stimulated clinical vignettes.Learning objective 2:2. Differentiate the use of spinal manipulation or mobilisation for managing musculoskeletal and diverse non-musculoskeletal conditions in infants, children and adolescents.Learning objective 3:3. Apply clinical reasoning when balancing clinical judgements against adverse events and suitable clinical outcome measures when considering use of spinal manipulation-mobilisation versus other valid clinical care options
Sex Differences in the Metabolic Cost of a Military Load Carriage Task: A Field Based Study
Get PDFOccupational demands, such as load carriage in tactical professions, do not discriminate based on sex. The aim of this study was to explore the differences in metabolic cost of a loaded pack march between the sexes in both absolute and relative terms. Twelve Army personnel (six males and six females) volunteered to complete three identical load carriage marches (5 km at 5.5 km/h, carrying 30 kg), across flat (on road) and undulating (gravelled path) terrain as part of a larger equipment trial. Heart rate (HR) response (HR average and maximum) was monitored with a Polar Team Pro unit and oxygen consumption with VO Master Pro (VO2 average and maximum) with the level of significance set at 0.05. There were no significant differences in age, years of experience, absolute loads carried, or completion time for each of the three events. Male soldiers were significantly taller (182.3 ± 6.2 cm vs. 167.4 ± 6.9 cm), heavier (88.2 ± 8.7 kg vs. 70.9 ± 10.6 kg), carried significantly less relative load (34.3 ± 3.4% vs. 43.2 ± 7.5%), and had significantly greater predicted VO2max (56.7 ± 6.1 mL/kg/min vs. 45.0 ± 2.9 mL/kg/min). A linear mixed model identified a significant main effect of sex on both average HR (β = −1.10) and peak HR (β = −1.27), and on average VO2 (β = −0.68), but not peak VO2. While the study was not powered to detect sex differences, the large effect sizes observed suggest meaningful physiological differences warranting further investigation. Female soldiers faced significantly greater metabolic costs when carrying the same loads and moving at the same speed and across the same terrain as their male counterparts. Adequate recovery and pacing strategies should be considered for these events, especially during training
Intersecting Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge and Artificial Intelligence in Medical and Health Sciences Education: A Perspective
Get PDFMedical education requires systematic strategies to optimize the incorporation of technology into educational strategies. A prominent framework for achieving this integration is the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) model. The advent of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has significantly influenced all aspects of education, impacting both teachers and students in their academic endeavors. Integrating AI with TPACK has created a new approach, the AI-TPACK framework, which is explored in this study. By incorporating AI-specific knowledge and skills, this framework enables educators to effectively utilize AI technologies in their teaching, adapting to their students' diverse contexts and needs. The significance of this integrated model is underscored by various studies that highlight AI's transformative effects on teaching and learning methods. A strong TPACK, combined with AI tools, appears to enhance teaching outcomes and enrich learning experiences. Furthermore, research demonstrates the crucial role of AI-driven intelligent tutoring systems in improving student performance in medical education by providing tailored feedback and dynamically adjusting educational content to individual learning needs. This article further investigates the transformative influence of AI in medical and health sciences education through the lens of the AI-TPACK framework. It explores how educators can align technological innovation with pedagogical effectiveness and content mastery to create meaningful learning experiences. Additionally, it emphasizes the necessity of AI-TPACK while addressing its advantages, considerations, and implications
Volunteer Cyber Forces to Strengthen Australia’s Defence
Get PDFThe importance of cyber, both as a distinct war-fighting domain and as support for the other war-fighting domains, is now well established. Australian defence doctrine recognises this and is continuously being adjusted accordingly. A strong characteristic of the cyber domain is its deep integration in, and partial dependence on, civilian structures including many under the control of the private sector
Vocal chanting and relaxation provide psychosocial benefits for individuals living with self-reported breathing difficulties
Get PDFIndividuals with breathing difficulties such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and long COVID often experience mood disturbances and isolation. Previous research on musical care has considered the potential of music and singing to support people with respiratory symptoms, but the possible benefits of group chanting have not been explored. Group chanting is a global practice involving controlled breathing through rhythmic vocalizations, but unlike singing or music participation it requires no musical skill. This study examined if 10 minutes of vocal chanting improves psychological wellbeing, social wellbeing, and breathing function. Participants were 41 Australian adults with dysfunctional breathing and 25 with normal respiratory function, who were randomly allocated to group chanting (n = 32) or group guided relaxation (n = 34), with measures taken before and after. Qualitative interviews were undertaken to support the findings and understand the phenomenology of chanting. The results showed that chanting increased positive mood more than relaxation. Both chanting and relaxation improved flourishing and social connection, while decreasing negative mood, with greater and more consistent benefits observed for participants with dysfunctional breathing. Non-attachment, autonomy, and breathing function improved similarly for all participants. These findings suggest that chanting and relaxation may provide psychosocial and breathing-related benefits, particularly for those with dysfunctional breathing. Despite reduced statistical power to detect group differences, the current findings offer promising evidence that warrants replication in future studies
Beyond the Playing Field: Rethinking Sport Safety in the Australian Defence Force
Get PDFExtract:Sport has long been integral to military culture, valued for its physical andpsychosocial benefits, including fitness, and teamwork. Within the AustralianDefence Force (ADF), sporting participation is encouraged and sometimescompulsory. However, sport is also a leading cause of musculoskeletal injuriesacross military contexts accounting for a significant number of injuries andworking days lost. While civilian injury-prevention programs (such as FIFA 11+and Activate) have demonstrated success in reducing injuries, their directapplication to military settings is problematic. Military personnel often facecumulative physical loads from occupational tasks and may engage in informal,opportunistic games under conditions of fatigue, limiting the feasibility ofstructured prevention strategies. This commentary argues that injury mitigationin the ADF requires context-specific approaches tailored to the unique demandsof military life. These strategies should be developed and implemented at tactical, operational, and strategic levels, supported by governance frameworks such as the Military Risk Management Framework and ADF Sports Council. Withoutsuch targeted measures, reliance on civilian models risks undermining both injuryprevention and the broader benefits of military sport