Nicholas Taylor

• PhD
• Professor at La Trobe University and Eastern Health

Purpose: Community participation is important for social inclusion and is a focus of government policies that aim to enhance the lives of people with disability, including those with Down syndrome. This scoping review aimed to synthesise research on community participation in adults with Down syndrome. Methods: A comprehensive search was complet...

Aim The primary aim of this systematic review of the literature was to determine whether interventions to reduce waiting time in outpatient and community health services can be sustained. The secondary aim was to describe associations between sustainability and features of waiting time interventions and the settings in which they have been implemen...

Objective To investigate cost-effectiveness of pre-discharge home assessment visits for patients recovering after hip fracture. Design Cost-effectiveness analysis completed alongside a randomised controlled trial. Setting Hospital wards and the community. Participants Adults 50 years and over with hip fractures planning to return home. Interven...

Importance Noncommunicable diseases are the leading cause of morbidity and mortality globally. Physical therapists working in private practice have an opportunity to embed health screening in their practice to support chronic disease prevention. However, it is not known if it is feasible to conduct health screenings in physical therapist private pr...

Purpose Exercise and nutrition interventions are not part of routine care for those undergoing autologous stem cell transplant (autoSCT). We aimed to explore estimates of effect, safety and feasibility of multidisciplinary prehabilitation for improving physical capacity after autoSCT. Methods This single-blinded, parallel, two-armed pilot randomiz...

Objective This study aimed to explore physiotherapist and manager perceptions of factors that influence physiotherapist participation in clinical supervision. Methods Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with physiotherapists (n = 15) and managers (n = 10) from a publicly funded health network. Interviews were audiotaped and transcr...

Background Motivational interviewing (MI) promotes health-related behaviour change and improves patient health outcomes, but the effect of physical therapist-delivered MI is unclear. Objective To evaluate the effect of physical therapist-delivered MI on health-related behaviour change in adults attending physical therapy or rehabilitation. Method...

Aims The Clavien-Dindo (CD) classification and Comprehensive Complication Index (CCI) have been validated primarily among general surgical procedures. To date, the validity of these measures has not been assessed in patients undergoing arthroplasty. Methods This retrospective cohort study included patients undergoing primary total hip and knee art...

Background and Purpose Motivational interviewing, an evidence-based person-centered counseling style, may help to facilitate increased mobility and physical activity after hip fracture. We explored contextual factors influencing the outcome, mechanism, and implementation of motivational interviewing after hip fracture. Methods A qualitative study...

Background: Research suggests associations between physical activity, sedentary behavior, sleep, and metabolic syndrome, but most has focused on healthy populations and individual behaviors. We investigated associations of 24-hr movement behavior compositions with cardiometabolic risk factors and metabolic syndrome in adults receiving rehabilitati...

Background Reducing length of stay has been proposed as a key component of policies that aim to meet demand and minimize costs associated with total joint arthroplasty. However, few studies explore shifting of healthcare utilization when length of stay is shortened. Methods This retrospective cohort study examined patients undergoing primary, tota...

Exercise for people with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) is important for their health and wellbeing and can provide opportunities for community participation. However, they may find it difficult to participate in some contexts, such as community gyms because social and environmental barriers in these settings may compound difficulties caused by physic...

Background: Lower levels of patient physical activity in hospital are associated with poorer functional outcomes. Physiotherapists may influence physical activity outside of therapy time through nursing workforce training. Objective: To estimate physical activity levels in acute inpatients after the Risk Assessment for Moving Individuals SafEly...

Purpose Specialised group-based exercise rehabilitation is beneficial for cancer survivors but access to these services is limited. Telerehabilitation provides an opportunity to expand reach, but we do not know about the experiences of those who participate in this way. This study explored participant experiences of an exercise-based telerehabilita...

Background Hip fracture is a common and serious traumatic injury for older adults characterised by poor outcomes. Objective This systematic review aimed to synthesise qualitative evidence about the psychosocial impact of hip fracture on the people who sustain these injuries. Methods Five databases were searched for qualitative studies reporting o...

Background Hip osteoarthritis (OA) is a prevalent and burdensome condition that leads to impaired quality of life and a substantial economic burden. Encouraging physical activity, particularly walking, is crucial for OA management, but many individuals with hip OA fail to meet recommended activity levels. Prefabricated contoured foot orthoses have...

Purpose Interventions that improve timely access to outpatient health services are essential in managing demand. This process evaluation aimed to describe the implementation, mechanism of impact and context of an intervention to reduce waiting for first appointments in an outpatient epilepsy clinic. Design/methodology/approach The UK Medical Resea...

