Occupational Therapy (OT)
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OT - Research
Research Mission Statement
The aim of research undertaken by the Occupational Therapy Department at the Royal Children's Hospital (RCH) is to contribute to the evidence base of tertiary care paediatric occupational therapy. We seek to achieve this by working collaboratively with relevant disciplines and organisations both within and external to the RCH, including associated tertiary institutes and other paediatric occupational therapy service providers.
The research activities undertaken by the OT department are influenced by the strong association between the clinical work of the RCH and the research carried out by the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute (MCRI). Research within the MCRI is organised into six themes that encompass research activities from the science laboratory through to clinical practice and community programs. Each Research Theme consists of a number of sub-groups. The OT department is active in research projects across several themes and sub-groups with a predominant involvement in the Critical Care and Neurosciences theme.
Research Co-ordinators
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Christine Imms (BAppScOT; MSc(RS))
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Melinda Randall (BAppScOT)
Staff Undertaking Post-Graduate Studies
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Gordon, A. Doctor of Philosophy, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Nursing, University of Melbourne.
Research interest: Neurosciences. -
Hewish, S. Doctor of Clinical Science - Occupational Therapy, School of Occupational Therapy, La Trobe University.
Research interest: Neurosciences. -
Imms, C. Doctor of Philosophy, School of Communication Sciences, La Trobe University.
Research interest: Participation -
Randall, M.J. Doctor of Philosophy, School of Occupational Therapy, La Trobe University.
Research interest: Outcome measurement
Staff Recently Completed Post-Graduate Studies
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Galvin, J. Master of Science, School of Occupational Therapy, La Trobe University.
Research interest: Neurosciences. Completed: Oct 2007
Current Projects
Follow the links below for information about current occupational therapy projects in each of the following areas:
Musculoskeletal Disorders
Critical Care and Neurosciences
Healthy Development
Musculoskeletal Disorders
| Project Title | Investigation of Practice Outcomes in Management of Hand Burns in Children Under 3 Years. |
| Investigators | Simone West, Melinda Randall |
| Grants | MCRI Part-time Salary Grant |
| Status | Commenced January 2006; For completion December 2007 |
| Summary Statement | This multi-phase project will begin with a retrospective analysis of current practice. Evidence-based clinical guidelines will then be developed and implemented with prospective evaluation of outcomes related to time to OT referral, need for surgical scar management & functional outcomes. Parent perceptions will be explored using qualitative methodology. |
| Project Title | Retrospective Data Analysis to Examine the Outcomes for Children Undergoing Occupational Therapy Intervention (Splinting) for Camptodactyly. |
| Investigators | Josie Duncan, Christine Imms, Jeremy Simcock |
| Grants | Nil |
| Status | Commenced January 2006; Paper in progress |
| Summary Statement | Data mining project to explore outcomes of splinting intervention for children and adolescents with Camptodactyly. Extracting data related to outcomes for infant and adolescent onset camptodactyly who received intervention between 1991-2006. |
Critical Care and Neurosciences
Anaesthesia & Pain Management
| Project Title | Intervention Manual For Clinicians Working With Children And Adolescents With Chronic Pain. |
| Investigators | Roz Rogers |
| Grants | Nil |
| Status | Commenced 2006; In press, 2008 |
| Summary Statement | This is an instructional manual for clinicians working with children and adolescents with chronic pain. |
| Project Title | Use Of The Canadian Occupational Performance Measure In Chronic Pain Management. |
| Investigators | Megan Turville, Roz Rogers, Christine Imms |
| Grants | Nil |
| Status | Commenced 2006; For completion 2007 |
| Summary Statement | This project aims to understand how the process of setting goals using the COPM influences treatment outcomes for adolescents who have chronic pain. The project will use retrospective data extraction to provide data on outcomes and factors influencing outcomes in order to support the development of an intervention study. |
Developmental Disability Research
