This course in Neurological Rehabilitation is an important introductory course highlighting the basic principles of managing the disabilities associated with neurological diseases. The course is intended to increase the knowledge and confidence of clinicians caring for people with neurological diseases.

Rehabilitation physicians provide specialist knowledge and expertise in the prevention, assessment, management and medical supervision of a person with a disability. This e-learning course provides an outline of neurological rehabilitation and covers the basic principles of management of disabilites resulting from a neurological condition. Clinical case studies and multiple choice questions are designed to optimise comprehension and learning.

Designed For

Suitable for clinicians working in rehabilitation, including rehabilitation physicians, GPs, rehabilitation trainees, medical students, nurses, and allied health professionals.

Learning Outcomes

1. Understand the impact of various disabilities on patient outcomes in terms of function and participation
2. Knowledge to assess, manage/treat and prognosticate outcomes for patients with a range of disabilities in accord with best evidence.
3. Apply knowledge to address specific complications and comorbidities associated with various neurological conditions.
4. Outline a rehabilitation “action plan” appropriate for patients with a neurological condition
5. Understand how to manage an interdisciplinary rehabilitation service.

Course Units

• Tutorial 1: Stroke rehabilitation
• Tutorial 2: Formulation of a rehabilitation plan
• Tutorial 3: Assessment and management of motor dysfunction
• Tutorial 4: Assessment and management of cognitive dysfunction
• Tutorial 5: Assessment and management of visuoperceptual dysfunction
• Tutorial 6: Continence
• Tutorial 7: Pain
• Tutorial 8: Spasticity
• Tutorial 9: Fatigue in neurological conditions

Assessment

The assessment is the submission of the 8 tutorials, 7 self-assessments and 7 case studies. A Certificate of Completion is provided upon satisfactory completion of the course.

Delivery Mode

Course completion requires approximately 20 hours of elearning. This course is delivered online and students can study in their own time and location. Course materials can be accessed using a web browser.

Endorsement

This course is officially endorsed by the International Society of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine (ISPRM)

Course Leaders

Prof Mary Galea

AM, BAppSci (Physio), BA, PhD, Professorial Fellow, Department of Medicine, (Royal Melbourne Hospital), The University of Melbourne

Professor Mary Galea is Professorial Fellow in the Department of Medicine at the University of Melbourne and Academic Director of the Australian Rehabilitation Research Centre at the Royal Melbourne Hospital. She was previously Foundation Chair of Clinical Physiotherapy at the University of Melbourne and Austin Health, and holds honorary appointments at The University of Queensland and the Queensland Brain Institute. Professor Galea has significant clinical experience in neurological rehabilitation and has made a substantial contribution to building research capacity in this field. Her overall research program involves basic and clinical research investigating the control of movement and factors underlying recovery from nervous system injury. Most recently, she was lead investigator on a large multi-site program of research, SCIPA (Spinal Cord Injury and Physical Activity), investigating the effects of exercise after spinal cord injury from acute care to the community. Her current research is concerned with investigating the health of peripheral nerves after spinal cord injury, the use of technology to drive recovery of upper limb function after stroke and spinal cord injury, and wearable sensors to measure disease progression in multiple sclerosis and rehabilitation outcomes. Professor Galea is a Board Member of the Stroke Association of Victoria, and a member of the Scientific Advisory Committee of SpinalCure Australia. She is a member of Cochrane Rehabilitation Group, and the Disaster Rehabilitation and Clinical Sciences and Research Committees of the International Society of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine (ISPRM). Her contributions to research and education have been recognised by a number of awards, including Member of the Order of Australia.

