Projects
Hitting the refresh button: co-designing contemporary and inclusive patient education and information resources for the RBWH Physiotherapy Department.
2022 Extraordinary Opportunities Grant Round
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Project description
This project improves how physiotherapy information is shared with patients at RBWH by making resources more accessible, especially online. Consumers and clinicians worked together to update and create materials and design a new website to better support patients before, during and after their care.
Why this work is needed
A survey of 54 patients showed that most people want to receive physiotherapy information online, with many also interested in information before appointments and after leaving hospital. Existing resources weren’t always easy to access or understand.
Involving patients and clinicians in a redesign ensured the updated materials met real needs. With the RBWH Physiotherapy Department delivering over 160,000 services each year, making information easier to access is an important step in supporting patients to feel informed and involved in their care.
Outcomes
A team of 24 consumers and 24 clinicians updated physiotherapy information across seven clinical teams. Thirteen new pages were created for the RBWH Physiotherapy website, linking to existing service pages. Two videos were also filmed, sharing patient experiences.
Key resources were re-designed to be easier to understand and more useful for patients. A clear process for involving consumers and setting standards for future resources was also developed. These changes have improved patient access to information, supporting informed decision-making and ensuring care is more patient-centred.
Meet the Project Leader
Mark Cruickshank
Director RBWH Physiotherapy
Mark Cruickshank
Mark Cruickshank has worked as a physiotherapist for over 25 years, commencing his career at the RBWH in 1995. During this time, he has worked in many different roles and is currently the Director of Physiotherapy at RBWH. He completed a Master of Health Service Management at Griffith University in 2011.
Mark has contributed to ongoing research, co-authoring a number a publications and he has presented at national physiotherapy conferences. He has a keen interest in advanced practice roles and was lead investigator on a muticentre trial that introduced prescribing for emergency physiotherapy practitioners in five Queensland hospital emergency departments. He is currently completing a PhD through the Queensland University of Technology evaluating this practice change and the impact on consumers and their healthcare experience.
Through his work on advanced practice roles and their consumer impact, Mark has developed an awareness of the importance in involving consumers in all aspects of their care journey to maximise outcomes and experience. This is reflected in the current program of work involving consumer co-design of physiotherapy resources.
