ORCID Profile
0000-0003-2623-4078
Current Organisation
Monash University
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Research Topics
In Research Link Australia (RLA), "Research Topics" refer to ANZSRC FOR and SEO codes. These topics are either sourced from ANZSRC FOR and SEO codes listed in researchers' related grants or generated by a large language model (LLM) based on their publications.
Top 5 Research Topics
ANZSRC Field of Research (FoR)
Studies of Asian Society | Bioethics (human and animal) | Law | Social and Cultural Anthropology | Public Health and Health Services | Anthropology | Sociological Methodology and Research Methods | Law and Society | Care for Disabled | Sociology | Aged Health Care | Public Health and Health Services not elsewhere classified | Sociology and Social Studies of Science and Technology
ANZSRC Socio-Economic Objective (SEO)
Social Structure and Health | Disability and Functional Capacity | Health Related to Ageing | Law Reform | Expanding Knowledge in Philosophy and Religious Studies |
Related Links
Publications
Reframing Disability and Quality of Life
Publisher: Springer Netherlands
Date: 2013
The lived experience of volunteering in a palliative care biography service
Publisher: Cambridge University Press (CUP)
Date: 12-02-2015
DOI: 10.1017/S1478951515000152
Abstract: Many patients approaching death experience hopelessness, helplessness, and a depressed mood, and these factors can contribute to a difficult end-of-life (EoL) period. Biography services may assist patients in finding meaning and purpose at this time. The aim of our study was to investigate the lived experience of volunteers involved in a biography service in Melbourne, Australia, using a qualitative methodology. The participants were 10 volunteers who had participated in a biography service within a private palliative care service. Each volunteer was interviewed separately using a study-specific semistructured interview guide. The transcripts of these interviews were then subjected to thematic analysis. Analysis yielded the following themes: motivations for volunteering dealing with death, dying, and existential issues psychosocial benefits of volunteering and benefits and challenges of working with patients and their families. Our results indicated that volunteering gave the volunteers a deeper appreciation of existential issues, and helped them to be more appreciative of their own lives and gain a deeper awareness of the struggles other people experience. They also suggested that volunteers felt that their involvement contributed to their own personal development, and was personally rewarding. Furthermore, the results highlighted that volunteers found that encounters with family members were sometimes challenging. While some were appreciative, others imposed time limits, became overly reliant on the volunteers, and were sometimes offended, hurt, and angered by what was included in the final biography. It is hoped that the findings of the current study will provide direction for improvements in the biography services that will benefit patients, family members, and volunteers. In particular, our findings highlight the need to provide ongoing support for volunteers to assist them in handling the challenges of volunteering in a palliative care setting.
Patient and Parent Perspectives of Adolescent Laparoscopic Adjustable Gastric Banding (LAGB)
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 13-04-2016
DOI: 10.1007/S11695-016-2156-6
Abstract: Adolescent obesity is a significant global health challenge and severely obese adolescents commonly experience serious medical and psychosocial challenges. Consequently, severe adolescent obesity is increasingly being treated surgically. The limited available research examining the effectiveness of adolescent bariatric surgery focuses primarily on bio-medical outcomes. There is a need for a more comprehensive understanding of the behavioural, emotional and social factors which affect adolescents' and parents' experience of weight loss surgery. Patient and parents' perspectives of adolescent LAGB were examined using a qualitative research methodology. In idual, semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight adolescent patients and five parents. Thematic analysis was used to identify key themes in the qualitative data. Patients and parents generally considered adolescent laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB) to be a life-changing experience, resulting in physical and mental health benefits. Factors considered to facilitate weight loss following surgery included parental support and adherence to treatment guidelines. Many adolescents reported experiencing surgical weight loss stigma and challenging interpersonal outcomes after weight loss for which they felt unprepared. Patients and parents perceived LAGB positively. There are opportunities to improve both the experience and outcomes of adolescent LAGB through parental education and enhancements to surgical aftercare programmes.
Coping and wellbeing in families with a child with acquired brain injury compared with families in the community.
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 03-12-2021
DOI: 10.1080/09638288.2021.2008522
Abstract: Paediatric acquired brain injury (ABI) negatively impacts parental wellbeing and family functioning. Adaptive coping, that is behaviours promoting emotional wellbeing and addressing distressing problems, may support wellbeing and family functioning. This study compared wellbeing, coping, and family functioning between parents of a child with ABI and parents in the community, and examined coping as a predictor of wellbeing and family functioning. Forty parents of a child with ABI and 40 parents in the community participated in this cross-sectional survey using the Personal Wellbeing Index, Coping Scale for Adults Short Form, McMaster Family Assessment Device (General Functioning Subscale). The ABI group had statistically significantly lower wellbeing, Adaptive coping may contribute to better family outcomes in paediatric ABI.Implications for rehabilitationPaediatric ABI may have a significant impact on the child with ABI and the family, leading to poorer outcomes for some families.This study suggested that parents of a child with ABI use adaptive coping less than parents in the community but do not differ in the use of non-productive coping.Families need long-term targeted support to meet the challenges paediatric ABI presents and may benefit from interventions which actively seek to change parental coping strategies.
First Experiments: New Science Opportunities at the Spallation Neutron Source Second Target Station (abridged)
Publisher: Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI)
Date: 2020
DOI: 10.2172/1784174
Neurosocialities: Anthropological Engagements with the Neurosciences
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 03-04-2018
Pathways of disability-based discrimination in cancer care
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 31-07-2019
The sibling relationship after acquired brain injury (ABI): perspectives of siblings with ABI and uninjured siblings
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 31-08-2020
The experience of a recreational camp for families with a child or young person with acquired brain injury.
