Developing a sustainable approach to research capacity building for the Queensland Branch, Australasian Faculty Rehabilitation Medicine (AFRM)

About the Project

The Queensland Branch of AFRM is leading a study to strengthen the research capacity of AFRM physicians and trainees. The study team successfully competed for an Education Development Grant from the Royal Australian College of Physicians (RACP). The 12-month project is a partnership between the Queensland Branch of AFRM and The Hopkins Centre, Griffith University, and will be completed by 30 June 2025.

The idea for the project was developed by Dr Teresa Boyle, Rehabilitation medicine physician and staff specialist at the Gold Coast University Hospital and Chair of the Queensland Branch of the AFRM along with Hopkins Centre researchers Prof Tim Geraghty and Dr Letty Burridge and followed discussions at the 2024 AFRM Advanced Trainee Welcome Evening on 14th March 2024, where Prof Geraghty presented on the topic of “Getting Started in Research: Plotting the course from a researchable question to a research protocol”. 

Rehabilitation medicine physicians and trainees have high-level clinical skills and expertise, but research activity may be inhibited by time pressures and insufficient experience and skills.  Recent local research confirmed this, also finding a gap  between high research interest and low research capacity. Many Queensland rehabilitation medicine physicians and trainees are either not engaged in relevant research, or unaware of resources available to support them. This Education Development Grant will be used to develop research capacity building education program for AFRM Queensland Branch advanced trainees. It is hoped that it will be a building block towards the longer term aim of substantially increased research participation and productivity within the specialty in Queensland. The funding will enable an existing Hopkins Centre Research Fellow experienced in research capacity building activities to work specifically on this project. The project will be supported by the Queensland AFRM committee, research-interested specialists in Rehabilitation medicine training sites, and Hopkins Centre researchers who will all provide their time in-kind. 

The proposed initiative will be primarily directed towards AFRM Queensland Branch advanced trainees and comprise:  

• A targeted survey to better understand knowledge, needs and opportunities,
• Integration of existing self-directed online learning packages,
• Tailored educational workshops,
• Lectures embedded in Queensland branch teaching curriculum,
• Formation of a Rehabilitation Medicine Research Support Special Interest Group (SIG) and
• The compilation of a Rehabilitation Research Supervisor State-wide Register.

Parallel initiatives will include incentivising excellence in research through awards and prizes, and strengthening collaboration between the Queensland Branch and external stakeholders such as The Hopkins Centre and the Australasian Rehabilitation Outcomes Centre. 

Please see below for further information on these initiatives.

This Queensland Rehabilitation Medicine Research Capacity Building Project will set in place a foundational building block which results in future Queensland Rehabilitation medicine physicians and trainees with high-level research skills, engagement, participation and productivity, and who are leaders and/or significant collaborators in research which translates to improved outcomes and quality of life for people with illness, injury or disability who require rehabilitation.

Survey of Research Capacity Building Knowledge, Skill and Needs

An online survey of the current Queensland cohort of Advanced Trainees was conducted in October 2024 to gain insights into their research experience, aspirations and training needs. 

A total of 12 surveys were completed, indicating a response rate of 33%.  The majority (75%) worked full-time in public inpatient settings. On average, three-quarters (76%) had little or no research experience, while 84% reported little or no confidence with basic research activities.  Almost two-thirds (62%) were at least moderately interested in research, but most (60%) had little or no opportunity to be research-active.  Two-thirds (67%) had at least a moderate intention to do research. 

At least half of the respondents reported that, in the next 12 months with time permitting, they would focus on generating research ideas (50%) or writing and presenting a research report (58%).  Most (85%) identified that time, access to support/mentoring and resources, and working with a research team would enable them at least moderately to be involved in research with AROC data.  Two-thirds of respondents (67%) identified Developing a research proposal and Research methods 101 for rehabilitation clinicians as desirable skills training in the next 12 months.  Of the 9 respondents who answered the question regarding level of interest in training workshops, most (n=8, 89%) indicated a positive response and half of these indicated a “Definite” interest in attending research training workshops (Fig. 1).  Most preferred an in-person mode for workshops (78%), and small group mode for mentoring (67%).