Background Moderately vigorous physical activity (PA) may be beneficial for people with sub-acute low back pain (LBP), but may initially be painful for patients and challenging for physical therapists to facilitate. Objectives This study investigated motivational interviewing (MI) delivered by physical therapists and a smartphone app for increasin...

Objectives: Determine the feasibility of allied health assistant (AHA) management of people with hip fracture an acute hospital. Design: Assessor-blind, parallel, feasibility randomised controlled trial with qualitative component. Setting: Acute orthopaedic ward. Participants: People with surgically-managed hip fracture, who walked independently...

Purpose: To explore whether psychological factors are associated with ability to meet recommended physical activity thresholds after hip fracture. Materials and methods: Cross-sectional observational study of 216 community-dwelling adults aged ≥65 years after hip fracture (mean age 79 SD 7 years, 70% female). Multiple ordinal regression analysis...

Purpose: To evaluate the implementation of a self-management program, My Therapy, designed to increase inpatient rehabilitation therapy dosage via independent practice. Materials and methods: A process evaluation of My Therapy for adult patients admitted for rehabilitation for any condition supervised by physiotherapists and occupational therapi...

Introduction: Mobilisation of hospital patients is important for their functioning, and nurses play an important role in providing assistance. Manual handling training programs aim to help nurses to move patients safely, but most do not include dynamic risk assessment. We aimed to explore the experiences of members of the nursing team working in in...

Purpose: To determine the prevalence of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo without dizziness, a treatable falls risk factor in people attending outpatient falls clinics. Methods: Over 6 years, 618 people at risk of falls attending 2 falls clinics were assessed for benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, whether dizzy or non dizzy. Data regarding...

Introduction Workplace injuries are a serious issue for the health and social care industry, with the sector accounting for 20 % of all serious claims reported. The aim of this systematic review was to determine whether patient handling training interventions that included instruction on patient transfer techniques are effective in preventing muscu...

Objective My Therapy is an allied health guided, co-designed rehabilitation self-management program for residents of aged care facilities. This study aimed to determine the feasibility of implementing My Therapy in a residential aged care setting. Methods This observational study was conducted on a 30-bed wing, within a 90-bed metropolitan resident...

Introduction Key to improving outcomes for patients with multimorbidity is increasing mobility through prescription of a physical activity programme, but this can be difficult to achieve in acute hospital settings. One approach that would assist physiotherapists to increase levels of physical activity is delegation of rehabilitation to allied healt...

Background Across the care economy there are major shortages in the health and care workforce, as well as high rates of attrition and ill-defined career pathways. The aim of this study was to evaluate current evidence regarding methods to improve care worker recruitment, retention, safety, and education, for the professional care workforce. Method...

Question: Does adding an interactive clinical supervision training program to self-education improve the effectiveness of clinical supervision of physiotherapists, reduce burnout, decrease intention to leave and increase participation in clinical supervision? Design: Randomised controlled trial with concealed allocation, assessor blinding and inte...

Purpose Delays in outpatient specialist neurologist care for people with epilepsy are common despite recommendations for prompt access. There is evidence to suggest that there are interventions that can minimise waitlists and waiting time. However, little is known about whether such interventions can result in sustained improvements in waiting. The...

Background Supporting children and adolescents with cancer to be physically active can improve medium- and long-term health outcomes. Objective To assess the feasibility of CanMOVE, a 10-week complex, theoretically-informed, behaviour change intervention to promote physical activity for children and adolescents undergoing acute cancer treatment....

Introduction Clinical supervision supports patient care and health worker wellbeing. However, access to effective clinical supervision is not equitable. We aimed to explore the access and effectiveness of clinical supervision in allied health workers. Methods A cross-sectional survey design using the Manchester Clinical Supervision Scale (MCSS-26)...

Retention of care support workers in residential aged care facilities and home-based, domiciliary aged care is a global challenge, with rapid turnover, low job satisfaction, and poorly defined career pathways. A mixed-methods systematic review of the workforce literature was conducted to understand the factors that attract and retain care staff acr...

Purpose: To determine if a consumer co-designed infographic increased knowledge of physical activity and self-efficacy for exercise after total knee joint replacement surgery. Methods: Forty-four adults with primary knee joint replacement surgery were recruited from a public and a private hospital in Melbourne, Australia. Participants were rando...

Background Delayed access to outpatient care may negatively impact on health outcomes. We aimed to evaluate implementation of the Specific Timely Appointments for Triage (STAT) model of access in an epilepsy clinic to reduce a long waitlist and waiting time. Methods This study is an intervention study using pre-post comparison and an interrupted t...

