Novita Research Report January 1999 - Novita Children's Services

overview of research at novita
Research, development and evaluation have been a vital part of high quality services provided by Novita Children’s Services
Inc, (formerly The Crippled Children’s Association of SA Inc). Novita provides therapy, equipment and family support services to
over 1000 South Australian children and young people with physical and/or severe multiple disabilities. Children have cerebral
palsy (approximately 65%), muscular dystrophy, spina bifida or other conditions that result in a permanent physical disability.
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Novita employs occupational therapists, orthotists,
physiotherapists, psychologists, rehabilitation engineers,
speech pathologists, and social workers, totalling over
150 staff. Services are delivered by multi-disciplinary teams
of therapists in clients’ homes, kindergartens, and schools or
other community settings. There are five regional offices in
the Adelaide metropolitan area, with staff from each office also
visiting one or more country areas to support country families
and local service providers. In addition, Novita provides
equipment services to children and adults through NovitaTech
(formerly Regency Park Rehabilitation Engineering).
Historically, research was undertaken by individuals or
by key departments within Novita. A research culture was
established by Dr Leon Stern, Medical Director, Dr Barry Seeger,
Director of Regency Park Rehabilitation Engineering, and former
Chief Executive, Dr David Caudrey. This was strengthened in
1996 by the creation of a new Research and Development
(R&D) Department within the Regency Park Rehabilitation
Engineering division of Novita, now called NovitaTech, and
then later in January 1999 with the establishment of the
Clinical Research Department.
NovitaTech’s new Research and Development
Department was formed using staff from the Electronics
Department, providing a much clearer focus for R&D efforts.
The team aimed to maximise the usefulness and relevance
of technology to the lives of people with disabilities by
conducting meaningful research and product development.
As a result of the history and experience of the team, there
was a clear emphasis on projects and products related to
electronics and computers.
Since then, the R&D Department has continued to refine
and improve its internal processes while making a significant
contribution to research and development in the field of
rehabilitation engineering. In recent years there has been a
move to the employment of Rehabilitation Engineers as they
graduate from the Flinders University School of Informatics
and Engineering. Since its inception, the Department has
seen an increase in the level of collaboration with academic
institutions, an increase in the use of sub-contractors to
ensure that professional standards are applied to all areas,
and an increased requirement for marketing skills.
The Clinical Research Department was established to enable
a systematic research focus in the Therapy Division that ensured
effective assessments, interventions and support were provided
to clients and families. The Department aims to conduct
research; facilitate a spirit of enquiry amongst therapists within
Novita; and to reduce the research-practice gap with therapists.
The Department encourages therapists to pose clinical questions
and provides the support required to answer these questions in a
systematic way. It also facilitates the implementation of outcomes,
as well as evaluating the effectiveness.
The Clinical Research Department manages research
projects in a number of ways:
1) Supporting and educating Novita therapists involved in
providing direct services to clients who initiate research
ideas and are often involved in doing the research;
2) Conducting joint projects internally and with other agencies
and academic institutions such as the Women’s and
Children’s Hospital, the University of South Australia and
Flinders University;
3) Providing an interface and liaison between the external
groups and students who initiate projects and the Novita
staff and families who may be involved in the study.
Research projects are presented at bimonthly research
seminars and biennial research days conducted by Novita; at
state, national and international conferences; and published in
newsletters and journals so that clients, their families, other staff
and professional colleagues can benefit from the findings.
Evaluating the evidence
Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) is defined as “integrating
best research evidence together with clinical knowledge and
reasoning in providing assessments and interventions that
are effective and efficient for particular clients”. To enhance
evidence-based practice, Novita has focussed on:
1) Staff Training in EBP • In July 2000, the Clinical
Research Manager, the three research seniors and several
physiotherapists from Novita attended a three-day course
on EBP conducted by the School of Physiotherapy,
University of SA. Over the subsequent four years, using a
‘Train-the-Trainer’ model, most Novita therapists have been
trained in EBP.
2) Developing Novita Children’s Services Appraisal
Forms to critically appraise research • The Research
Department found that the hierarchy of evidence model
used in Evidence-Based Medicine, and the tools used to
evaluate research, were not suitable to appraise research
in disability. Via a process of evaluating existing tools, the
Clinical Research department used an adapted appraisal
form and the McMaster forms for all allied health discipline
Novita Children’s Services Incorporated • Research Report January 1999 – June 2004