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 22-04-2020
DOI: 10.1080/09602011.2018.1461657
Abstract: The Heads Together organisation provides a weekend c ing programme for children with an acquired brain injury (ABI) and their families. Utilising a qualitative approach, this study explored family experiences of the Heads Together C (HTC) from the perspective of parents. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 11 parents who had attended the c . Thematic analysis identified six themes:
Pilot of a dog-walking program to foster and support community inclusion for people with cognitive disabilities
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 10-02-2023
DOI: 10.1080/09638288.2022.2034993
Abstract: To evaluate a dog-walking program (called "Dog Buddies") designed to address the need for evidence-based programs that create opportunities for people with cognitive disabilities to be more socially included in mainstream society. The research question was: Does community dog walking foster social interaction for people with cognitive disabilities? Single-case experimental design was used with four in iduals (three with intellectual disability one with Acquired Brain Injury (ABI)) recruited Dog Buddies increased the frequency of encounters for all participants. The presence of the dog helped to foster convivial encounters, community members were found to be more welcoming, and some participants were recognised or acknowledged by name over time in the intervention phase. The dog-walking program offered a simple means of influencing the frequency and depth of community-based social interactions for people with cognitive disabilities.IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATIONThe co-presence of people with disabilities in the community with the general population does not ensure social interaction occurs.Both disability policy, and the programs or support that is provided to people with disabilities, needs to have a strong commitment to the inclusion of people with disabilities in mainstream communities.Dog Buddies is a promising ex le of a program where the presence of a pet dog has been demonstrated to support convivial, bi-directional encounters of people with cognitive disabilities and other community members.Dog-walking offers a simple means of influencing the frequency and depth of community-based social interactions for people with cognitive disabilities.
“It Gives Me My Freedom”: Technology and Responding to Bodily Limitations in Motor Neuron Disease
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 17-06-2015
DOI: 10.1080/01459740.2015.1035782
Abstract: People living with motor neuron disease (MND) experience profound and rapidly progressing impairment. In order to maintain their physical and social functioning, people so affected employ a range of technologies and technological aids (body auxiliaries) to enhance their life and maintain well-being. Using a phenomenological study design, we explored the experiences of 42 men and women who had been diagnosed with MND. Although many participants initially resisted the adoption of aids (often-electronic devices that enabled continued participation in daily life) or tools (the instruments that allowed achievement of specific tasks), such technologies offered a way for people with MND to overcome, to some extent, the limitations posed by their physical degeneration. Through generating a sense of 'normality,' these kinds of 'enabling' technologies promoted social engagement and the maintenance of valued relationships or activities. Technologies can provide people with MND with some positive experiences within a way of being-in-the-world that has become so difficult and challenging.
Disability and Health
Publisher: Springer Netherlands
Date: 2014
How feasible are healthy eating and physical activity for young women?
Publisher: Cambridge University Press (CUP)
Date: 05-2004
DOI: 10.1079/PHN2003541
Abstract: This study investigated young women's perceptions of the feasibility of physical activity and healthy eating behaviours, and how these vary by socio-economic status, domestic characteristics and weight status. This population-based study used a mailed questionnaire to investigate perceptions of the feasibility of commonly recommended healthy eating and physical activity behaviours among a s le of young women. The feasibility of 29 physical activity behaviours (e.g. relating to frequency, intensity, duration, domain/setting) and 15 healthy eating behaviours (e.g. relating to location/setting, fruit and vegetable intake, fat/sugar intake) was assessed. Height, weight and sociodemographic details were also obtained. Nation-wide community-based survey. A total of 445 women aged 18–32 years selected randomly from the Australian electoral roll. Most women reported that they either were already engaged in many of the healthy eating behaviours or saw these as highly feasible. Many physical activity behaviours, on the other hand, were perceived as less feasible, particularly among women with children and women who were overweight. Health promotion messages and strategies aimed at increasing physical activity and healthy eating are unlikely to succeed unless they take into account perceptions that these behaviours are not feasible. For young women, this may involve promoting more time-effective, flexible ways of achieving recommended physical activity. Messages specifically targeted to women with children, and women who are overweight, are required.
Mobility Issues for People with Disabilities
Publisher: Springer Netherlands
Date: 2014
Documenting the impact of stroke in a middle-income country: a Malaysian case study
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 05-09-2018
Endurance and contest: women's narratives of endometriosis
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 07-2008
Abstract: Endometriosis is an often painful medical condition in which, in response to hormones associated with the menstrual cycle, the uterine lining grows in the peritoneum and other organs, bleeding into the surrounding organs and tissues. Diagnosis is not always straightforward, and women and health professionals alike may have difficulties recognizing period pain as a sign of anomaly, considering it instead as an inevitable part of menstruation. This article describes the illness narratives of Australian women with endometriosis, drawing on data collected during a study conducted in Victoria in 2004—5. Thirty women (aged 20—78 years) from various socio-demographic backgrounds participated in in-depth interviews. We explore the influence of socio-demographic background and social and family norms on women's illness narratives of endurance and contest. Narratives of endurance are characterized by the normalization of period pain by young women, their families and health professionals, and, with diagnosis, long-term exposure to biomedical treatments. In contrast, narratives of contest are dominated by how women's subjective experience is challenged by doctors, their requirements for a patient-centered approach, and their desire to have access to complementary treatments.
You need the more relaxed side, but you also need the adrenaline: promoting physical health as perceived by youth with vision impairment
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 22-01-2019
Physical activity: perceptions of people with severe traumatic brain injury living in the community.
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 06-12-2018
DOI: 10.1080/02699052.2017.1395479
Abstract: Increasing physical activity (PA) among people with severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) represents an important long-term rehabilitation goal. To design effective interventions to promote PA, the factors associated with PA engagement post-TBI need to be understood. A qualitative study design was employed to investigate the factors influencing PA engagement in people with severe TBI living in the community. Face-to-face interviews were conducted with eight people with severe TBI three to five years post-injury. A constant comparative method of data collection and analysis was adopted. Interviews were analysed using thematic analysis. Three themes were identified: continuance of self and PA (perception of self, stage of life, and PA normality), beliefs about PA (knowledge of PA and associated benefits), and purpose of PA engagement (reasons for being physically active). Lifelong PA habits and current life priorities impacted on PA engagement post-TBI and influenced whether TBI-associated impairments were considered as a barrier to PA. Among this group of people, PA engagement post-TBI was influenced by perceptions of lifelong PA habits and current life priorities. Interventions to increase PA need to address these perceptions and adapt PA to account for life priorities within the context of TBI-associated impairments.
