4th australasian compensation health research forum
4TH AUSTRALASIAN COMPENSATION HEALTH RESEARCH FORUM The influence of mental health and psychosocial factors on recovery outcomes 19 November 2014 Grand Hyatt, Melbourne, Australia PROGRAM & ABSTRACT BOOK Notes 2 4TH AUSTRALASIAN COMPENSATION HEALTH RESEARCH FORUM Contents 5 Welcome 6 Program committee 7 Convenors 8 General information 9 Sessions 1 & 2: Keynote speakers 11 Final session 12 ACHRF 2014 program 14 Posters 15 Abstracts 21 Key participants 4TH AUSTRALASIAN COMPENSATION HEALTH RESEARCH FORUM 3 Welcome 4 4TH AUSTRALASIAN COMPENSATION HEALTH RESEARCH FORUM On behalf of the Program Committee, it is my pleasure to welcome you to Melbourne for the 4th Australasian Compensation Health Research Forum (ACHRF). This year the Forum is hosted by the Institute for Safety, Compensation and Recovery Research (ISCRR) and the Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) of New Zealand. The theme for this year is the “Influence of mental health and psychosocial factors on recovery outcomes”. We aim to encourage interactive dialogue and debate through our keynote speakers, presenters and panel members. During this one day Forum our sessions will focus on: • Mental Health and Recovery After Injury opening keynote address by Associate Professor Meaghan O’Donnell, University of Melbourne, • Innovative Practices to Improve Recovery of Workers: Focusing on Psychosocial Factors at the Front End and Tail End of the Claim second keynote address by Dr Renee-Louise Franche, WorkSafe BC, Canada, and • The Influence of mental health and psychosocial factors on recovery outcome: Setting the Research Agenda – what end users have to say an exciting panel session chaired by the distinguished Tom Shakespeare from the United Kingdom. These sessions will be complemented by a series of concurrent presentations highlighting the best research in this field that Australia and New Zealand has to offer. As usual the program has been designed to provide plenty of opportunity for dialogue and interaction between attendees and to prompt debate and discussion. My thanks to the Program Committee and PIEF who have worked tirelessly to put together what promises to be a very rewarding event in Melbourne. Thank you for attending. I hope that you enjoy this Forum and gain inspiration from it. Professor Alex Collie CEO of ISCRR 4TH AUSTRALASIAN COMPENSATION HEALTH RESEARCH FORUM 5 Program Committee Verna Smith Institute for Safety Compensation and Recovery Research - Chair Rita McCullagh Institute for Safety Compensation and Recovery Research Erin Middleton Institute for Safety Compensation and Recovery Research Grant Pittams Accident Compensation Commission New Zealand John Wren Accident Compensation Commission New Zealand Marilyn Baker Accident Compensation Commission New Zealand Cathy Pilecki Motor Accident Insurance Commission Darnel Murgatroyd Motor Accidents Authority Sarah Derrett Massey University, New Zealand 6 4TH AUSTRALASIAN COMPENSATION HEALTH RESEARCH FORUM Convenors The Institute for Safety, Compensation and Recovery Research (ISCRR) The Institute for Safety, Compensation and Recovery Research (ISCRR) is a research-policy partnership established in 2009 via an agreement between the Victorian WorkCover Authority (VWA), the Transport Accident Commission (TAC) and Monash University. The three partner organisations provide support and funding. The partnership consists of staff located in our main office, researchers distributed across our Monash University network, and formal and informal links into our policy partners, the TAC and the VWA. In early 2014, the partners entered into a new agreement, committing approximately $29 million in funding and in-kind support to partnership activities over the period to 30 June 2018. The Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) is the Crown entity set up under the Accident Compensation Act 2001, to deliver New Zealand’s accident insurance scheme (the Scheme). It is governed by a board appointed by the Minister for ACC. The purpose of the Scheme is to deliver no-fault personal injury cover for everyone in New Zealand, including overseas visitors. Under the Scheme, individuals forego the right to sue for compensatory damages following an injury, in return for receiving personal injury cover. ACC’s role is to manage the Scheme in a cost-effective, outcome-focused way that ensures the Scheme is financially sustainable for future generations. The 4th Australasian Compensation Health Research Forum 2014 follows the International Forum of Disability Management Conference (IFDM) and will be held at the same venue. 4TH AUSTRALASIAN COMPENSATION HEALTH RESEARCH FORUM 7 General Information Forum Venue Grand Hyatt, Collins Street, Melbourne Registration Desk The registration desk is located in the Pre-Function Area. Staff at the registration desk are happy to help with any queries. Speaker Preparation Area There will be a speaker preparation area located near the registration desk. We ask that you check in with the audio visual technician at least 2 hours prior to your scheduled presentation. Poster Area Poster abstracts are listed in numerical order and can be found in the abstracts section of this handbook. Posters will be displayed convenient to the Forum area and remain on display throughout the Forum, on Wednesday 19 November from 10.30am to 5pm. 8 4TH AUSTRALASIAN COMPENSATION HEALTH RESEARCH FORUM Sessions 1 and 2: Keynote Speakers Associate Professor Meaghan O’Donnell, University of Melbourne BAppSc(N), BSc(Hons), MPsy(Clin), PhD Associate Professor Meaghan O’Donnell is the Director of Research at the Australian Centre for Posttraumatic Mental Health (ACPMH), and Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne. She has published over 70 peer reviewed articles in the area of posttraumatic mental health. Her major areas of research include early interventions after trauma exposure, phenomenology of traumatic stress responses, and disability after trauma. She is currently the vice president of the International Society of Traumatic Stress Studies, and is on the editorial board for the European Journal of Traumatic Stress Studies. Abstract Associate Prof. Meaghan O’Donnell, University of Melbourne Wednesday 19th November 9.10am Keynote Address: Mental Health and Recovery After Injury The new Global Burden of Disease Study (Murray etal 2012) highlights that road injury now accounts for 76 million disability adjusted life years. At the same time the burden of mental illness increased by 38% from 1990 to 2010. This presentation will discuss the intersect between mental illness and injury, and its relevance for the compensation space. It will address the prevalence of psychiatric disorders after injury, the psychosocial pathways to disability, and some recent work that investigates compensation related factors that may contribute to poor health outcomes. Importantly this presentation will examine promising research that aims to change injury psychosocial health trajectories to maximise recovery. Murray, C. et al. (2012). Disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) for 291 diseases and injuries in 21 regions, 1990-2010: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2010. The Lancet, 380(9859), 2197-2223. Panel Session Panel Chair Prof. Kathryn McPherson, Director of the Person Centered Research Centre, Auckland University of Technology Panel Members Prof. Ian Cameron, The University of Sydney Hugh Norriss, Director Development & Policy, Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand Associate Prof. Meaghan O’Donnell, The University of Melbourne Panel Discussion Reflections and Development of a Research Response to the Presentation 4TH AUSTRALASIAN COMPENSATION HEALTH RESEARCH FORUM 9 Senior Psychology Advisor Renée-Louise Franche, WorkSafe BC, Vancouver Canada. Ph.D., R. Psych. Renée-Louise Franche, Clinical Psychologist, is a Senior Psychology Advisor at WorkSafe BC, Adjunct Scientist at the Institute for Work & Health, Toronto, Adjunct Professor at Simon Fraser University and at the University of British Columbia. She is a consultant in Work Disability Prevention and Occupational Health. She has published over 50 peer reviewed articles in the area of work disability prevention. Dr. Franche’s work focuses on developing a better understanding of how insurer, organisational, healthcare, and individual factors contribute to safe, sustainable, and healthy return to work following injury or ill health. She has led the development of Best Practices for return-to-work/stay-at-work