| Project Title | Occupational Therapy Outcomes for Children with Handwriting Difficulties and a Developmental Coordination Disorder or Learning Difficulty. |
| Investigators | Melinda Randall, Barbara Scoullar, Christine Imms, Kathy Newton, Deidre Rundle |
| Grants | Allied Health & Nursing Seed Grant |
| Status | Paper in progress |
| Summary Statement | Randomised controlled trial comparing group versus individual therapy for children with Developmental Co-ordination Disorder (DCD) referred to occupational therapy for handwriting intervention. |
| Project Title | Functional Outcomes Following Upper Limb Surgery For Children With Cerebral Palsy. |
| Investigators | Josie Duncan, Melinda Randall, Dr. Bruce Johnstone, Christine Imms |
| Grants | MCRI Small Clinical Grant |
| Status | Paper in progress |
| Summary Statement | This project compared the functional use of the upper limb in children with cerebral palsy before and after surgery. The aims of the project were to determine the effectiveness of surgery and a standardised post-surgical occupational therapy approach, to improve both the quality of upper limb movement and to achieve the functional performance goals for the individual and family. Participants were children aged between 5-15 years who had surgery to the upper limb or hand. They were assessed prior to surgery and again at 6 and 12 months post surgery. Quality of movement was assessed using the Melbourne Assessment of Unilateral Limb Function. Parent and/or participant satisfaction with functional outcomes was measured using the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure. |
| Project Title | Does Improvement In Motor Skills Affect Self Concept And Health Related Quality Of Life In School Aged Children With Cerebral Palsy? |
| Investigators | Christine Imms, Melanie Ziebel, Anne Mc Coy, Prof. Mary Galea, Barbara Scoullar, Dr. Rob Sands, Dr. Eva Nordmark, Margaret Robertson |
| Grants | Nil |
| Status | Masters thesis completed by Melanie Ziebel in 2006; Paper submitted |
| Summary Statement | Randomised controlled cross-over trial of strength training in the lower or dexterity training in the upper limb for children with spastic diplegic cerebral palsy to improve motor performance, health related quality of life and self-perception. |
| Project Title | Diversity Of Participation In Children Who Have Cerebral Palsy: The Middle Years. |
| Investigators | Christine Imms, Prof. Sheena Reilly, Prof. John Carlin |
| Grants | Nil |
| Status | Commenced 2005; Two publications in press, 2008 |
| Summary Statement | Doctoral studies investigating diversity of participation in children who have cerebral palsy in activities outside of school. Research will investigate factors that support participation and examine the impact of transition to high school on participation. |
| Project Title | Manual Ability Classification System (MACS): An Australian Validation Study. |
| Investigators | Christine Imms, Assoc. Prof. Ann-Christine Eliasson, Ros Boyd |
| Grants | Nil |
| Status | Commenced 2004; Completion 2007 |
| Summary Statement | Validation study will recruit 20 therapists (occupational therapists and physiotherapists) and 50 children to determine clinical utility and inter rater reliability of the MACS. Initial data was analysed with Swedish and Canadian data set, and published in 2007. |
| Project Title | Continued Development Of The Melbourne Assessment Of Unilateral Upper Limb Function. |
| Investigators | Melinda Randall, Christine Imms, Leeanne Carey |
| Grants | MCRI Small Clinical Grant MCRI Allied Health and Nursing Seed Grant |
| Status | Commenced July 2003; For completion March 2007 Publication for first phase in press, 2008 |
| Summary Statement | The Melbourne Assessment was published and launched in December 1999 after a decade of development and research. The assessment is designed to evaluate the quality of upper limb movement in children aged 5-15 years with neurological impairments. This doctoral project involves a series of studies to investigate (1) extending the Melbourne Assessment to include children aged 2 to 4 years and (2) further developing the psychometric properties of the Melbourne Assessment for children aged 2 - 15 years using methods of factor analysis and Rasch analysis. |
| Project Title | Botulinum Toxin A In The Hemiplegic Upper Limb: A Randomised Control Trial. |
| Investigators | Christine Olesch, Dinah Reddihough, HK Graham, Christine Imms, Sue Greaves |
| Grants | MCRI Project Grant (2001& 2002) O'Callaghan Foundation 2003 |
| Status | Commenced 2000; Masters thesis completed by Sue Greaves (2004), reporting on occupational therapy outcomes following the first cycle of BTA injections; Full project completion 2008 |