DEMAND, a Dimensional Extreme Magnetic Neutron Diffractometer at the High Flux Isotope Reactor
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 21-12-2018
DOI: 10.3390/CRYST9010005
Abstract: A two-dimensional (2D) Anger camera detector has been used at the HB-3A four-circle single-crystal neutron diffractometer at the High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR) since 2013. The 2D detector has enabled the capabilities of measuring sub-mm crystals and spin density maps, enhanced the efficiency of data collection and phase transition detection, and improved the signal-to-noise ratio. Recently, the HB-3A four-circle diffractometer has been undergoing a detector upgrade towards a much larger area, magnetic-field-insensitive, Anger camera detector. The instrument will become capable of doing single-crystal neutron diffraction under ultra-low temperatures (50 mK), magnetic fields (up to 8 T), electric fields (up to 11 kV/mm), and hydrostatic high pressures (up to 45 GPa). Furthermore, half-polarized neutron diffraction is also available to measure weak ferromagnetism and local site magnetic susceptibilities. With the new high-resolution 2D detector, the four-circle diffractometer has become more powerful for studying magnetic materials under extreme s le environment conditions hence, it has been given a new name: DEMAND.
Chronic disease profiles of subjective memory complaints: a latent class analysis of older people in a rural Malaysian community
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 27-12-2018
Faith and the Pursuit of Health: Cardiometabolic Disorders in Samoa
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 26-04-2020
Circuit Breaking: Pathways of Treatment Seeking for Women With Endometriosis in Australia
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 04-2008
Abstract: Pain resulting from endometriosis is experienced as both a chronic, ongoing condition and an acute episode at time of menstruation, often occurring in association with diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, heavy bleeding, and other reactions. Women expect pain with menstruation, however, and even if they experience major disruptions as a result, they find it difficult to distinguish normal from pathological discomfort. Drawing on qualitative research conducted from 2004 to 2006, we describe the “circuit breakers” that lead Australian women to seek medical advice. These include outside intercession, major disruptions to everyday life, changes in embodied experience, and difficulties in conception and pregnancy. Women's ideas of menstrual pain as “normal” are shared by doctors, resulting in further delays before a definitive diagnosis of endometriosis is made. During this time, women move between doctors and in and out of medical care, which they described through particular narrative styles to highlight the complexity of help seeking. We explore the ways in which ideas of gender, informed by women's embodiment but also the quality of their reporting of symptoms, influence their interactions with health professionals.
The Art of (Re)Learning to Walk: Trust on the Rehabilitation Ward
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 16-06-2010
Abstract: Although trust has significant implications for health outcomes, the mechanisms by which its presence or absence influences these outcomes require elucidation. Drawing on ethnographic research conducted in southeast Australia, we explore the tasks of rehabilitation for people who lost a limb because of vascular disease, and the importance of trust in the relationships of patients with their health professionals. Trust underpins procedures and practices designed to minimize problems that might delay rehabilitation or result in the continuing need for medical support and surveillance. Patients develop trust in the rehabilitation team based on three factors: competence, agency, and caring. Our findings emphasize how social skills, as well as technical competence, enable health professionals to gain and maintain their patients’ trust.
Criteria employed by potential recipients considering adopting emerging visual technologies: The case of visual prostheses
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 12-2014
Corrigendum: Characterizing the interplay between autism spectrum disorder and comorbid medical conditions: An integrative review (Frontiers in Psychiatry (2019) 9 (751) DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00751)
Publisher: Frontiers Media SA
Date: 27-06-2019
Crisis averted: How consumers experienced a police and clinical early response (PACER) unit responding to a mental health crisis
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 03-2016
DOI: 10.1111/INM.12218
Abstract: When mental health crisis situations in the community are poorly handled, it can result in physical and emotional injuries. The purpose of this study was to ascertain the experiences and opinions of consumers about the way police and mental health services worked together, specifically via the Alfred Police and Clinical Early Response (A-PACER) model, to assist people experiencing a mental health crisis. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with 12 mental health consumers who had direct contact with the A-PACER team between June 2013 and March 2015. The study highlighted that people who encountered the A-PACER team generally valued and saw the benefit of a joint police-mental health clinician team response to a mental health crisis situation in the community. In understanding what worked well in how the A-PACER team operated, consumers perspectives can be summarized into five themes: communication and de-escalation, persistence of the A-PACER team, providing a quick response and working well under pressure, handover of information, and A-PACER helped consumers achieve a preferred outcome. All consumers acknowledged the complementary roles of the police officer and mental health clinician, and described the A-PACER team's supportive approach as critical in gaining their trust, engagement and in de-escalating the crises. Further education and training for police officers on how to respond to people with a mental illness, increased provision of follow-up support to promote rehabilitation and prevent future crises, and measures to reduce public scrutiny for the consumer when police responded, were proposed opportunities for improvement.