interventions for workers with mental health conditions, and led a cohort study of injured workers focusing on quality of life, mental health, and work accommodation issues. Throughout her career, she has been committed to bridging the gap between research and practice by bringing evidence-based practices to a wide range of audiences, and by striving to include multiple stakeholder perspectives in the process, from the frontline workers to policymakers. Abstract Dr Renée-Louise Franche, WorkSafe BC Wednesday 19th November 11am Keynote Address: Innovative Practices to Improve Recovery of Workers: Focusing on Psychosocial Factors at the Front End and Tail End of the Claim Recent evidence points to the salience of mental and other psychosocial factors as risk factors, for both physical and mental health claims, for prolonged duration of absence and even no return to work. This evidence will first be briefly reviewed in this presentation. The importance of screening workers early on in the claim process to identify those workers most at risk of poor recovery outcomes and of prolonged work absence will then be discussed. Evidenced-based screening measures of the early risk factors will be presented, as well as concrete examples of how they have been implemented in Canada in compensation systems. The second part of the presentation will focus on the tail end of the claim, involving Gradual return-to-work (GRTW) and Vocational Rehabilitation (VR). Evidence-based Best Practices regarding psychological treatment of workers with mental health condition, as they relate to improving return-to-work outcomes in claimants, will be presented. The challenge of defining and respecting psychological work restrictions and limitations in the context of GRTW and VR will be discussed, as it relates to work conditions, and not only job duties and tasks. New potential ways to move forward, in terms of policy and practice, to improve recovery outcomes during the GRTW and VR processes will be presented. Panel Session Panel Chair Ms Denise Cosgrove, CEO, Victorian WorkCover Authority Panel Members Dr Renée-Louise Franche. WorkSafe BC Dr Kris Fernando, National Manager Psychology and Mental Health, ACC Janine Reid, Legal Counsel, WorkCover Queensland Mr Michael Francis, General Manager, Scheme Improvement & Regulation, WorkCover SA Panel Discussion Reflections and Development of a Policy Response to the Presentation 10 4TH AUSTRALASIAN COMPENSATION HEALTH RESEARCH FORUM Final session Panel Session Chair: Tom Shakespeare, UEA Medical School Tom trained in sociology at Cambridge, and has researched and taught at the Universities of Cambridge, Sunderland, Leeds, and Newcastle. He is currently senior lecturer in medical sociology at the University of East Anglia Medical School. His research interests center on disability studies and bioethics. His books include The Sexual Politics of Disability (1996), Genetic Politics (2002) and Disability Rights and Wrongs (2006). From 2008-2013, he was part of the Department of Violence and Injury Prevention and Disability at the World Health Organization, Geneva, where he helped write and edit the World Report on Disability (WHO 2011). He has been involved in the disability movement for 25 years. Session Summary Wednesday 19th November 3.40pm Panel Discussion: Setting the Research Agenda for mental health and psychosocial factors on recovery outcomes – what end users have to say At the 2013 ACHRF a World Café was held to capture the knowledge and experiences of a wide range of stakeholders including industry experts, academics, scheme representatives and end-users themselves about the role of end-users in research, practice and policy. The World Café allowed for the breakdown of barriers and provided the opportunity for building trust and respect, and better partnerships by providing a space for all to be heard. A key outcome was the recognition of end-users as defined as people with an injury or disability that need support, treatment, rehabilitation and care or compensation, and their families need to be involved in setting the research agenda. This panel session will include end-user representatives as well as cultural diversity and clinical practice representatives. The session will aim to build on the outcomes of the 2013 forum by facilitating a dialogue between end users, researchers, clinicians, policy makers and service providers to generate the key questions that are important to this community. Panel Session Panel Members Kurutia Seymour, ACC NZ Nick Rushworth, Brain Injury Australia Prof. Malcom Hopwood, The University of Melbourne Dr Anne Daly, Health and Disability Strategy Group, Victorian Work Cover Authority and the Transport Accident Commission 4TH AUSTRALASIAN COMPENSATION HEALTH RESEARCH FORUM 11 4TH AUSTRALASIAN COMPENSATION HEALTH RESEARCH FORUM PROGRAM WEDNESDAY 19 NOVEMBER 2014 The Influence of mental health and psychosocial factors on recovery outcomes Time Event 8.00am Registration opens – arrival tea/coffee 9.00am Welcome to Australasian Compensation Health Research Forum Paul Shannon, Chairman ISCRR Board 9.10am Keynote Address Mental Health and Recovery After Injury Associate Prof. Meaghan O’Donnell. The University of Melbourne. Panel discussion Reflections and development of a research response to the presentation Panel members Prof. Kathryn McPherson, Director of the Person Centered Research Centre, Auckland University of Technology (Chair) Prof. Ian Cameron, The University of Sydney Hugh Norriss, Director Development & Policy, Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand. 10:30am MORNING TEA 11.00am Keynote Address Innovative Practices to Improve Recovery of Workers: Focusing on Psychosocial Factors at the Front End and Tail End of the Claim Dr Renée-Louise Franche. WorkSafe BC Panel discussion Reflections and development of a policy response to the presentation Panel members Ms Denise Cosgrove, CEO, Victorian WorkCover Authority (Chair) Dr Kris Fernando, National Manager Psychology and Mental Health, ACC Janine Reid, Legal Counsel, WorkCover Queensland Mr Michael Francis, General Manager, Scheme Improvement & Regulation, WorkCover SA 12.30pm 12 LUNCH AND POSTER DISPLAY 4TH AUSTRALASIAN COMPENSATION HEALTH RESEARCH FORUM Time Event 1.30pm CONCURRENT SESSION 1 CONCURRENT SESSION 2 CONCURRENT SESSION 3 Maximising Quality of Life after Serious Injury Designing interventions to facilitate return to work Influence of psychosocial actors on recovery outcomes Savoy 1 Savoy 2 Savoy 3 Chair Cathy Pilecki Chair Darnel Murgatroyd Chair Dr Kris Fernando Efficacy of Motivational Interviewing and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for anxiety and depression after Traumatic Brain Injury. Do pain management programs keep working for compensable patients? A three year follow up. The effect of mental health on long-term recovery following a road traffic crash: Results from the UQ SuPPORT study. Dr Anne Daly, Health and Disability Strategy Group, Victorian Work Cover Authority and the Transport Accident Commission Erin Brown, The University of Queensland, Australia Early learnings from the implementation of an Individualised Funding model for seriously injured clients. The effects of a health provider network on costs and return to work in the compensable setting. Psychosocial determinants of recovery in adults with spinal cord injury. Fiona Cromarty, Transport Accident Commission, Australia Dr Tania Pizzari, La Trobe University Prof. Ashley Craig, The University of Sydney, Australia Early stage findings from the development of a longitudinal study of long-term claimants to ACC in New Zealand. Right Intervention at the right time: working with complexity, mental health and disability in Victorian compensation settings. The influence of pre-injury psychosocial factors on vocational outcomes in New Zealand: A prospective study of ACC entitlement claimants. Karen Sait, Transport Accident Commission, Australia Dr Rebbecca Lilley, University of Otago, New Zealand Supporting the sustainability of family care under ‘no fault’ vs ‘fault-based’ insurance contexts’. Mental Health Claims Management and Return to Work: Qualitative Insights from Melbourne, Australia. Dr Rosamund Harrington, Australia Catholic University Dr Bianca Brijnath, Monash University, Australia Use of Antidepressants before and after road traffic injury: insights from Data Linkage of Medicare and Compensable Injury Claims in Victoria, Australia. 