These results are consistent with previous findings1 that indicate high interest in research but low capacity in rehabilitation doctors.  The level of interest in basic research skills confirms the relevance of the content of Workshops 1 and 2 conducted this year.  Given the complexity of the research landscape in health care, the dilemma remains for finding ways to make it feasible for trainees to upskill then develop, conduct and complete a research project within a constrained timeframe.

1.      Geraghty T, Foster M, Burridge L. Moving from interest to engagement - understanding the research capacity building needs of rehabilitation doctors. [Published online ahead of print 26 July 2023].  Journal of Continuing Education in the Health Professions, 2024;  44(2):112-119. 

Existing research capacity building resources

Please see the Metro South Health Hopkins Centre Sharepoint site Getting Started in Research for Clinicians for existing research capacity building resources related to this project.

Previous AFRM Research Modules topics

Examples of research topics previous completed by trainees for their AFRM Research Module (Module 3) are below:

·       Junior Doctor Knowledge and Attitudes towards Rehabilitation in a Regional Acute Care Setting – A Cross Sectional Survey

·       Subclinical Hypothyroidism & Outcome of Rehabilitation (FIM)

·       Audit of Pressure Injuries at Spinal Injuries Unit (SIU), Associations with AIS Level Category and Length of Stay (LOS)

·       Intern Education and Management of Autonomic Dysreflexia in Spinal Cord Injury Patients

·       Audit of Opioid Prescribing Practices at Surgical Treatment and Rehabilitation Service (STARS), Brisbane

Overview of Workshop Series

The major component of this program is the development and implementation of a series of 3 capacity building workshops. They will be conducted in hybrid format although, due to the interactive nature of the material, in-person attendance will be encouraged. 

The workshops will be facilitated by experienced academic and clinical researchers and will cover the following topics: Getting started in research, How to do a Scoping or Systematic review and How to do an Audit. These broadly align to the  requirements of the rehabilitation medicine advanced training Research Project (module 3) requirements.

The format of all workshops is similar with the first half featuring:

• Interactive presentations on the workshop topic and
• “Stories from the clinical research front line” (trainees/others' experiences of getting started in research)

The second half consists of:

• 1:1 or small group mentoring to enable participants to discuss their individual research topics / projects with experienced clinical or academic researchers

Workshop 1 - Getting started in research

Workshop 1 was held in hybrid format, in person and online on 15th October 2024 at the RACP Offices in Brisbane.

·       83% of participants indicating that that the workshop was very useful for GAINING RESEARCH SKILLS & CONFIDENCE

·       92% indicating that it was very useful for CONNECTING WITH AND LEARN FROM PEERS AND SHARE EXPERIENCES and

·       100% agreeing that they would RECOMMEND THE WORKSHOP TO A COLLEAGUE

Comments included:

“Having one on one interaction with mentors and getting their suggestions made module look not as scary as it feels”

“I was underprepared for this workshop! It was an excellent session with great resources and really helpful mentors - I feel to get the most out of it, it would’ve been very helpful to have a drafted research question to discuss with the mentors”.

“Very good initiative to help trainees to develop research ideas and know how to go about it”

Workshop 2 – How to do a scoping or systematic review 

Workshop 2 was held in hybrid format, in person and online on 5th November 2024 at the RACP Offices in Brisbane.

Feedback for Workshop 2 was also very good including:

·       75% of participants indicating that that the workshop was very useful for GAINING RESEARCH SKILLS & CONFIDENCE

·       100% indicating that it was very useful for CONNECTING WITH AND LEARN FROM PEERS AND SHARE EXPERIENCES and

·       100% agreeing that they would RECOMMEND THE WORKSHOP TO A COLLEAGUE

Comments included “Thank you for organising. Great initiative”

Further detail regarding these workshops can be found on the Metro South Health Hopkins Centre Sharepoint site Getting Started in Research for Clinicians (sharepoint.com)

Please note !!

Workshop 3: How to do a clinical audit

Workshop 3 is currently in preparation and will be held on 27th March, 4-7pm at the RACP Offices in Brisbane and virtually

The event is open to all rehabilitation medicine trainees in the Queensland / northern NSW training rotation  

Contact Queensland AFRM qldafrmbranch@gmail.com for further information