Consumer experience of formal crisis‐response services and preferred methods of crisis intervention
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 27-02-2014
DOI: 10.1111/INM.12059
Abstract: The manner in which people with mental illness are supported in a crisis is crucial to their recovery. The current study explored mental health consumers' experiences with formal crisis services (i.e. police and crisis assessment and treatment (CAT) teams), preferred crisis supports, and opinions of four collaborative interagency response models. Eleven consumers completed one-on-one, semistructured interviews. The results revealed that the perceived quality of previous formal crisis interventions varied greatly. Most participants preferred family members or friends to intervene. However, where a formal response was required, general practitioners and mental health case managers were preferred no participant wanted a police response, and only one indicated a preference for CAT team assistance. Most participants welcomed collaborative crisis interventions. Of four collaborative interagency response models currently being trialled internationally, participants most strongly supported the Ride-Along Model, which enables a police officer and a mental health clinician to jointly respond to distressed consumers in the community. The findings highlight the potential for an interagency response model to deliver a crisis response aligned with consumers' preferences.
Transferring responsibility and accountability in maternity care: clinicians defining their boundaries of practice in relation to clinical handover
Publisher: BMJ
Date: 2012
Taking control: complementary and alternative medicine in diabetes and cardiovascular disease management
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 26-09-2013
Abstract: The chronicity of chronic disease, and its associated uncertainties and fluctuations in health status, pain and/or discomfort, often leaves those so diagnosed feeling that they have lost control. Treatment can exacerbate this sense of loss of control, as people surrender to the expertise of their biomedical providers and interventions. In principle, self-management aims to return control to the in idual, but its promotion is as much motivated by cost-containment as patient autonomy, and is advocated in an environment largely shaped by policy makers and biomedical providers. In this article, we examine how Australians with type 2 diabetes and/or cardiovascular disease supplement medical with complementary and alternative medical (CAM) care. Drawing on in-depth interviews with 69 participants collected in 2009–2010, we illustrate how people rely on medical providers and pharmaceuticals to manage their diabetes, but concurrently consulted with CAM practitioners and used non-biomedical therapies to enhance well-being. In explaining this, participants framed CAM use in the context of reclaiming relative personal and bodily control.
Living with a neglected neurological disease: a qualitative study of patients with multiple sclerosis in Malaysia
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 26-11-2019
DOI: 10.1080/09638288.2019.1695000
Abstract: The needs of patients with multiple sclerosis have been well-studied in high-income, high-prevalence countries but few studies have been based in low- and middle-income countries where resources are relatively scarce. As such, little is known about the needs of patients living in these countries. The study seeks to develop an understanding of the needs of patients with multiple sclerosis living in Malaysia in order to generate insights and contribute to a global database of patients' experience. 12 patients with multiple sclerosis participated in this qualitative study and took part in a semi-structured interview. The interviews were transcribed and analysed using an iterative thematic analysis approach. The experiences, challenges and needs of the patients were reported. Five themes were developed (Daily living, Financial, Emotional and psychological, Healthcare, and Family). These predominantly revolved around the struggles of coping and adapting to the symptoms and disabilities imposed by multiple sclerosis, their heavy reliance on personal finances to cope with the increased costs of living for themselves and their families, as well as the limited healthcare services and treatments available to help them to manage the physical and emotional symptoms of multiple sclerosis. Patients with multiple sclerosis in Malaysia have complex needs that are neglected due perceived lack of importance of the disease and the poor understanding of multiple sclerosis in general. Patients rely heavily on their finances to improve their quality of life. This perpetuates health inequities and reform of the national health financing system is needed to provide patients with the healthcare and support they need.Implications for rehabilitationPatients with multiple sclerosis in Malaysia prioritize being able to cope and adapt to their disabilities in order to continue performing their activities of daily living.There is a need to increase the availability and accessibility of healthcare professionals that are experienced with the management of multiple sclerosis.Healthcare professionals need to improve their understanding of the patients' needs and what they consider to be important in order to provide therapy that is effective and relevant.Patients also require financial support to help them with the increased costs of living associated with MS as well as the costs of healthcare services such as physiotherapy and rehabilitation.
Neurodegeneration and the Intersubjectivities of Care
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 02-2019
DOI: 10.1080/01459740.2019.1570189
Abstract: Caring for a family member or friend with a serious health condition is a common feature of social life. Often, such care is framed as a burden, an unwelcome rupture in the fabric of everyday life. We draw on research conducted in Australia and the UK to examine care in the everyday lives of people living with and caring for neurodegenerative diseases and to trouble care as a burden. Participants in our studies mobilized practices of care to collaboratively produce a "good life". We argue that above all, care is a relational, enacted practice requiring examination in its local context.
Recommendations for spinal rehabilitation professionals regarding sexual education needs and preferences of people with spinal cord dysfunction: a mixed-methods study
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 10-05-2016
DOI: 10.1038/SC.2016.62
Abstract: Mixed-methods study using comprehensive survey and semi-structured interviews. Compare the experiences of sexual education during rehabilitation for people with non-traumatic spinal cord dysfunction (SCDys) and traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI), determine preferences for the delivery of this information and provide recommendations for spinal rehabilitation professionals. Community, Australia. Adults completed survey (traumatic SCI n=115 SCDys=39) or were interviewed (SCDys: n=21). Survey included questions regarding sexual education during rehabilitation, participant satisfaction with this and preferred modes for receiving such information. These themes were also explored during interviews. No difference between SCI and SCDys regarding satisfaction or preferred modes of presentation (all P>0.05). People with SCDys were less likely to report receiving sexuality education during rehabilitation (SCDys n=11, 30% SCI n=61, 53% P=0.03). Interviews suggested that this may be gendered, as only two women recalled receiving sexual education, whereas men often received this as part of continence management. Overall, only 18% were satisfied or very satisfied with sexual education and information received, and 36% were dissatisfied or very dissatisfied. Preferred modes for receiving sexuality information included sexuality counsellor (n=97), recommended internet sites (n=77), peer support workers (n=76), staff discussion (n=67), written information (n=67) and DVD (n=58). These preferences were confirmed during interviews, although women expressed a strong preference for written information sheets. There was very low satisfaction with sexuality education during rehabilitation. Our findings highlight the scope and directions for improving the sexual education and information given to people with both SCDys and SCI during rehabilitation.