SYNOPSIS: In parts 1 and 2 of this series, we highlighted the dominant impairment way of talking about osteoarthritis: talking that frames osteoarthritis as a disease of cartilage worsened by physical activity that can only be "cured" by replacing the joint. An alternative understanding that counters common misconceptions about osteoarthritis, and...

Objectives: Guideline adherence for hip and knee osteoarthritis management is often poor, possibly related to the quality and/or inconsistent recommendations. This systematic review of hip and knee osteoarthritis guidelines aimed to appraise the quality and consistency in recommendations across higher-quality guidelines. Methods: Eight databases...

Introduction: Motivational interviewing (MI) proficiency may erode quickly, limiting its effectiveness. We examined whether health professionals completing a 2-day workshop, with 3 to 5 hours of personalized coaching, and twice-yearly group reflections sustained proficiency for the duration of a hip fracture rehabilitation trial and whether interv...

Background: Self-directed therapy activities are not currently part of routine care during inpatient rehabilitation. Understanding patient and clinician perspectives on self-directed therapy is key to increasing implementation. The aim of this study was to investigate barriers and facilitators to implementing a self-directed therapy programme ("My...

SYNOPSIS: How people talk about osteoarthritis may impact outcomes, including uptake of guideline recommendations related to activity-based lifestyles and interventions. In this editorial, we describe 2 key ways of talking, based on findings from our systematic review of 62 qualitative studies exploring the perceptions of people with knee osteoarth...

Objective Nursing workplace injuries related to staff-assisted patient/resident movement occur frequently, however, little is known about the programs that aim to prevent these injuries. The objectives of this study were to: (i) describe how Australian hospitals and residential aged care services provide manual handling training to staff and the im...

SYNOPSIS: This editorial series raises awareness among clinicians about how ways of talking about orthopaedic conditions can influence what people who are seeking health care (1) think about their health and (2) what they do to manage their health. In part 1, we introduce you to ways of talking about health, using osteoarthritis as a case study. In...

Background Autologous stem cell transplant is a common procedure for people with haematological malignancies. While effective at improving survival, autologous stem cell transplant recipients may have a lengthy hospital admission and experience debilitating side-effects such as fatigue, pain and deconditioning that may prolong recovery. Prehabilita...

Purpose To investigate if a 12-week community-based exercise program (FitSkills) fostered positive attitudes towards disability among university student mentors. Methods A stepped-wedge cluster randomised trial was completed with 4 clusters. Students were eligible to be a mentor if enrolled in an entry-level health degree (any discipline, any year...

Background The Risk Assessment for moving Individuals SafEly (RAISE) program is a hospital-based manual handling nursing training program. RAISE involves upskilling on continual risk assessment during patient-assisted movements. RAISE aims to optimise staff and patient safety while providing the patient with movement and rehabilitation opportunitie...

There is a need to ensure that healthcare organisations enable their workforces to use digital methods in service delivery. This study aimed to evaluate the current level of digital understanding and ability in nursing, midwifery, and allied health workforces and identify some of the training requirements to improve digital literacy in these health...

Purpose To quantify a perceived barrier to physical activity participation (proximity to exercise facilities) by investigating the distance a population-based cohort of young people with cerebral palsy aged 13–30 years lived from community gyms. Method We developed a web-based application using open-access software that could be used to complete a...

Background Exercise and physical activity interventions improve short-term outcomes for people with metabolic syndrome, but long-term improvements are reliant on sustained adherence to lifestyle change for effective management of the syndrome. Effective ways of improving adherence to physical activity and exercise recommendations in this population...

Rationale: Wait lists are common in the provision of publicly funded services in outpatient and community settings. Aims and objectives: We aimed to explore the experiences of consumers on wait lists across a broad range of services and to understand the impact of delays in access to services on people's lives. Methods: Consumers with experien...

Background: Diastasis of the rectus abdominis muscle (DRAM) commonly occurs in pregnancy and postnatally. Physiotherapists routinely guide women in its management, although the effectiveness of these treatments is unknown. Objectives: To determine the effectiveness of conservative interventions to reduce the presence and width of DRAM in pregnan...

Background Long-term adherence to exercise or physical activity (EPA) is necessary for effective first-line management of metabolic syndrome (MetS). Little is known about the determinants of adherence in this population. This systematic review aims to identify the determinants of adherence to EPA in people with MetS. Methods Six databases (MEDLINE...