1.35pm Prof. Jennie Ponsford, Monash University 1.55pm 2.15pm Sally Faisandier, Accident Compensation Corporation, New Zealand 2.35pm Dr Janneke Berecki-Gisolf, Monash University, Australia 3.00pm AFTERNOON TEA 3.40pm Panel session Setting the Research Agenda for mental health and psychosocial factors on recovery outcomes – what end users have to say Chair Tom Shakespeare, UEA Medical School Panel members Kurutia Seymour, ACC NZ Nick Rushworth, Brain Injury Australia Prof. Malcom Hopwood, The University of Melbourne Dr Anne Daly, Health and Disability Strategy Group, Victorian Work Cover Authority and the Transport Accident Commission 4.50pm CLOSE 4TH AUSTRALASIAN COMPENSATION HEALTH RESEARCH FORUM 13 Posters The posters will be displayed on Wednesday 19 November at 1030 hours, and closing at 1700 hours. Awards will be announced after the final ACHRF session. Poster 1 Poster 7 A unique data platform supporting research – the Compensation Research Database. Early Access to vocational rehabilitation services for spinal cord injury patients: Towards enhanced psychological functioning and improved vocational achievement Samantha Barker. Institute for Safety Compensation and Recovery Research Poster 2 Health outcomes following road injury in older people Katherine Brown, Rebbecca Ivers and Ian Cameron. The George Institute for Global Health, Sydney. Poster 3 Visualising the Return to work process Richard Cooney, Nifeli Stewart and Tania Ivanka. Dept of Management, Monash University Poster 4 A prospective analysis of quality of life in people with spinal cord injury as a function of compensable status Ashley Craig, Rebecca Guest, Ian Cameron and James Middleton. Sydney Medical School, The University of Sydney Poster 5 A hidden cost of mental health: Evidence from recovery compensation linkage data in Victoria, Australia Behrooz Hassani-Mahmooei, Janneke Berecki-Gisolf, Youjin Hahn, Alex Collie and Rod McClure. Monash Injury Research Institute, Monash University, Australia Deborah Johnston1, Greg Murphy2, James Middleton1 and Ian Cameron1 1 Rehabilitation Studies Unit, Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Australia 2 Latrobe University, Australia Poster 8 The role of social support in physical health, pain and return to work outcomes following musculoskeletal injury Khic-Houy Prang, Janneke Berecki-Gisolf and Sharon Newnam. Monash Injury Research Institute, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia. Poster 9 What impacts return to work for injured New Zealanders? Finn Sigglekow. Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) Poster 10 The Optimal Return to Work Measure – a psychometric and Rasch Analysis Shane Compton and Peta Odgers. Social Research Centre Poster 6 Factors influencing social and health outcomes after motor vehicle crash injury: an inception cohort study protocol Jagnoor Jagnoor and Ian Cameron. Motor Accident Authority of NSW and the University of Sydney 14 4TH AUSTRALASIAN COMPENSATION HEALTH RESEARCH FORUM Abstracts CONCURRENT SESSION 1 Maximising Quality of Life after Serious Injury Prof. Jennie Ponsford Monash University, Melbourne, Australia (HADS) and a significantly greater reduction in depression on a secondary outcome measure, the Depression scale of the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale at 30-weeks post-baseline relative to the TAU control group. The Treated groups also showed significantly greater gains in psychosocial functioning on the Sydney Psychosocial Reintegration Scale (SPRS) than TAU controls at 30 weeks. Higher baseline anxiety and depression were associated with greater response. The group receiving MI did not show greater gains than the group receiving CBT only. Authors Conclusion Efficacy of Motivational Interviewing and Cognitive Behaviour Therapy for Anxiety and Depression following Traumatic Brain Injury Presenter Jennie Ponsford1, Meaghan O’Donnell2, Nicole Lee3, Dana Wong1, Adam McKay1, Kerrie Haines1,Yvette Alway1, Marina Downing1, Christina Furtado1 and Ming-Yun Hsieh1. 1) Monash-Epworth Rehabilitation Research Centre, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Vic. 2) Australian Centre for Posttraumatic Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Vic. 3) National Centre for Education and Training on Addiction, Flinders University, SA The findings suggest that modified CBT provided with booster sessions over extended periods may alleviate anxiety and depression following TBI. Early learnings from the implementation of an individualised funding model for seriously injured clients Presenter Fiona Cromarty Transport Accident Commission, Victoria, Australia Background Anxiety and depression occur commonly following TBI, often comorbidly. Effective psychological treatments are needed to enhance psychosocial outcomes in this group. Method In a randomised controlled trial, this study used a cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT)-based treatment program adapted for individuals with moderate-severe TBI. Motivational Interviewing (MI) was also evaluated as a preparatory intervention to increase motivation to change and engagement in treatment. Following diagnosis of anxiety and/or depression using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV diagnoses, 75 participants with TBI (mean age 42.2 years, mean PTA 22 days) were randomly assigned to one of three conditions, (1) MI+CBT (n=26), (2) Non-directive counselling +CBT (n=23) (Treated groups) and (3) treatment as usual (TAU) (control) (n=23). The groups did not differ in baseline demographics, severity of injury, depression, anxiety or cognitive function. The 3-week MI and 9-week CBT interventions were guided by manuals adapted for participants with TBI, with emphasis on flexibility to tailor therapy to individual needs and cognitive difficulties. Three booster sessions were provided during follow-up. Results 68 participants completed 30-week follow-up. Using intention to treat analyses, random effects regressions revealed that the Treated groups showed a significantly greater reduction in anxiety on the primary outcome measure, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale Early learnings from the implementation of an Individualised Funding model for seriously injured clients. Individualised Funding (IF) is an innovative way of supporting clients with catastrophic injuries to take control of purchasing and managing the services they need to meet their needs. The Transport Accident Commission (TAC) developed the IF Model through a co-design process where the views and needs of clients, their families and providers were sought throughout the build of the model and were integral to the development of the end product. IF involves the establishment of a yearly package of funds for a client which is calculated based on a client’s self-assessment of their needs as well as an understanding of the client’s historical levels of servicing. Funds are deposited monthly into a client’s TAC bank account and the client identifies the services they need and the fee they’re prepared to pay for that service. The relationship exists between the client and the provider, without the involvement of the TAC. IF allows clients with long term support needs to exercise choice and control over their services and is aligned to the recently introduced federal NDIA objectives of client choice and control. International best practice has demonstrated that this level of empowerment allows clients to best meet their needs in a timely manner, improving both quality of life and independence outcomes. 4TH AUSTRALASIAN COMPENSATION HEALTH RESEARCH FORUM 15 Early stage findings from the development of a longitudinal study of long term claimants to ACC in New Zealand Supporting the sustainability of family care under no fault vs fault based insurance contexts Presenter Dr Rosamund Harrington Australia Catholic University, Brisbane, Australia Sally Faisandier Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC), New Zealand Background Presenter Authors ACC Research wishes to better understand the trajectories of claimants who have had accidents. While some of this group will be seriously injured, it is known that recovery times and return to full functioning depends on a range of personal and rehabilitative variables, many of which are not well understood. Rosamund Harrington1; Michele Foster2 and Jennifer Fleming3. 1) School of Allied Health, Australian Catholic University, Brisbane, Australia. 