What is the cost, impact, and willingness to pay for an Amputee Peer Support Program?
Publisher: Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health)
Date: 05-01-2023
DOI: 10.1097/PXR.0000000000000193
Abstract: The provision of peer support from those who have already made positive adjustments to utation is recommended for people incurring a major limb utation however, few receive this service. From a program perspective, determine the cost, impact, and willingness to pay for an Amputee Peer Support Program. Cost analysis. Cost of the Amputee Peer Support Program included a cost analysis of program data over a 5-year time horizon (2013–2018) reported in Australian Dollars 2018/2019. Impact and willingness to pay for an Amputee Peer Support Program was determined through surveys of the 3 participant groups: referring health professionals, program volunteers, and program participants. Over 5 years, there were 793 program participants, serviced by 256 program volunteers, for a cost of $631,497. The cost per program participant was $796. Thirty-eight health professionals, 86 program volunteers, and 12 program participants reported on impact and willingness to pay. The Program was reported to have a positive impact on all participant groups. The themes of access to resources and information and the provision of social and emotional well-being were identified across all 3 groups as being important. All 3 groups reported a higher willingness to pay for the health service (range $113–$450), National Disability Insurance Scheme ($156–$432), and private health insurance ($153–$347), and a lower willingness to pay for the program participant ($23–$49). Amputee peer support had a positive impact on those receiving and providing the service. Amputee peer support is likely to be a powerful yet inexpensive addition to routine care.
Staying with the silence: Silence as affording care in online alcohol and other drug counselling
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-2023
WAND2—A versatile wide angle neutron powder/single crystal diffractometer
Publisher: AIP Publishing
Date: 09-2018
DOI: 10.1063/1.5033900
Abstract: Wide Angle Neutron Diffractometer Squared is a high-flux versatile diffractometer with a 2-Dimensional Position Sensitive Detector at the High Flux Isotope Reactor. The instrument has strengths in both powder and single crystal diffraction. It is a unique instrument in the neutron scattering landscape of North America, and its capabilities are at least equal to similar instruments in the world.
Parkinson's disease prevalence and the association with rurality and agricultural determinants
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 04-2019
DOI: 10.1016/J.PARKRELDIS.2018.10.026
Abstract: Parkinson's disease prevalence has been associated with rurality and pesticide use in studies throughout the world. Here, Parkinson's disease (PD) medication usage was used to estimate prevalence in 79 urban and rural localities in Victoria, Australia (5.3 million people). An ecological study design was used to determine whether PD medication usage, as a reporter of PD diagnosis, differed between 79 regions in Victoria, and whether variance in PD prevalence was associated with population demographics using multiple regression. Cluster formation probability was calculated using Monte Carlo modelling. The association between agricultural production and PD prevalence was conducted with Bonferroni-adjusted Mann-Whitney-U tests. PD prevalence in Victoria was estimated to be 0.85%, which was greater in rural (1.02%) compared to urban (0.80%) locations a difference that was abolished when corrected for demographic variables. Four of the highest prevalent regions (regardless of covariate adjustment) were clustered in northwest Victoria a formation that was unlikely to be due to chance (P = 0.00095). These regions had increased production of pulse crops. PD prevalence was not associated with rurality, but associated with areas of pulse production. Pulses are plants of the fabaceae family, where many of these species secrete the PD toxin, rotenone, as a natural pesticide, which may underlie increased risk. This study is limited by the data collection method, where people who do not take PD medication for their disease, or take PD-associated medication for other diseases, may impact the estimated prevalence.
The lived experience of behaviours of concern: A qualitative study of men with traumatic brain injury
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 10-04-2019
DOI: 10.1080/09602011.2017.1307767
Abstract: Behaviours of Concern (BoC) are a debilitating consequence of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). Whilst perspectives of clinicians, carers and family members on BoC have been previously explored, few qualitative studies have included in iduals with TBI. The aim of this study was to explore the lived experience of BoC in in iduals with TBI, their close others and clinicians. Eleven males with TBI and BoC were recruited and 25 semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted (9 in iduals with TBI, 9 close others, 7 clinicians). A six-phase thematic analysis approach was utilised. Frequent and persistent BoC were reported and the key themes identified included the brain injury, control, environment, mood, identity, social relationships, and meaningful participation. Whilst the brain injury contributed to BoC in all cases, the way the other themes manifested and interacted was variable. This study enriches our understanding of factors associated with BoC. Themes emerging from this study will inform interventions designed to reduce BoC and ultimately maximise quality of life for in iduals with TBI and their families.
Learning from deep brain stimulation: the fallacy of techno-solutionism and the need for ‘regimes of care’
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 08-2018
DOI: 10.1007/S11019-018-9858-6
Abstract: Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is an effective treatment for the debilitating motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease and other neurological disorders. However, clinicians and commentators have noted that DBS recipients have not necessarily experienced the improvements in quality of life that would be expected, due in large part to what have been described as the 'psychosocial' impacts of DBS. The premise of this paper is that, in order to realise the full potential of DBS and similar interventions, clinical services need to be arranged in such a way that these psychosocial dimensions are recognised and managed. Our starting point is that the psychosocial effects of DBS 'in the field' present us with analytically-useful disruptions: they disturb and foreground deeply held assumptions relating to the in idual, health and its treatment, and which in a crude form manifest as the myth of technological solutionism within health care. Drawing on scholarship in medical sociology and science and technology studies (STS), we argue that DBS brings to the fore the relational dimensions of personhood, and demonstrates the emotional and social turmoil that can result if the relational dimensions of personhood are ignored by clinical services. In light of this, we argue that DBS should be implemented within a regime of care. Drawing on ethnographic research of a paediatric DBS clinical service, we provide an ex le of a regime of care, and conclude by reflecting on what other DBS services might learn from this paediatric service.