Introduction Preliminary evidence suggests that progressive resistance training may be beneficial for people with Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS), a rare genetic condition that results in muscle weakness and low muscle tone.To establish whether community-based progressive resistance training is effective in improving the muscle strength of people with...

Objective: To understand the barriers and enablers to participation in family-assisted therapy for older people in Transition Care. Methods: A qualitative study, underpinned by interpretive description, was conducted at two public health services in Melbourne, Australia. Participants included patients in Transition Care, or their family members,...

Purpose: Music listening is widely used during exercise, but effects on physical activity are unknown. This review aimed to examine the effectiveness of music listening on physical activity of adults. Materials and methods: Searches were conducted until September 2022. Eligible randomised controlled trials examined intentional music listening to...

Background Outsourcing health care services has become popular globally, provided by both profit and non-for-profit organisations with varying degrees of quality. To date, few published studies have evaluated the quality of care in health services using outsourcing. The purpose of this study was to determine if there were differences in quality of...

Aim: The aim of this systematic review was to compare the benefits and harms of nasogastric and oral-based refeeding on the quality of care, including effectiveness, safety, and patient experience, for patients hospitalised with an eating disorder. Methods: A systematic search for studies measuring comparative data between nasogastric and oral r...

Background Increasing participation in physical activity has the potential to improve outcomes for children and adolescents with cancer during treatment and into survivorship. The aim of this study is to outline the theoretical process behind development of CanMOVE, a behavior change intervention designed to increase physical activity for children...

Objective: To explore the effects that impaired ability to sit-to-stand has on upright mobility and self-care in children with cerebral palsy and how this in turn may affect their caregivers. Methods: A mixed methods research design was conducted with 25 children who had cerebral palsy with moderate to high mobility limitations (GMFCS levels III...

Objective To test the feasibility of a walking programme for community-dwelling adults recovering from hip fracture. Design A randomized controlled trial with embedded qualitative analysis. Setting Community. Participants Aged at least 60 years and living in the community after hip fracture. Interventions In addition to standard care, the exper...

Introduction The aim of this randomised feasibility trial is to determine the feasibility of conducting an adequately powered randomised controlled trial (RCT) investigating the efficacy of prefabricated contoured foot orthoses in people with hip osteoarthritis (OA). The secondary aims of the trial are to compare the effect of prefabricated contour...

Objective To explore how older adults perceive motivational interviewing influences their walking and physical activity after hip fracture. Methods Qualitative study using an interpretive description framework. Twenty-four participants aged ≥65 years living in the community after hip fracture were interviewed. Participants had received at least 8...

Background Access to rehabilitation to support cancer survivors to exercise is poor. Group exercise–based rehabilitation may be delivered remotely, but no trials have currently evaluated their efficacy. Objective We aimed to evaluate the efficacy of a group exercise–based cancer rehabilitation program delivered via telehealth compared to usual car...

Despite well‐documented benefits of rehabilitation and therapy services for children with disabilities, long waiting lists to access these services are common. There is a growing body of evidence, primarily from mixed or adult services, demonstrating that waiting times can be reduced through strategies that target wasteful processes and support ser...

Purpose To investigate the association between implementation of clinical governance and patient safety. Design/methodology/approach A pre-post study was conducted in an Australian health service following the implementation of clinical governance systems (CGS) in the inpatient wards in 2016. Health service audit data from 2017 on CGS implementati...

Purpose: To determine the prevalence of metabolic syndrome in patients attending outpatient community rehabilitation in Melbourne, Australia and to compare health literacy, physical activity, and dietary intake of people with and without metabolic syndrome. Materials and methods: A cross-sectional, multi-centre, observational study of adults (n...

Objective The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of increasing allied health staffing levels on patient and health service outcomes across 1) all Geriatric Evaluation and Management patients, and 2) Geriatric Evaluation and Management patients discharged to home in the community. Design Quasi-experimental, pre-post intervention study....

Objective: Hip and knee osteoarthritis guidelines internationally provide consistent first-line care recommendations. However, uptake of these recommendations remains suboptimal. This qualitative study explores factors influencing guideline-based care from the perspectives of physiotherapists working in specialised osteoarthritis services across d...

BACKGROUND Access to rehabilitation to support cancer survivors to exercise is poor. Group exercise–based rehabilitation may be delivered remotely, but no trials have currently evaluated their efficacy. OBJECTIVE We aimed to evaluate the efficacy of a group exercise–based cancer rehabilitation program delivered via telehealth compared to usual car...