2) School of Social Work and Human Services, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia. 3) School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences and Princess Alexandra Hospital, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia Objectives Background The key objective is for ACC to better understand the experiences and needs of claimants in order to: Families play a key role in meeting the lifetime care and support needs of catastrophically injured people and make a significant economic contribution to society through the care they provide. Identifying and implementing policies and processes to support the sustainability of family care is therefore vital. • ensure that claimants receive optimal services for their rehabilitation and ongoing recovery • better understand how to improve the quality of life of long-term claimants • improve the efficiency, effectiveness and appropriateness of services according to differing sub-groups of claimants. Methods The study will undertake: 1) a systematic review of the literature; 2) an exploratory analysis of data regarding existing long-term claimants through the ACC database; 3) develop questions, and identify the sample characteristics; 4) prospectively track and interview a cohort of ACC claimants for at least two years after their initial contact with ACC. Key findings Preliminary findings from the first three steps will be presented at the conference. The analysis of the data will include an overview of the seriousness of accidents broken down by accident type and cause; age; ethnicity; gender; and return to work outcomes. Discussion ACC is in a unique position to undertake this research, with all serious accidents nationwide captured on its database. It should ultimately be possible to understand the client experience of such accidents, and how we can better meet their needs. Conclusion The presentation will provide an opportunity for the researchers to engage the audience in a discussion on the questions and methodology to inform a best practice approach to the research. Objectives To identify motor accident insurance (MAI) scheme design features, policies and processes which help support the sustainability of family care roles after catastrophic injury. Methods: Semi-structured interviews with 16 families of adults with motor vehicle accident (MVA) acquired sTBI and focus group discussions with 24 brain injury service providers recruited from two Australian states: one operating a privately underwritten fault-based injury insurance scheme and the other, a government administered no-fault injury insurance scheme. Principle Findings The sustainability of family care was supported by: actively involving families as partners in care planning and delivery; a flexible, individualised life-time care funding model; a no-fault entitlement to income benefits from the time of injury; explicit entitlements with clear limits; accessible rehabilitation and lifestyle support services; ongoing monitoring of support needs by specialists therapists; and a centralised point of contact for organising timely responses to changes in care needs. Contestable entitlements; experiences of financial hardship and carer strain prior to claims settlement; inadequate future care settlements; inaccessible services; and limited follow-up in the years post settlement were identified as significant barriers to sustaining family care roles under the fault based scheme. Discussion These findings illustrate the challenges to sustaining family care after catastrophic injury under a ‘fault-based’ injury insurance scheme, questioning the long term cost efficacy of this model if family supports fail. Conclusion Further research investigating how to best support the sustainability of family care under different insurance contexts is required. 16 4TH AUSTRALASIAN COMPENSATION HEALTH RESEARCH FORUM CONCURRENT SESSION 2 Designing interventions to facilitate return to work The effects of a health provider network on costs and return to work in the compensable setting Do pain management programs keep working for compensable patients? A three year follow up Presenter Dr Tania Pizzari La Trobe University, Victoria, Australia Presenter Background Dr Anne Daly Health and Disability Strategy Group, Victorian Work Cover Authority and the Transport Accident Commission Victoria, Australia In 2008, Victorian Workcover Authority and the Transport Accident Commission commenced a pilot program in conjunction with suitably experienced pain management service providers to deliver multidisciplinary pain management programs (PMP) in an out-patient setting to injured Victorians. There is evidence that preferred provider networks can contain the cost of health care services and reduce the duration of lost work time and disability in compensation claimants. A network of physiotherapists was implemented by the Transport Accident Commission (TAC) early 2008 and expanded to include Worksafe Victoria later that year. Assessment of the program in 2011 demonstrated improved health benefits for clients of network providers, compared with non-network physiotherapists, however the costs relating compensation clients was not known. Objectives Objectives To determine whether attendance at a targeted ‘Network’ PMP has a beneficial and long term effect on the clinical and occupational outcomes for injured workers. To compare these outcomes with those of other PMPs. To compare average and median worker’s compensation claims costs and return to work rates between injured clients managed by network physiotherapists and those managed by non-network physiotherapists. Method Method An observational study of 311 injured Victorian workers who participated in a Network PMP and 417 injured Victorian workers who participated in other PMPs between 2008 and 2011. Outcome measures were tracked for up to 3 years including the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI), Fear Avoidance Beliefs Questionnaire (FABQ), Global Impression of Change, client satisfaction, medication utilisation and scheme related costs. A comparison was made between 105 network claims and 1136 non-network claims. To ensure a comparison of similar claims, the clients must have received physiotherapy within 90 days of their injury, spent less than 15 days in hospital following their injury and had not returned to work at the time of their initial physiotherapy appointment. Background Results Principle Findings Improvements (p < .001) were noted on the BPI pain interference scale (mean 1.7, SD 2.5), the FABQ work scale (mean 3.2, SD 7.7) and physical activity scale (mean 5.2, SD 6.4). Medication usage reduced from 60% of injured workers to 35%, for other PMPs, usage was relatively unchanged. The average costs for injured workers who participated in a ‘Network’ PMP were 33% lower than those who participated in other PMPs. ‘Network’ PMPs resulted in improved RTW outcomes for workers when compared with other PMPs. 92.5% of clients reported improvement on the Global Impression of Change and 94% were satisfied with their Network PMP. On average 1.9 years elapsed from injury to assessment for a ‘Network’ PMP. Conclusion Network’ PMPs provided important and sustained benefits for injured Victorian workers. These benefits were superior to those of other PMPs. Timely access remains a problem and as one potential solution, Physiotherapists and Psychologists can now refer compensable clients directly to Network PMPs as well as Medical Practitioners. The average and median medical and like cost for a claim at 12 months for non-network claims was $5462 and $3568, whereas for network claims it was $4239 and $2429. For income support spend average and median, the non-network providers was $5124 and $1902 and network providers was $2846 and $1389. The differences were statistically significant for both variables. At 3 months post commencement of physiotherapy there was a trend for network claims to have returned to work when compared with non-network claims (p=0.06). Conclusion This network of physiotherapy providers has previously been shown to generate greater health outcomes in compensation clients. The current research highlights that these outcomes are achieved at a reduced cost to the compensation system with some evidence of better return to work rates. 