Model-free reconstruction of magnetic correlations in frustrated magnets
Publisher: International Union of Crystallography (IUCr)
Date: 06-2018
DOI: 10.1107/S2052252518006590
Abstract: Frustrated magnetic systems exhibit extraordinary physical properties, but quantification of their magnetic correlations poses a serious challenge to experiment and theory. Current insight into frustrated magnetic correlations relies on modelling techniques such as reverse Monte-Carlo methods, which require knowledge about the exact ordered atomic structure. Here, we present a method for direct reconstruction of magnetic correlations in frustrated magnets by three-dimensional difference pair distribution function analysis of neutron total scattering data. The methodology is applied to the disordered frustrated magnet bixbyite, (Mn 1− x Fe x ) 2 O 3 , which reveals nearest-neighbor antiferromagnetic correlations for the metal sites up to a range of approximately 15 Å. Importantly, this technique allows for magnetic correlations to be determined directly from the experimental data without any assumption about the atomic structure.
Patients' perspectives on laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB) aftercare attendance: Qualitative assessment
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 13-10-2014
DOI: 10.1007/S11695-013-1086-9
Abstract: Despite recognition of the importance of laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB) aftercare for optimal surgical outcomes and the failure of some patients to attend regularly, factors influencing LAGB aftercare attrition have not been thoroughly examined in the literature. Patients' perspectives on LAGB aftercare attendance were explored using a qualitative research methodology. Twenty-four LAGB patients who either (1) did not attend aftercare (n = 12) or (2) attended aftercare regularly (n = 12) were interviewed. Data were analysed using grounded theory methods. Four common processes emerged from patients' descriptions: (1) barriers to attendance, (2) purely medical service, (3) non-patient centred approach, and (4) behavioural and psychological aspects of behavioural changes. Regular attendees typically reported (1) a commitment to aftercare, (2) a need to make the band work, (3) regular monitoring motivated attendance, and (4) happiness with the improved health. Non-regular attendees perceived (1) that aftercare is more relevant early on after the surgery, (2) insufficient follow-up from the centre, (3) failure and shame, (4) not comfortable to be vulnerable, and (5) an intention to reconnect. Patients perceive LAGB post-operative medical management to be professional, effective, and valuable. Patients' difficulty to actively participate during aftercare visits contributes to reduced satisfaction and a range of compromised outcomes. Management of LAGB post-operative patients may be improved with the use of patient-centred strategies that encourage patients' active participation. Further research is required to evaluate the emerged themes and determine whether interventions targeting identified barriers enhance attendance and improve outcomes.
‘Physio’s not going to repair a torn tendon’: patient decision-making related to surgery for rotator cuff related shoulder pain
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 12-02-2021
DOI: 10.1080/09638288.2021.1879945
Abstract: Rotator cuff related shoulder pain (RCRSP) is a common and disabling shoulder condition and surgical management is becoming more common. The rates and costs of surgical interventions have been on the rise. Understanding decision-making related to surgery and providing adequate information to people with RCRSP may improve patient-centred care and potentially reduce rates of surgery. To explore the decision-making processors of people who have undertaken surgery for RCRSP. An in-depth thematic analysis. Interviews were conducted with patients from Melbourne who had had surgical management for RCRSP. Data were analysed using an inductive thematic approach. Fifteen participants were recruited. Six key themes emerged: (1) Needing to get it done: "It was necessary to remedy the dire situation" (2) Non-surgical treatment experience:" I knew that I'd done all I could" (3) Mechanical problem:" Physio's not going to repair a torn tendon" (4) Trust in medical professionals "If they told me that I needed to swallow a thousand spiders, I would have done it." (5) Varied information sources "Dr Google played a big part in it" (6) Organisational barriers "It was absolutely useless, my insurance." Surgery appears to be commonly precipitated by unremitted severe symptoms and failed non-surgical treatment. While there was strong trust in highly trained surgeons, decision to undergo surgery also drew on questionable pathoanatomical beliefs and instances of inadequate patient information about treatment choices and risks that may be addressed by adopting a more patient-centred care approach.IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATIONUnderstanding decision-making related to surgery and providing adequate information to people with rotator cuff related shoulder pain may improve patient-centred care.Surgery appears to be commonly precipitated by unremitted severe symptoms and failed non-surgical treatment.Decision to undergo surgery sometimes drew on questionable pathoanatomical beliefs.There was strong trust in highly trained surgeons but there were instances of inadequate patient information about treatment choices and risks.
Recognizing the Nocebo Benefits Patient Care, But Demands Greater Cultural Competency in the Clinic
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 24-05-2017
Patients' perceptions of safety and quality of maternity clinical handover
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 10-08-2011
Contextual factors that shape recovery after stroke in Malaysia
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 05-04-2020
New Sexual Repertoires: Enhancing Sexual Satisfaction for Men Following Non-traumatic Spinal Cord Injury
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 10-10-2018
The strength to cope: spirituality and faith in chronic disease
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 16-11-2013
DOI: 10.1007/S10943-011-9554-9
Abstract: The lifelong management of a chronic condition requires considerable mental fortitude and commitment in social adjustment and adherence to medical advice. In examining strategies of adaptation, we draw on ethnographic research, including interviews with 69 people with type 2 diabetes and/or cardiovascular disease. We explore how they incorporate spirituality into their self-management routines, with positive impact on their health and wellbeing, and highlight the role of spiritual practices in supporting people with chronic conditions mentally, physically and socially, so encouraging personal responsibility for one's health and wellbeing.