Objective The study aimed to explore patient perceptions of and motivations for physical activity after total knee joint replacement. Methods Participants were purposively sampled after completing a public outpatient rehabilitation exercise group. Semistructured interviews were completed with 22 participants (mean age 70 years, 45% women) 6 to 12...

Little is known about the extent of cultural and linguistic diversity among people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in Australia and if ethno‐cultural factors influence engagement in pulmonary rehabilitation (PR). We conducted a prospective cohort study to evaluate the extent of cultural and linguistic diversity among people with C...

Aims: To explore caregiver perceptions about the outcomes and feasibility of a high repetition sit-to-stand home-based exercise program on themselves and their children with cerebral palsy who have mobility limitations. Methods: Face-to-face semi-structured interviews were conducted with 19 caregivers (17 women, mean age 39 y 6 mo (SD 8 y 4 mo)...

Purpose: To determine if a patient manual handling training program focused on dynamic manual handling risk assessment for staff and patient safety, together with the patient's need for physical rehabilitation, can be transferred and sustained in clinical practice. Materials and methods: Using a pre-post design, nurses (n = 72) from acute and re...

Objective: To explore older persons' perceptions of the impact of COVID-19 restrictions on participating in community activities after discharge from inpatient rehabilitation. Methods: Mixed-methods study design. Participants were older adults who were discharged home following inpatient rehabilitation. Interviews were conducted with 70 particip...

Objective: To test the feasibility, safety and effectiveness of the My Therapy programme for inpatients with mild-moderate cognitive impairment. Design: Observational pilot study. Patients: Rehabilitation inpatients with mild-moderate cognitive impairment. Methods: During their inpatient admission, participants received My Therapy, a program...

Background Osteoporotic vertebral fractures affect a large number of older adults Objectives Systematically review evidence of the benefits and harms of non-surgical and non-pharmacological management of people with osteoporotic vertebral fractures compared with standard care (control); and evaluate the benefits and harms of non-surgical and non-p...

Background/aims Factors that influence functional ability in older adults after rehabilitation are not well understood. The aim of this study was to investigate how older people function in their community after being discharged from inpatient rehabilitation. Methods A cross-sectional study was undertaken of community-dwelling older adults (n=86,...

Purpose The authors explored clinical staff perceptions of their interactions with middle management and their experiences of the uncongeniality of their working environment. Design/methodology/approach Semi-structured interviews of clinical staff from an Australian public health service's Emergency, Surgery and Psychiatry departments. Volunteer i...

BACKGROUND Access to rehabilitation to support cancer survivors to exercise is poor. Exercise-based rehabilitation may be delivered remotely but it is unknown how it compares to in-person cancer rehabilitation. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the effectiveness of an exercise-based cancer rehabilitation program delivered via telehealth compared to a traditio...

BACKGROUND Access to exercise therapy for cancer survivors is poor. Professional development to support exercise professionals to deliver these interventions is needed. Few online resources exist for exercise professionals to address this issue. OBJECTIVE To develop and evaluate a freely available online toolkit to support exercise professionals w...

Background Access to exercise therapy for cancer survivors is poor. Professional development to support exercise professionals in delivering these interventions is needed. Few online resources exist for exercise professionals to address this issue. Objective To develop and evaluate a freely available online toolkit to support exercise professional...

Introduction Guidelines for hip fracture care state that patients with hip fracture should be mobilised on the day after surgery and at least once a day thereafter. However, compliance with these guidelines is poor. One approach that would assist physiotherapists to meet mobility guidelines after hip fracture is to delegate the provision of daily m...

Background Implementing evidence into clinical practice is a key focus of healthcare improvements to reduce unwarranted variation. Dissemination of evidence-based recommendations and knowledge brokering have emerged as potential strategies to achieve evidence implementation by influencing resource allocation decisions. The aim of this study was to...

Purpose To assess whether meeting criteria for community ambulation and ambulatory self-confidence on discharge from inpatient rehabilitation are associated with participation in community activities. Methods Prospective longitudinal observational study design. Participants were assessed within 48-hours of discharge on ability to complete tasks re...

Objective To determine the association between delays in access to specialist epilepsy care and patient outcomes. Methods Three databases were searched using eligibility criteria related to the concepts of timely access, epilepsy, and clinical outcome. Comparative data on patient outcomes by time to treatment was required for inclusion. Studies we...

We aimed to explore consumer experiences of ambulatory telehealth services and whether consumer experiences differed according to whether they received their consultation using telephone or video technology. We conducted structured telephone interviews with patient consumers who had received a recent remote consultation by telephone or video call,...