4TH AUSTRALASIAN COMPENSATION HEALTH RESEARCH FORUM 17 Right Intervention at the right time: working with complexity, mental health and disability in Victorian compensation settings Mental Health Claims Management and Return to Work: Qualitative Insights from Melbourne, Australia Presenter Dr Bianca Brijnath Monash University, Melbourne Karen Sait Transport Accident Commission, Victoria, Australia Background In Victorian compensation settings mental health issues are categorised as primary mental injury (no physical injury) e.g. PTSD; and secondary mental injury claims e.g. anxiety, depression, pain related. A Mental Health Strategy in response to increasing costs and poor client outcomes was endorsed by both the Transport Accident Commission (TAC) and Victorian Workcover Authority (VWA) Boards in 2011/12. It is informed by an expert advisory committee and research by the Institute for Safety, Compensation and Recovery Research (ISCRR). Phased implementation is underway. Presenter Authors Bianca Brijnath, Danielle Mazza, Nabita Singh, Agnieszka Kosny, Rasa Ruseckaite and Alex Collie. Monash University, Melbourne Background Mental health conditions (MHC) are an increasing reason for claiming injury compensation in Australia; however little is known about how these claims are managed by different gatekeepers to injury entitlements. This study aims to describe current management of MHC claims and barriers to return to work (RTW) for injured persons with a MHC claim and/or mental illness. Objectives Methods To achieve better client outcomes - health, independence, return to work, scheme viability. Methods: implementation of new evidence based initiatives within TAC Claims: Ninety-three in-depth interviews were undertaken with four stakeholders; GPs, compensation agents, employers and injured persons. Data were collected in Melbourne, Australia. Thematic techniques were used to analyse data. 1. Model of ‘stepped’ care 2 Contemporary supports services and interventions: I. E-therapy II. Psychosocial outreach III. Intensive outreach Underpinned by: 1.Enhanced staff capability 2.Client research and information 3.Claims management decision making process 4.Innovative partnerships Principle Findings Benefits of early intervention(s) post claim. • Client information and education crucial. • Outreach and flexible approaches versus clinical interventions only, lead to better outcomes. • Leadership, culture change and staff capability are cornerstones. Results MHC claims were complex to manage because of initial assessment and diagnostic difficulties related to the invisibility of the injury, conflicting medical opinions and the stigma associated with making a MHC claim. Mental illness also developed as a secondary issue in the recovery process. These factors made MHC difficult to manage and impeded timely RTW. Conclusion It is necessary to undertake further research (e.g. guideline development) to improve current practice in order to enable those with MHC claims to make a timely RTW. Further education and training interventions (e.g. on diagnosis and management of MHC) are also needed to enable GPs, employers and compensation agents to better assess and manage MHC claims. Discussion In compensation settings, mental injury claims are often longer, more complex, costly and frequently lack resolution. This presentation will highlight challenges and opportunities for clients, claims staff, health and disability providers in working in new ways; data analysis and significant impacts; and learnings from this journey. Conclusion(s) • Improved health, independence, and return to work. • Enhanced client experience(s) and options. • Positive impact on scheme viability. • Opportunities for VWA for their injured workers. 18 4TH AUSTRALASIAN COMPENSATION HEALTH RESEARCH FORUM CONCURRENT SESSION 3 Influence of psychosocial factors on recovery outcomes Conclusion Acknowledging the impact of mental health on long term recovery is important for identifying individuals at risk of poor recovery, as is engaging with insurers and allied health professionals to discuss findings and develop appropriate screening tools and effective interventions which optimize recovery. The effect of mental health on long-term recovery following a road traffic crash: Results from the UQ SuPPORT study Presenter Psychosocial determinants of recovery in adults with spinal cord injury Erin Brown The University of Queensland Presenter Authors Prof. Ashley Craig The University of Sydney, Australia Justin Kenardy1, Michelle Heron-Delaney1, Jacelle Warren1, Erin Brown1. 1) Centre of National Research on Disability and Rehabilitation Medicine, School of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Herston, Queensland, Australia Authors Ashley Craig Rebecca Guest, Ian Cameron, and James Middleton. Sydney Medical School, The University of Sydney Background Background Road traffic crashes (RTCs) can have a large and longlasting impact on individuals, in terms of both physical and mental health outcomes. Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a traumatic and debilitating condition that has ongoing negative impacts on quality of life and recovery can be very challenging. A major goal of recovery following SCI is to optimize rates of participation in society. This paper will present findings from research that investigated factors that contribute to participation and autonomy following discharge from rehabilitation. Objectives To assess the relationship between mental health and long-term disability, health-related quality of life and return to work outcomes in motorists who sustained predominately minor injuries following a road traffic crash across a 2-year period. Objective Method To determine factors that contributed to recovery. A prospective longitudinal design was used with assessment via interview and questionnaire at 3-6 months (Wave 1), 12 months (Wave 2), and 24 months (Wave 3) post-injury. A total of 382 claimants (recruited through the CTP scheme in Queensland) consented to participate. Methods Principle Findings The majority of participants (64%) were classified as minor injury cases (ISS = 1 – 3), however, participant’s disability and health-related quality of life levels remained below Australian norms over the course of the study. Approximately 40% of participants were newly diagnosed with a psychiatric disorder (i.e. had no history of mental illness pre-RTC), with the incidence of PTSD at any wave being 35%, major depressive episode being 48% and generalized anxiety disorder being 41%. All three disorders co-occurred in 10% of participants. Compared to those without a psychiatric diagnosis, those with poor mental health reported significantly higher disability, significantly higher pain, significantly lower health-related quality of life, more sick leave and time off work, higher use of health care services and low expectations regarding recovery. Early depressive symptoms in particular (i.e. at 6 months) and low expectations to return to work predicted a failure to return to work by 24 months post-RTC. Participants included 90 adults with SCI, admitted over two-years into three SCI Units. Longitudinal assessment occurred up to six-months after discharge. Assessment included socio-demographic and injury variables, and a range of psychosocial and mental health measures. The Impact on Participation and Autonomy Questionnaire (IPAQ) was used as an indicator of recovery. The sample was dichotomised into low versus high participation based on IPAQ scores six months after discharge. Logistic regression was used to determine factors measured at discharge that predicted recovery six months post-discharge. Principle Findings Depressive mood, severity of secondary conditions, a robust self-efficacy and social support were found to be significant predictors of recovery. These factors correctly predicted over 70% of those who had poor participation after six months of living in the community. Most injury and demographic factors were poor predictors of recovery. Discussion and Conclusions SCI rehabilitation is designed to address risks such as poor mood, feelings of helplessness, social isolation and secondary conditions like infection. Clearly, however, these factors continue to be barriers to long-term recovery. Strategies for reducing the impact of these barriers and for improving recovery will be discussed. Application of these findings to improve recovery following non-catastrophic injuries will also be discussed. 4TH AUSTRALASIAN COMPENSATION HEALTH RESEARCH FORUM 19 The influence of pre-injury psychosocial factors on vocational outcomes in New Zealand: A prospective study of ACC entitlement claimants Use of Antidepressants before and after road traffic injury: insights from Data Linkage of Medicare and Compensable Injury Claims in Victoria, Australia Presenter Presenter Dr Rebbecca Lilley University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand Dr Janneke Berecki-Gisolf Monash University, Melbourne, Australia Authors Authors Rebbecca Lilley, Gabrielle Davie and Sarah Derrett. Injury Prevention Research Unit, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand Janneke Berecki-Gisolf1, Alex Collie2, Behrooz Hassani-Mahmooei1 and Rod McClur3. 