Adaptive invention: independence and mobility through modifications
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 24-08-2018
DOI: 10.1080/17483107.2017.1369586
Abstract: Stroke is a leading cause of disability that limits everyday activities and reduces social participation. Provision of assistive devices helps to achieve independence and social inclusion. However, due to limited resources or a lack of suited objects for their needs, in iduals with disabilities in low and middle income countries (LMIC) often do not have access to assistive devices. This has resulted in the creation of purpose built innovative solutions. Methodology and case content: This paper uses a single case derived from a larger ethnographic study of stroke survivors in rural Malaysia to demonstrate the role of assistive devices in shaping stroke recovery and how existing structures can be modified. Second, the concept of affordances in relation to structures within the environment, issues of affordability and accessibility of assistive devices for in iduals in LMIC are discussed. Stroke recovery involves adapting to new limitations and discovering the support necessary to live life. These changes are influenced by a range of environmental factors. Healthcare professionals need to support stroke patients in identifying challenges and work to find innovative ways to address them. Stroke survivors may benefit from the use of an assistive device beyond its clinical function to participate purposefully in activities of daily living. Implications for Rehabilitation Stroke is a cause of disability that limits everyday activities and reduces social participation. Assistive devices help achieve independence, social inclusion and shape stroke recovery. In iduals with disabilities in low and middle income countries often do not have access to assistive devices and resort to innovative solutions that are purpose built. Stroke recovery involves adapting to new limitations and discovering the support necessary to live life as best as possible.
Constructing Hope
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 04-02-2008
Abstract: Hope and recovery are focal narratives within rehabilitation discourse, which is characterized by its goal of returning physical functioning to in iduals in a way reminiscent of their pre-impairment ways of life. Rehabilitation is concerned with coming to terms with often devastating bodily disruption and learning strategies to minimize it. Rehabilitation provides in iduals with skills and tools designed to enable them to return to their former life. This discourse of “return to normal” is problematic for elderly or seriously ill patients, whose bodily disruption often occurs toward the end of a phase characterized by an extended period of ill-health and/or disease, and whose embodied experiences directly challenge the rehabilitative discourse. For these patients, the projected future is usually short-term and features decreasing levels of function and participation because of their health status. We explore the disjuncture between rehabilitative discourse constructed by and within the multidisciplinary clinical team and lived experiences for elderly people who have undergone utation.
Typologies of Rural Lay-Health Advocacy Among Rural Women in Australia
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 24-10-2006
Personal Life Approach: An Interactive Way of Understanding Older Adults’ Participation in Activities Following Hospitalization
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 11-02-2015
Abstract: To explore factors that support or inhibit participation in daily activities amongst older adults who have returned home following hospitalization. An exploratory qualitative design was used to gather information from a s le of older adults. Participants were recruited during their hospital stay from acute and rehabilitation wards in Victoria, Australia. Semistructured interviews were carried out in the participants' home within 6 weeks of discharge. Data were analyzed through thematic analysis. Participants (n = 21) were aged ≥65 years (mean 82 years [SD 8.5]), 57% were female (n = 11) and 76% with English as their first language (n = 16). Thematic analysis identified one primary theme (personal life approach) moderated by spirituality and two subthemes interpretation of physical and mental abilities, and social interactions. The life approach acted as a filter through which participants interpreted their abilities and social interactions that either supported or inhibited their return to participation after a stay in hospital. The findings suggest that clinicians need to consider the in idual's approach to life in their recovery following hospitalization. This approach can influence their return to participation in activities and potentially be supported (towards higher levels of optimism) by health professionals to enhance participation in activities postdischarge.
Challenges in Determining How Dynamic Risk Factors Manifest in Incarcerated Sexual Offenders
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 10-03-2016
Perceived personal, social and environmental barriers to weight maintenance among young women: A community survey
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 2004
The psychosocial impact of haematopoietic SCT on sibling donors
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 20-02-2012
DOI: 10.1038/BMT.2012.22
Abstract: The physical and psychosocial consequences for patients undergoing blood SCT for the treatment of cancer and their families have been extensively documented. There has, however, been far less investigation into the psychosocial consequences for sibling donors who are both family members and undergoing an invasive medical procedure. The aim of this study was therefore to explore the psychosocial impact of PBSC donation before, during and after donation, and to gain insight into donors' experiences of the preparation for, and procedures associated with, donation. Participants included 13 men and 9 women, with a mean age of 53.1 (SD=9.4) years, who underwent PBSC or BM donation between 2007 and 2010. Data were collected via face-to-face or telephone interviews and a questionnaire. Results revealed that a broad range of both positive and negative emotions were experienced at different time points during donation. The psychosocial impact of donation was also influenced by the interactions between factors such as pragmatic aspects of the donation process family dynamics perceived adequacy of preparation and emotional support and uncertainty related to health outcomes for the recipient and donor. Routine provision of psychosocial support to donors as well as recipients is therefore important.
Understanding the experience of compensatory and restorative memory rehabilitation: A qualitative study of stroke survivors
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 11-06-2020
DOI: 10.1080/09602011.2018.1479275
Abstract: Memory impairment is common following stroke. Memory skills groups (MSGs) utilising compensatory strategies and computerised cognitive training (CCT) are two rehabilitation approaches available to improve memory function however, there is no consensus as to which is more effective following stroke. This study aimed to explore and contrast the qualitative experiences of 20 stroke survivors (
First Experiments: New Science Opportunities at the Spallation Neutron Source Second Target Station
Publisher: Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI)
Date: 12-2019
DOI: 10.2172/1784183
DBS as a ‘Technological Fix’ or a ‘Regime of Care’? Recognizing the Importance of Narrative Identity in Neurosurgical Services
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 03-07-2017
Ageing with (and into) assistive technology: an exploration of the narratives of amputees and polio survivors
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 11-10-2022
DOI: 10.1080/17483107.2022.2131916
Abstract: Assistive technologies (AT) perform an important social role, interacting with cultural systems to produce or hinder accessibility to biosocial environments. This interaction profoundly shapes not only how an in idual body can be experienced by users but also produce and hinder accessibility to biosocial environments. AT users have historically been viewed through a medical model, which deems them disabled by their impairments and by dominant ableist narratives. Therefore, this paper serves to provide an insight into the importance of ageing with and into AT. This paper aims to investigate polio survivors' and diabetic utees' experiences of assistive technologies in order to better understand impacts upon narrative and identity. By applying an anthropological and sociological lens, a holistic view of the experiences of polio survivor and utee AT users is developed. This paper draws on 16 in-depth interviews with polio survivors and diabetic utees in the United States (US) and Australia, which were analysed using an experience-centered narrative approach. Both projects were approved by ethics boards. All participants provided written consent. Five themes were identified: a) disruption to biographies, which reflected AT impact on how narratives become altered b) impacts to autonomy, which reflected the importance of regaining previous daily activities c) re-engaging with community life, which highlighted how AT supported participation in valued activities d) self-perceptions of assistive technologies, which act in opposition to external perspectives and challenge ableist narratives and e) an intergenerational comparison of new and older AT users highlights the importance of temporalities. This paper offers new perspectives on ageing with assistive technologies, with a focus on identity and narrative. The importance of this paper is to contribute to the existing literature that demonstrates the cultural implications that arise through embodiment and assistive technologies.IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATIONThe use of assistive technology can help in iduals regain function, but the in idual circumstances require considerationThe use of assistive technology is a complex entanglement of bodies, environments, biographies, and imagined futures.The use of assistive technology can provide participants autonomy over their narratives and assist with maintaining their identities.