Authors

Dr Jacqueline Reznik

BAppSci (Physio), PhD, Adjunct Senior Lecturer, Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD

Dr Jacqueline (Jackie) Reznik has a long clinical history in neurological, geriatric and paediatric physiotherapy in addition to undergraduate and post-graduate teaching in neurosciences and neurological physiotherapy both in Israel and internationally. She holds adjunct positions as Senior Lecturer in the Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine at James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Research Associate at the Institute of Child Health, Great Ormond Street /University College London, UK, and Associate Senior Lecturer at Curtin University, Western Australia. Her main clinical and research interests lie in the investigation and treatment of the control of movement and function following neurological insult, both traumatic and non-traumatic. Her PhD was concerned with the prevalence, management and treatment of neurogenic heterotopic ossification. She has published numerous papers in these areas and is the author of a physiotherapy textbook, Pharmacology Handbook for Physiotherapists. A second text book, Rehabilitation of Spinal Cord Injuries is due for publication by Elsevier mid-2020.

Dr L. Eduardo Cofré Lizama

BAppSc (Physio), MSc, PhD, Research Fellow, Department of Medicine (Royal Melbourne Hospital), The University of Melbourne

Dr Cofré Lizama’s research focuses on identifying markers of gait deterioration in multiple sclerosis, and balance deterioration with aging and in neurological populations. He is also working in developing virtual reality and interactive video games for rehabilitation and instrumentation of clinical assessments.

Dr Jamie Young

MBBS, PhD FAFRM (RACP), FFPMANZCA, Staff Specialist Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre

Dr Jamie Young is a pain and rehabilitation specialist. He is a staff specialist at the Peter MacCallum Centre and is an Honorary Clinical Lecturer at the University of Melbourne. He has an interest in cancer pain and pain in neurological disorders. Dr Young is a supervisor of medical students, pain fellows and junior doctors. His PhD explored non-pharmacological therapy for the treatment of chronic pain in multiple sclerosis and hopes to undertake further research in cancer pain.

Dr Krystal Song

MBBS, FAFRM (RACP), PhD, Rehabilitation Physician, Royal Melbourne Hospital,

Dr Krystal Song is a rehabilitation physician at the Royal Melbourne Hospital, Melbourne and is an Honorary Clinical Fellow of the Department of Medicine, University of Melbourne. She attained her Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery (MBBS) and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) from the University of Melbourne. She has been an active Fellow of the Australasian Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine (FAFRM) since 2015. Her main clinical and research interests lie in neurological and cancer rehabilitation.

Dr Su Yi Lee

MBBS, FAFRM (RACP), Rehabilitation Physician, Royal Melbourne Hospital

Dr Su Yi Lee is a rehabilitation physician at the Royal Melbourne Hospital. She attained her Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery (MBBS) from Monash University, Australia, and is currently pursuing her Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) at the University of Melbourne. She has been an active Fellow of the Australasian Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine (FAFRM) since 2018, and is Board Representative of the International Society of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine (ISPRM) task force - World Youth Forum. Her main clinical and research interests include neurological and disaster rehabilitation.

Dr Edwin Luk

MBBS, PhD, FAFRM (RACP), Rehabilitation Physician and Senior Lecturer, Department of Medicine at The University of Melbourne

Dr Edwin Luk is a rehabilitation physician and a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Medicine at The University of Melbourne. After obtaining his PhD on the role of pulmonary rehabilitation in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease he has continued to care for patients with chronic medical conditions in the rehabilitation context. He currently leads the rehabilitation ambulatory clinics and spasticity clinics at the Royal Melbourne Hospital in addition to running a neurological inpatient rehabilitation unit at St Vincent Hospital, Melbourne. He is a primary investigator for spasticity-related research projects.

Dr Vandana Vasudevan

MBBS, FAFRM (RACP), Rehabilitation Physician, Royal Melbourne Hospital

Dr Vandana Vasudevan is a rehabilitation physician at the Royal Melbourne Hospital and an Honorary Lecturer in the Department of Medicine at The University of Melbourne. She specialises in neurorehabilitation and has an interest in disaster rehabilitation. She is a member of the Disaster Rehabilitation Special Interest Group of the Rehabilitation Medicine Society of Australia and New Zealand and the Disaster Rehabilitation Committee of the International Society of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine.