1) Monash Injuries Research Institute, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia. 2) Institute for Safety, Compensation and Recovery Research, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia. 3) Harvard Injury Control Research Center, Harvard School of Population Health, Boston, USA Background The Prospective Outcomes of Injury Study (POIS) is a cohort study following the disability outcomes of injured New Zealanders. Prolonged work absences result in significant social and economic costs to individuals, families and society. Aims This work-related component of POIS aims to determine pre-injury psychosocial predictors of work absence for 2626 injured workers at 12 and 24 months. Methods A sample of 2626 workers aged 18-64 years, referred to the national injury compensation scheme (ACC) for an entitlement claim (i.e. injury severe enough to warrant one week off work or home/transportation assistance) during the period December 2007 to May 2009 were interviewed at 12- and 24-month intervals post-injury. Separate multi-variable models are developed for 12- and 24month outcomes. Principle Findings Multi-variable analysis of seven pre-injury psychosocial measures found workers with high job strain, job insecurity; low job satisfaction and a prior depressive episode had higher likelihood of work absence in both 12and 24-month models. Multi-dimensional models simultaneously considering socio-demographic, physical, psychosocial, work organisational, health, lifestyle and injury factors found only job satisfaction remained as an important predictor of work absence at 12-months only. Other important predictors at 12- and 24-months include pre-injury income, co-morbidities, occupation, workrelatedness of the injury, employment contracts, financial security and working hours. Discussion / Conclusion The influence of psychosocial factors, including prior depressive episodes, upon work absence do not appear as important in New Zealand’s universal ACC scheme as found in studies in other countries. Our analysis indicates predictors of work status after injury are multidimensional and future interventions need to address a broad range factors in order to give injured workers the best opportunity to return back to the workforce. Funders: The Health Research Council of New Zealand (2007-2013) and the Accident Compensation Corporation (2007-2010). 20 Background Psychological consequences of road traffic injury are common; as is the use of antidepressant medication after injury. Little is known about antidepressant use by injured people prior to their injury. The aim of this study is to describe the nature and extent of antidepressant use before and after road traffic injury, and to determine the extent to which post-injury antidepressant use can be attributed to the incident injury. Methods Victorian residents who claimed Transport Accident Commission (TAC) compensation for a non-catastrophic injury that occurred between 2010- 2012 and provided consent for Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) linkage were included (n=734). PBS records dating from 12 months prior to 12 months post injury were provided by the Dept. of Human Services (Canberra). PBS and TAC claims data were linked and de-identified. Results Among participants, 12% used antidepressants before injury (84.4 Defined Daily Doses /1000 person-days) and 17 % used antidepressants after injury (114.1 DDD/1000p-d). Pre-injury use was more common among women (109.4 vs. 54.6 DDD/1000p-d), persons ≥65 years (119.0 vs. 74.2), and those with whiplash injury (119.3 vs. 73.1). 7% of participants had new onset antidepressant use; this was most common after hospital stay >1 day. Pre-injury, escitalopram was most commonly prescribed; amitriptyline was the most common post-injury antidepressant. Conclusions The large majority of road traffic injury victims using antidepressants after injury had been taking antidepressants prior to the injury event. Pre-injury antidepressant use was particularly prevalent amongst those with whiplash injury. These results highlight the importance of obtaining information on pre-injury health status before interpreting post-injury health service use to be an outcome of injury in question. 4TH AUSTRALASIAN COMPENSATION HEALTH RESEARCH FORUM Key participants OPENING Mr Paul Shannon was appointed as Chairman of ISCRR in August 2013. Paul has led the ISCRR Board in the development of ISCRR’s Strategy 2020. Mr Shannon was a partner at KPMG in Melbourne for over 25 years, and has over 35 years’ experience in providing audit, assurance and risk management services to Australian corporations in the Consumer and Industrial market sector. During his time at KPMG, Mr Shannon was Head of the Industrial Markets division incorporating the audit, tax and consulting practice and has been involved in numerous assignments concerning due diligence of major corporate transactions including those involving initial public offerings and acquisitions. He has also previously been a member of the Australian Auditing and Assurance Standards Board and was appointed by the Treasurer of Australia as the inaugural Chairman of the Financial Reporting Panel – a Statutory Agency of the Australian government monitoring the financial reporting practices of ASX listed companies. PANEL CHAIRS SESSIONS 1 AND 2 Prof. Kath McPherson is Professor of Rehabilitation at AUT and Director of Person Centred Research at Auckland University of Technology, New Zealand. Kath has a nursing and psychology background and her research focuses on: informing rehabilitation by psychological approaches; participation and return to work outcomes; quality of life; quality of care; goal setting; promoting engagement in rehabilitation; understanding the experience of disability and theory in rehabilitation. Kath uses both qualitative and quantitative approaches as required and most appropriate. She was recently made a Fellow of the Australasian Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine (Honorary) and in addition to her substantive post, acts as a consultant to ACC, is Visiting Professor to Kings College London and the University of Southampton and is a member of the Work and Income Board, advising on social welfare reform in New Zealand. Ms Denise Cosgrove joined the Victorian WorkCover Authority (VWA) as Chief Executive in November 2012. The VWA is responsible for preventing workplace injuries, supporting injured workers and managing insurance and compensation for both workers and employers. Denise has held senior management positions for the past 20 years in human resources organisational development, operational management, strategy, planning and communications. Prior to joining the VWA, Denise worked for New Zealand’s Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC). Her most recent role with the ACC was as General Manager, Claims Management, responsible for the management of ACC operations as well as other areas including the clinical directorate, health procurement and innovation functions. Prior to working with the ACC Denise was Assistant Auditor-General, Strategy at the Office of the Auditor-General. Denise is a big proponent of challenging people by provoking innovation. 4TH AUSTRALASIAN COMPENSATION HEALTH RESEARCH FORUM 21 PANEL MEMBERS SESSION ONE Mr Hugh Norriss BA (Sociology), is the Director of Development and Policy at Mental Health Foundation of NZ. Hugh is an experienced director, CEO and leader of public policy development, health and social services delivery, and community and organisational development in the public and not-for-profit sector. He has particular interest and expertise in wellbeing and resilience research and practical application, at individual and population levels. Hugh’s role as Director Development & Policy includes synthesising the wide range of recent international research data on population and personal wellbeing, resilience and positive mental health into accessible concepts and summaries. This knowledge is then applied to policy position and advocacy documents, health promotion programmes, workplace support initiatives, national advertising campaigns and research projects. A career highlight has been establishing Working Well, a social business for the MHF. This provides workplace wellbeing workshops and seminars. In leadership roles as CEO of Welllink Trust for 8 years, and a Senior Manager at Capital and Coast District Health Board for 3 years, Hugh has managed over 400 professional and administrative staff, with budgets of up to 65 million dollars. Prof. Ian Cameron is a clinician researcher who has the Chair in Rehabilitation Medicine at the University of Sydney. He heads the recently renamed John Walsh Centre for Rehabilitation Research. PANEL MEMBERS SESSION TWO Dr Kris Fernando is a clinical psychologist and neuropsychologist by training. She has worked in the areas of neuropsychology and liaison psychiatry, both with children and adults at Auckland District Health Board specialising in traumatic brain injury and oncology. She is currently a senior lecturer in neuropsychology and is working as the National Manager, Psychology and Mental Health at the Accident Compensation Corporation in New Zealand which provides no-fault injury cover. In this role, she manages at team of Branch Advisory Psychologists (BAPs) who are located throughout New Zealand and provide advice to Case Owners managing claims. The main areas in which Kris and the BAPs work in are traumatic brain injury, pain management, psychological disorders following physical injury and sensitive claims. 