Supporting children and young people with an acquired brain injury (ABI) and their siblings: The experience of a camp for families with a child with an ABI
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 26-02-2020
Knight, K.R.addicted.pregnant.poor. Durham, NC: Duke University Press. 2015. £21 (pbk) ISBN 978‐0822359968 £70 (hbk) ISBN 978‐0822359531
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 13-10-2016
Reframing Disability and Quality of Life: Contextual Nuances
Publisher: Springer Netherlands
Date: 2013
Interpretations of self-rated health in stroke survivors from a semi-rural community in South East Asia
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 2019
Collaboration in crisis: Carer perspectives on police and mental health professional's responses to mental health crises
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 24-06-2016
DOI: 10.1111/INM.12233
Abstract: For many situations involving a mental health crisis, carers (e.g. family or friends) are present and either attempt to help the person overcome the crisis or request assistance from professional services (e.g. mental health or police). Comparatively, little research has explored how carers experience the crisis, the professional response and how the nature of the response, in turn, impacts carers. The current study was conducted to explore these issues during in idual interviews with nine carers who had previous contact with police and mental health services during a crisis response. Collected data described the definition and perceived impact of a mental health crisis for carers, how carers had experienced a crisis response from police and mental health services, and how the professional response had impacted on carers. Of importance was the finding that carers were often themselves traumatized by witnessing or being involved in the crisis, however, were rarely offered direct education or support to help them cope or prevent future crises. A number of carers described a reluctance to request assistance from professional services due to previous poor experiences. This highlighted the importance of implementing strategies to deliver more timely, respectful, specialist and collaborative crisis responses to improve carer and consumer outcomes.
“Just One Thing after Another”: Recursive Cascades and Chronic Conditions
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 30-06-2016
DOI: 10.1111/MAQ.12277
Abstract: Chronic conditions and their resultant difficulties in daily living frequently occur with other health problems, sometimes due to interactions or complications at a biological level, or as a result of common pathogens or risk factors. On other occasions, they develop independently. Drawing on research conducted with Australian women that began in the mid-2000s and is still ongoing, we highlight how chronic structural factors shape the risk factors of "chronic" conditions, influencing health seeking, continuity of care, and health outcomes. Institutional, economic, and other circumstantial factors pertain and impact health trajectories as much in highly industrialized as in resource poor settings. In illustrating how poverty and social exclusion create the preconditions of multiple chronic health problems, and how chronic health problems increase such disadvantages for in iduals and their households, we introduce the idea of "recursive cascades" to capture the often inevitable trajectory of increasing ill health and growing empoverishment.
Model-free reconstruction of magnetic correlations in frustrated magnets
Publisher: International Union of Crystallography (IUCr)
Date: 06-2018
Pragmatic Narratives of Hysterectomy Among Australian Women
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 30-11-2007
Understandings of stroke in rural Malaysia: ethnographic insights
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 06-06-2019
DOI: 10.1080/09638288.2019.1624841
Abstract: Stroke is a public health concern in Malaysia but local beliefs and lay understandings of stroke have not been examined before. Explanatory models provide a way for people to make sense of their illness and influence health seeking behaviors, in a locally relevant way. Drawing on ethnographic research from rural Malaysia, this descriptive article explores ethnic Malaysian-Chinese stroke survivors' lay understandings of stroke. Eighteen community-dwelling stroke survivors aged 50-83 took part in the study. Causation of stroke was derived from cultural, biomedical and social sources. Participants also drew simultaneously from both biomedical and traditional explanations of stroke to develop their own understanding of etiology. Similarities with biomedical causation and other studies from different cultures were found. Participants' typically focused on the more immediate effects of stroke and often do not attribute causation and association with their comorbid conditions which are also risk factors of stroke. Lack of knowledge about stroke and its symptoms was evident in participants' account. Findings emphasize the importance of knowledge based health interventions, especially in health education strategies for stroke survivors to reduce delays to diagnosis and potentially improve health outcomes post-stroke. Implications for rehabilitation Stroke survivors often form explanatory models of stroke that draw from both biomedical and traditional explanations of stroke. Understanding how people derive lay understandings of stroke can contribute towards developing the goals and activities that facilitate recovery and rehabilitation in similar settings. Health practitioners in the community should strengthen communication regarding the identification, etiology and risk factors of stroke with stroke survivors and their carers to improve compliance to medication, exercise and diet for better recovery. Sustained health education which is culturally relevant is recommended. Communication should also include non-physical impact of stroke (such as cognitive deficits and emotional difficulties) as the stroke survivors were unlikely to relate such symptoms to stroke.
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