| Summary Statement | The Occupational Therapy Department is working in collaboration with Dr. Christine Olesch (chief investigator) to design and implement a randomised, controlled, single blinded trial to determine the role of botulinum toxin A (BTA) in the hemiplegic upper limb in improving functional outcomes. Children aged between twelve months and five years will be randomly allocated to two treatment groups. One group will receive BTA and occupational therapy and the other group will receive occupational therapy alone. The pilot project will be run in three 4-monthly blocks of occupational therapy +/- BTA. Children will be assessed at two weeks and six weeks over 3 cycles and again at 12 months to provide objective data to quantify the changes bought about by the two treatment approaches. |
Neuro-Rehabilitation Research
| Project Title | Sensory Processing Abilities Of Children Who Sustain Moderate Or Severe Acquired Brain Injuries. |
| Investigators | Jane Galvin |
| Grants | Nil |
| Status | Masters Research project completed, 2007 Paper in progress |
| Summary Statement | Descriptive project to explore the sensory processing abilities of children 12 months post acquired brain injury using the Sensory Profile (Dunne). |
Neuroscience Research
| Project Title | Identifying Functional Outcomes And Parent/Child Concerns Following Paediatric Stroke. |
| Investigators | Jane Galvin, Melinda Randall, Dr. Mark MacKay, Dr.James Rice, Sara Hewish |
| Grants | MCRI Small Clinical Grant (2006) |
| Status | Commenced 2006; For completion 2007; Paper in preparation |
| Summary Statement | This project aims to develop a set of standardized measures for children who have sustained an ischaemic or haemorragic stroke and to understand parent and child perceptions of deficits that occur following stroke. |
| Project Title | Development Of A Functional Stroke Scale For Children. |
| Investigators | Anne Gordon, Dr. Paul Monagle, Dr. James Rice, Dr. Mark Mackay, Prof. Vicky Anderson, Lin Oke |
| Grants | Windermere Foundation |
| Status | Commenced 2005; For completion 2007 |
| Summary Statement | Multi-staged process aimed at establishing a multidisciplinary clinical and research protocol for the paediatric stroke service. |
Healthy Development
Health Services
| Project Title | A Trial Of The Parent Information & Management Package "Keeping It Together" In An Australian Context. |
| Investigators | Jane Galvin, Elspeth Froude, Janeen Stewart |
| Grants | Nil |
| Status | Commenced 2006; Honours thesis completed ; Paper in preparation. |
| Summary Statement | A validation study of the utility of the "Keeping it together" kit which is an information and management kit designed in Canada for parents/families of children with significant health issues. The project will involve review of language, resources and processes typical to Australia and a trial of the adapted (if needed) version with a group of Australian parents of children who acquire a brain injury in 2006. |
| Project Title | Health.e.Learning: Telehealth For Allied Health Students - Clinical Observation Sessions. |
| Investigators | Lin Oke, Kerry Britt, Bev Eldridge, Heather Lawson, Angela Emslie, Michael Curtin, Lynne Adamson, Lieve de Clercq, Pamela Kirke, Nora Shields, Jenny Keating, Gillian Webb |
| Grants | Victorian Department of Human Services innovation grant |
| Status | Commenced 2006; For completion 2007; Paper in preparation |
| Summary Statement | This clinical improvement audit project uses videoconferencing technology to transmit clinical observation opportunities to students in their universities via live therapy sessions with live discussion with a clinician, pre-recorded therapy sessions with live discussion with a clinician, or pre-recorded therapy sessions with pre-recorded discussion with a clinician. For more information, please email or call (03) 9345 4437. |
| Project Title | Health.e.Kids: Electronically Enhancing Healthcare To Rural Children. |
| Investigators | Lin Oke, Anne Gordon, Heather Lawson, Angela Emslie, Josephine Gibbs, Rebecca Scott |
| Grants | William Buckland Foundation |
| Status | Commenced 2006 For completion 2007 Paper in preparation |
| Summary Statement | Health.e.Kids is a pilot project trialing the use of videoconferencing in clinical practice to link occupational therapists (OTs) working at the Royal Children's Hospital with those working in the South West of Victoria. There is already an established network of videoconferencing facilities linking all health centres in this region. Videoconferencing has the potential to be used in clinical practice in enabling therapists to support each other, exchange specialist advice, plan complex hospital discharges, and make periodic reviews. For more information, please email or call (03) 9345 4437. |