22 4TH AUSTRALASIAN COMPENSATION HEALTH RESEARCH FORUM Mr Michael Francis is the General Manager of Scheme Improvement and Regulation, WorkCover South Australia. MBA (Finance), GCertCorpMgt, BOccThy, BHMS. Michael has a diverse cross-section of experience in accident compensation and personal injury management. He has a deep understanding of the political, regulatory and business imperatives of the sector. Michael is the General Manager of Scheme Improvement and Regulation for WorkCover South Australia. He has executive level experience with the regulator in Queensland, worked for self-insured employers and as a consultant Occupational Therapist. He enjoys the challenge of identifying what drives real return to work and return to life outcomes at a scheme design and strategic initiatives level. Ms Janine Reid is Legal Counsel at WorkCover Queensland. She has worked in various management roles in WorkCover Queensland since 2000. She is now Legal Counsel in the executive management team. Prior to this role she was the regional manager responsible for the teams managing claims and customers in the manufacturing and tourism industries. She has also held roles involving management of damages claims, Government employer claims and medical, allied health and legal providers. PANEL MEMBERS FINAL SESSION Mr Nick Rushworth is Executive Officer of Brain Injury Australia - the national peak acquired brain injury (ABI) advocacy organisation representing the needs of people with an ABI, their families and carers. He was also President of the Brain Injury Association of New South Wales between 2004 and 2008. In 1996, armed with a bicycle, Nick attacked two cars. The cars won, but Nick’s recovery from a severe traumatic brain injury was exceptional. Before joining Brain Injury Australia, Nick worked for the Northern Territory Government setting up their new “Office of Disability”. Formerly a producer with the Nine Television Network’s “Sunday” program and ABC Radio National, Nick’s journalism has won a number of awards, including a Silver World Medal at the New York Festival, a National Press Club and TV Week Logie Award. Prof. Malcolm Hopwood is the Ramsay Health Care Professor of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne; based at the Albert Road Clinic in Melbourne Australia. His specialises in clinical aspects of mood and anxiety disorders, psychopharmacology and psychiatric aspects of acquired brain injury. In the past, he led the Psychological Trauma Recovery Service, incorporating the Veterans Psychiatry Unit and the Victorian Brain Disorders Program, Austin Health. He has held senior positions within the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists including past Chairmanships of the Victorian Branch and the Board of Research, and is currently the President Elect of the College. 4TH AUSTRALASIAN COMPENSATION HEALTH RESEARCH FORUM 23 Mr Kurutia Seymour has worked for ACC for 24 years, beginning in the claims and compensation side of the business, moving to projects, before working in the levy and collection, government services and strategic Programme functions. He has held senior roles within ACC since 2009, including Board and Corporate Secretary and General Manager Governance, Policy and Research. Currently Kurutia is assisting ACC develop a set of strategies for the Corporation to ensure vulnerable populations (Maori, Pacific, Asian, Peoples with disabilities, children and the elderly) receive appropriate service responses in light of their unique needs. Dr Anne Daly has over 20 years’ experience as a musculoskeletal physiotherapist. For most of those years she has had an interest in persistent (chronic) pain. The measurement of clinical outcomes is also a key interest. Anne works as a physiotherapy and pain management consultant to the Health and Disability Strategy Group at the Victorian WorkCover Authority and the Transport Accident Commission and is currently involved with the Network Pain Program and the Persistent Pain strategy. Anne is also a senior clinician within the Austin Health Pain Service, where she continues to see complex patients with persistent pain. CONCURRENT SESSION ONE Chair: Ms Cathy Pilecki is Manager – Policy and Research at Motor Accident Insurance Commission. Although starting her working life as a health professional, Cathy has, over her ten year tenure at MAIC, developed a strong understanding of the legislative framework that underpins the scheme as well as the current policy issues and imperatives impacting the scheme. Cathy’s ongoing involvement in MAIC’s research funding program provides her with useful perspectives on how research and policy interconnect to drive improved outcomes for motorists and injured parties. Prof. Jennie Ponsford is a Professor of Neuropsychology in the School of Psychological Sciences at Monash University and Director of the Monash-Epworth Rehabilitation Research Centre at Epworth Hospital in Melbourne, Australia. She has spent the past 34 years engaged in clinical work and research with individuals with brain injury. Her research has investigated outcomes following mild, moderate and severe traumatic brain injury (TBI), factors predicting outcome, including and the efficacy of rehabilitative interventions to improve outcome, with current intervention studies focusing specifically on fatigue and sleep changes, and psychiatric and substance use following TBI. She has published over 180 journal articles and book chapters on these subjects, as well as two books on rehabilitation following traumatic brain injury. She also directs a doctoral training program in Clinical Neuropsychology at Monash University and her students are actively engaged with her research program. Professor Ponsford is the Immediate Past-President of the International Neuropsychological Society, Past-President of the International Association for the Study of Traumatic Brain Injury and the Australian Society for the Study of Brain Impairment (ASSBI), and serves on the Executive of the International Brain Injury Association and ASSBI. She is a member of the Editorial Board of seven international journals. In May, 2013 she was awarded the Robert L. Moody prize for Distinguished Initiatives in Brain Injury and Rehabilitation. 