Evaluation of a clinical framework which guides vocational rehabilitation for people with acquired brain injury

About the Project

Researcher Name: Alena Murray

Project team includes representatives from Queensland Health, The Hopkins Centre and Griffith University

Mentors:

Dr Tenelle Hodson (Lecturer, Discipline of Occupational Therapy, School of Allied Health, Sport, & Social Work, & The Hopkins Centre, Griffith University)

Dr Kerrin Watter (Manager, ABIOS, Qld Health)

Dr Jessie Mitchell (Research Fellow, The Hopkins Centre)

Professor Tamara Ownsworth (Research Director, The Hopkins Centre)

Collaborators:

Ms Jacqui Byrne (Research Officer, ABI TRS, Qld Health)

Ms Sally Wooler (Clinical Lead, ABI TRS, Qld Health)

Ms Areti Kennedy (Manager, ABI TRS, Qld Health)

After a brain injury, people can have trouble returning to work or study. They can also have difficulty staying in their jobs. In earlier research, we created a clinical framework and accompanying tools to support people with acquired brain injury (ABI) to return to work or study. This framework was designed to be used early in the rehabilitation of people with brain injuries.

This study will evaluate how the framework is being used in practice and the outcomes it supports. It will explore the experiences of people with ABI and their clinicians, including how acceptable and useful they find the framework and whether it helps clients achieve their work and study goals.

Aim and objective:

Evaluate the implementation and acceptability of the VR clinical framework and tools developed by Watter et al (2023).
Explore client experiences and vocational outcomes following participation in the ABI TRS VR program.

Expected outcomes and impact:

The following outcomes are expected;

Provide insights from people with ABI on their VR experiences and outcomes in the early rehabilitation phase and beyond.
Determine clinicians’ views on useability and acceptability of framework and barriers and facilitators to use.

Findings will inform ongoing refinement of the clinical framework and tools. Consequently, the project is expected to contribute to improved work and study outcomes for people with ABI. Results will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications, conference presentations, and other professional and public forums.

Providing high quality, evidence-based VR leads to better vocational outcomes. Findings from this study will directly inform improvement to VR interventions and service delivery within ABI TRS and will be translated within the wider ABI rehabilitation community. They will also guide future phases of this research program, including potential expansion to incorporate additional stakeholder perspectives such as employers.