Completed Projects
Follow the links below for information about completed occupational therapy projects in each of the following areas:
Critical Care and Neurosciences
Healthy Development
Critical Care and Neurosciences
Anaesthesia & Pain Management
| Project Title | Being In Pain: A Phenomenology Of Adolescents And Young Adults With Cerebral Palsy And Chronic Pain. |
| Investigators | Christine Imms, Kirsty Davies, Roz Rogers, Linsey Howie |
| Grants | Nil |
| Status | Published - please contact the department for details |
| Summary Statement | An honours level project using phenomenological methods to explore the lived experience of adolescents and young adults with cerebral palsy and chronic pain. |
Developmental Disability Research
| Project Title | Functional Strength Training In Children With Cerebral Palsy. |
| Investigators | Jodi Crompton, Christine Imms, Anne McCoy, Melinda Randall, Prof. Mary Galea, Barbara Scoullar |
| Grants | Hugh Williamson Foundation Windermere Foundation |
| Status | Published - please contact the department for details |
| Summary Statement | The aim of this project was to examine the effect of a six week task specific skills training program on the upper and lower limb function of children and adolescents with spastic diplegic cerebral palsy. Children were randomised into 2 groups. One group received specific lower limb strength training circuit program and the other group received specific fine motor skills training. Differences between the 2 groups on measures of lower limb strength and function, and upper limb manipulation and dexterity were compared. |
| Project Title | Central And Peripheral Effects Of Botulinum Toxin A - A Randomised Study Of Standardised Upper Limb Training And Intramuscular Injections Of Botulinum Toxin A In Children With Hemiplegic Type Cerebral Palsy. |
| Investigators | Dr. Ros Boyd, Prof. Meg Morris, Assoc. Prof. Tim Bach, Christine Imms, Prof. Kerr.Graham, Assoc.Prof. Graeme Jackson |
| Grants | MCRI Part-time Salary Grant |
| Status | Doctoral thesis completed by Ros Boyd in 2004; Awaiting publication |
| Summary Statement | The occupational therapy department worked in collaboration with Dr.Roslyn Boyd (chief investigator) in the implementation of a randomised clinical trial of standardised intensive upper limb training and intra-muscular injections of Botulinum Toxin A. One of the primary aims of the project was to determine whether standardised training alone or in combination with intra-muscular injections of Botulinum toxin A was effective in improving function of the impaired limb of children aged 5-15 years with spastic hemiplegic cerebral palsy. Functional MRI was used to assess the correlation between changes in central motor activity with improved functional performance. |
| Project Title | Use Of The NK Dexterity Board With Children And Adolescents. |
| Investigators | Christine Imms, Barbara Scoullar |
| Grants | MCRI Allied Health & Nursing Seed Grant |
| Status | Primary data published within Functional Strength Training project Published - please contact the department for details |
| Summary Statement | The NK Dexterity Board was designed for use with adults and provides timed testing of the manipulation ability of the thumb and fingers of each hand, using objects of varied shapes and sizes. While not a functional assessment, it provides information about specific hand skills that contribute to functional abilities. There is no literature that describes the use of the dexterity board with children, although clinically, it appears that it may provide some useful outcome data. A small pilot study was conducted to evaluate the validity of this tool and data was gathered regarding the test re-test stability of the dexterity board with children. |
Health Services
| Project Title | Searching For Evidence In Paediatric Occupational Therapy Using Free Versus Subscription Databases. |
| Investigators | Meryl Loviani, Margaret Wallen, Christine Imms |
| Grants | Nil |
| Status | Published 2006 - please contact the department for details |
| Summary Statement | Comparison of outcomes of searches of the literature using either free-to-access or subscription databases to answer paediatric occupational therapy questions. |
| Project Title | Evaluation Of A Specialist ABI Review Clinic. |
| Investigators | Jane Galvin, Natalie Alfredson, Kim Cartwright, Lyndal Hickey, Jane Mah, Anne Kissane, Flora Haritou |
| Grants | Nil |
| Status | Completed 2005 |
| Summary Statement |