24 4TH AUSTRALASIAN COMPENSATION HEALTH RESEARCH FORUM Ms Fiona Cromarty has had a long career with the Transport Accident Commission (TAC) in the state of Victoria including heading the Independence Branch that manages the most severely injured client cohort. Fiona has led a range of major strategic programs including the development and implementation of the Independence model that dramatically changed the way the TAC works with seriously injured transport accident victims and a program of work focussing on improving the TAC’s self-directed (individualised) funding model. She is currently the Senior Manager of Partnerships at the TAC with a focus on working with external partners to improve the outcomes of those living with profound, acquired disabilities. Ms Sally Faisandier started her career as a teacher, and then she worked as a counsellor and researcher in disabilities, mental health and addictions, before moving to Wellington where she has spent the last 15 years working as a researcher in the public sector. While at the Ministry of Justice, she oversaw the overhaul of NZ’s national victimisation survey, which produced eight reports. Sally started at ACC in August 2013, where she oversees a portfolio of Rehabilitation research projects. Her qualifications are in Psychology, Evaluation and Teaching. Dr Rosamund Harrington is a Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for National Research on Disability and Rehabilitation (CONROD), School of Human Services and Social Work, Griffith University. Ros has a long track record working as an occupational therapist in brain injury rehabilitation and mental health services. She is a founding member and current convenor of the Quarterly Brain Injury Services Meeting (QBISM) group which brings together brain injury service providers from across public, private and NGO sector services in south-east Queensland. Ros was recently awarded a 2013 Deans Commendation for Research Higher Degree Excellence for her PhD thesis Motor Accident Insurance Scheme Design and Pathways after Severe Traumatic Brain Injury which compared experiences of people with severe traumatic brain injury, their families and service providers under a fault-based and a no-fault motor accident insurance scheme. This research was supervised by Associate Professors Michele Foster and Jennifer Fleming of the University of Queensland. CONCURRENT SESSION TWO Chair: Ms Darnel Murgatroyd is currently working as the Senior Advisor for Injury Research and Grants at the Motor Accidents Authority of NSW and is a PhD candidate at the John Walsh Centre for Rehabilitation Research at the University of Sydney. Having qualified as a physiotherapist in New Zealand in 1992, she has worked in public and private health systems in New Zealand, Australia and the UK. She has also been employed in a variety of other roles in the insurance industry and at the Motor Accidents Authority over past decade. 4TH AUSTRALASIAN COMPENSATION HEALTH RESEARCH FORUM 25 Dr Anne Daly has over 20 years’ experience as a musculoskeletal physiotherapist. For most of those years she has had an interest in persistent (chronic) pain. The measurement of clinical outcomes is also a key interest. Anne works as a physiotherapy and pain management consultant to the Health and Disability Strategy Group at the Victorian WorkCover Authority and the Transport Accident Commission and is currently involved with the Network Pain Program and the Persistent Pain strategy. Anne is also a senior clinician within the Austin Health Pain Service, where she continues to see complex patients with persistent pain. Dr Tania Pizzari is a lecturer and researcher in the Department of Physiotherapy at La Trobe University and adjunct research fellow for the Australian Centre for Research into Injury in Sport and its Prevention. She works part-time in her own private practice as a physiotherapist and has worked on the Victorian Workcover Association Clinical Panel since 2005. She graduated from La Trobe University with her PhD in 2002 and continues to conduct research into a number of areas of musculoskeletal and sports medicine. Ms Karen Sait Manager Stakeholder Partnerships, Health and Disability Strategy Group (HDSG) – a shared service of the Transport Accident Commission (TAC) and the Victorian Workcover Authority (VWA). In her current role Karen leads the development of relationships and partnerships in health and disability to inform new strategies and initiatives for both schemes. Previous roles with HDSG include developing and implementing mental health and disability initiatives, and integrating neurotrauma research into ISCRR. Karen has extensive experience in service development and leadership in health and the community sector. She was a recipient of a travel grant from the Victorian Government to learn from innovative mental health services in Canada and the USA. This experience informed the development of new services in inner Melbourne, two receiving national awards for innovation and excellence. In addition from 2004 – 2008, Karen was the elected local government representative (councillor) for the City of Port Phillip – a progressive inner city Melbourne council. Dr Bianca Brijnath is a NHMRC Postdoctoral Fellow and Senior Research Fellow in the Department of General Practice, Monash University. Her previous studies include research in mental health and compensable injuries with a specific focus on the role of GPs in facilitating return to work. She is currently a chief investigator on the evaluation of the Health benefits of safe work program, which is funded by the Victorian WorkCover Authority and the Transport Accident Commission. 26 4TH AUSTRALASIAN COMPENSATION HEALTH RESEARCH FORUM CONCURRENT SESSION THREE Chair: Dr Kris Fernando is a clinical psychologist and neuropsychologist by training. She has worked in the areas of neuropsychology and liaison psychiatry, both with children and adults at Auckland District Health Board specialising in traumatic brain injury and oncology. She is currently a senior lecturer in neuropsychology and is working as the National Manager, Psychology and Mental Health at the Accident Compensation Corporation in New Zealand which provides no-fault injury cover. In this role, she manages at team of Branch Advisory Psychologists (BAPs) who are located throughout New Zealand and provide advice to Case Owners managing claims. The main areas in which Kris and the BAPs work in are traumatic brain injury, pain management, psychological disorders following physical injury and sensitive claims. Ms Erin Brown is a PhD candidate, investigating the impact of parental distress on child’s recovery from a burns injury. She first joined Professor Justin Kenardy’s Social and Behavioural Science team at CONROD in 2012, as a research assistant. Erin graduated B.PsySc with first class Honours. She is very involved with the UQ SuPPORT research project, investigating psychiatric comorbidity following a minor road traffic crash under the Queensland CTP program. Other research interests include how mental health and mother-child relationships are affected from experience in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, and long-term consequences of TBI in children. Prof. Ashley Craig PhD, holds the position of Professor of Rehabilitation Studies in the John Walsh Centre for Rehabilitation Research in the Kolling Institute of Medical Research, The University of Sydney. He has published over 200 refereed papers, books, book chapters and refereed conference papers. Over the past 15 years he has won around $10 million in competitive funding mostly from sources such the ARC, as well as from the Motor Accident Authority, NHMRC, Lifetime Care and Support Authority, Rotary Health, and the NSW State Government. His research involves psychosocial aspects of recovery following catastrophic and non-catastrophic injury associated with road accidents. He also investigates neuropsychophysiological aspects of injury. Professor Craig is a senior clinical psychologist working with conditions such as SCI, TBI, and problems like PTSD, MDD and chronic pain. Dr Rebbecca Lilley has worked as a researcher in the Department of Preventive and Social Medicine since 1999, obtaining a PhD from the University of Otago in 2007. Dr Lilley’s research specialises in using epidemiological methods to understand occupational injury and subsequent work-disability following injury in New Zealand workers. Her current work focuses on identifying modifiable factors for addressing work disability following injury and improving the quality of work-related fatal injury data for surveillance purposes. Dr Lilley has been lead, and collaborated, on a number of Health Research Council and Ministry of Business, Innovation, and Employment funded projects and programmes. Dr Lilley has also held training fellowships in occupational injury prevention from the Health Research Council and work disability prevention from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. Dr Janneke Berecki-Gisolf is a Senior Research Fellow at the Monash Injury Research Institute, in the Injury Outcomes Research Unit. She is the lead investigator of the Outcomes of Compensated Injury in Victoria study, which is designed to provide insight into the impact of pre-existing health conditions on recovery after workplace and road transport injuries. The study involves linkage of injury compensation claim records with Medicare and Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme records. The Transport Accident Commission and the Victorian Workcover Authority have funded the study through ISCRR, the Institute for Safety, Compensation and Recovery Research. 4TH AUSTRALASIAN COMPENSATION HEALTH RESEARCH FORUM 27
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