icare supports Australian First Physiotherapy Guidelines for Spinal Cord Injury
A spinal cord injury (SCI) impacts many areas of a person’s life, including their physical ability. Support from a physiotherapist is important in improving one’s recovery and quality of life.
To increase knowledge in this area and improve clinical outcomes, icare provided funding to The John Walsh Centre for Rehabilitation Research (JWCRR) to develop Clinical Practice Guidelines (the Guidelines) for the Physiotherapy Management of People with Spinal Cord Injuries.
This work was led by Associate Professor Joanne Glinsky and Professor Lisa Harvey with support from Keira Tranter from the John Walsh Centre for Rehabilitation Research.
The large team included physiotherapists, academics and consumers from across Australia and New Zealand. This also saw support from several state funding bodies, including icare NSW, National Injury Insurance Scheme Queensland, Transport Accident Commission Victoria, and Lifetime Support Authority South Australia.
The Guidelines are an Australian first with collaboration across states, designed specifically for use by physiotherapists in spinal units and the community. They aim to strengthen the evidence base for physiotherapist practice for people with spinal cord injuries, including ongoing physiotherapy care.
The Australian and New Zealand Physiotherapy Clinical Practice Guidelines are available at www.sciptguide.com.
"icare is proud to support the first Australian guidelines for the physiotherapy management of people with spinal cord injury. The development of the Guidelines shows successful cross-jurisdictional collaboration with other states. We understand the importance the right treatment and care can have for someone living with a spinal cord injury and are very excited to see the Guidelines used by physiotherapists across spinal units and the community"
Practical use of Guidelines by Physiotherapists
A qualitative research report published in June 2023 found that physiotherapists expressed a willingness to follow the Guidelines, stating they could use the Guidelines to help explain treatment plans to clients, families and funding bodies.
"As a clinician-patient team, the Guidelines can enhance therapy by understanding various interventions for one goal. This could broaden a client’s perspective by allowing them to more open to new approaches, especially if they are initially set on a specific intervention."
Online learning module: Global Reach
An online learning module was developed to allow practical applications of the research learnings. The MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) on Physiotherapy Management of People with Spinal Cord Injuries aimed to equip physiotherapy students and clinicians with sufficient knowledge to manage a person with SCI.
The course included lessons on assessing impairments, activity limitations and participation restrictions, setting appropriate goals for treatment, formulating a treatment plan and evaluating their success.
Over 25000 participants from 169 countries formally registered for the MOOC, with the course being delivered in 5 languages including English, Spanish, Portuguese, French and Chinese. Most registrations were from Egypt, India, China, Australia and Brazil.
Over a 5-week period, participants worked through physiotherapy-specific lessons including 150 videos and completed 3 weekly tasks while keeping in touch with other students and physiotherapists globally via Facebook groups.
Upon receiving a certificate of completion, many reported more confidence in their ability to manage someone with a SCI.
The course is free and can be completed at one’s own pace. See MOOC details here.
"It is wonderful that Jo and I were supported to run the MOOC. It has such incredible reach to all corners of the world. Consequently, it is an extremely effective way of educating physiotherapists about key principles of the physiotherapy management of people with spinal cord injury."
"It also provides a very large platform to disseminate research and thereby influence and change clinical practice everywhere. We are very grateful to our many collaborators around the world that made it possible to run the MOOC in 5 languages and to reach out to so many people,” said Professor Lisa Harvey.
About the John Walsh Centre for Rehabilitation Research Centre
The John Walsh Centre for Rehabilitation Research receives funding from icare and SIRA to help improve the lives of people living with injury-related disability.
Learn more about this funding here.
The John Walsh Centre for Rehabilitation Research is named after new icare Board member and Chair of the Dust Diseases Board, John Walsh. Note beyond this tribute, he has no financial or other interest in the Centre.
The John Walsh Centre for Rehabilitation Research is affiliated with the University of Sydney and The Northern Sydney Local Health District.
icare provides treatment and care to nearly 500 people living with a spinal cord injury (as of 30 June 2023).
Learn more about spinal cord support here
Professor Lisa Harvey
Since her establishment as a core-funded researcher at the John Walsh Centre for Rehabilitation Research (JWCRR) in 2004, Professor Lisa Harvey’s research has had extensive influence on best practices in SCI treatment and rehabilitation across the health service system.
Her work provides high-quality clinical guidance, training and resources to health professionals, ensuring they have access to the most up-to-date and effective physiotherapy treatments available to assist people with SCI.
Associate Professor Joanne Glinsky
Associate Professor Joanne Glinsky is a physiotherapist, educator and researcher at the John Walsh Centre for Rehabilitation Research. Her work aims to improve the physiotherapy management of people with spinal cord injuries through the development of educational resources and clinically relevant research.
Professor Lisa Harvey, John Walsh Centre for Rehabilitation Research University of Sydney.