Dr Irina Astrakhantseva

MBBS, FAFRM (RACP), Rehabilitation Physician, Royal Melbourne Hospital

Dr Irina Astrakhantseva is a rehabilitation physician at the Royal Melbourne Hospital, where she conducts rehabilitation ambulatory clinics and is a consultant in the multidisciplinary Spasticity Management Service. Her interests are in neurorehabilitation, multi trauma and brain injuries, and she has contributed to the development of guidelines on management of acquired brain injury in disaster settings.

Dr Seema Chopra

MBBS, FAFRM (RACP), Rehabilitation Physician, Royal Melbourne Hospital

Dr Seema Chopra is a rehabilitation physician at the Royal Melbourne Hospital and Brunswick Private Hospital, with over 25 years’ experience in medicine. She has a special interest in neurorehabilitation. She has contributed to the development of guidelines on management of acquired brain injury in disaster settings, and to developing and implementing programs to improve patient care and rehabilitation outcomes by streamlining processes and effective use of resources. She regularly contributes to teaching and mentoring programs conducted by the Australasian Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine and Rehabilitation Medicine Training Victoria.

Dr Bhasker Amatya

MD, MPH, DMedSci, Senior Research Coordinator and Project Manager, Department of Rehabilitation and Australian Rehabilitation Research Centre, Royal Melbourne Hospital

Dr Bhasker Amatya completed his Doctor of Medicine from Ivov Medical Institute, Ukraine, Master of Public Health (Clinical Epidemiology) at Monash University in 2003, and Doctor of Medical Sciences in Disaster Rehabilitation at The University of Melbourne in 2017. He is an Honorary Fellow in the Department of Medicine, The University of Melbourne, a member of the Disaster Rehabilitation Committee (DRC), International Society of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine (ISPRM) and Research Coordinator of the Disaster Rehabilitation Special Interest Group, Rehabilitation Medicine Society of Australia and New Zealand (RMSANZ). He has experience in medical and health services research, including disaster rehabilitation, with a focus on improving the quality and efficiency of rehabilitation and care services and developing evidence-based care models, nationally and internationally. Dr Amatya has conducted and overseen major research projects (including 8 randomised clinical trials) and has 100 academic publications including 22 systematic reviews (8 Cochrane reviews), 2 book chapters, 20 government reports, 2 Clinical Practice Guidelines. His other expertise includes: disaster management, complex data collection methods and statistical analysis, adoption of the International Classification of Functional Disability and Health (ICF) to describe patient reported disability, critical appraisals, policy reviews, Clinical Practice Guidelines development, grant writing, and training in systematic reviews.

Dr Aladdin Elmalik

MBBS, FAFRM (RACP), Rehabilitation Physician, Royal Melbourne Hospital

Dr Alaeldin Elmalik is a rehabilitation physician in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Royal Melbourne Hospital where he manages an inpatient neurological rehabilitation unit, providing care for patients with complex neurological diseases, and is a consultant in the multidisciplinary Spasticity Management Service. He has participated in many national and international spasticity workshops. Dr Elmalik has a special interest in the use of ultrasound and technology in the management of post-stroke spasticity. He has co-authored a number of publications in the use of technology in neurological rehabilitation and spasticity management. Dr Elmalik is an Honorary Senior Fellow in the Department of Medicine, The University of Melbourne

Dr Nina Zhang

MBBS, FAFRM (RACP), Rehabilitation Physician, Royal Melbourne Hospital

Dr Nina Zhang is a rehabilitation physician at the Royal Melbourne Hospital where she manages an inpatient neurological rehabilitation unit, providing care for patients with complex neurological diseases. She regularly contributes to teaching and mentoring programs for medical students, junior doctors, and trainees of the Australasian Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine.

Application Procedure

Click on the ‘Enrol now’ button to be guided to the application form.

Course Fees?

Course Fee: AUD $550.00 (incl. GST)

Nurse/Allied Health Professional Discounted Fee*: AUD $275.00* (incl. GST)

For discounted group rates for hospitals, schools or clinics please contact us mobile-learning@unimelb.edu.au.

This course is online and you can commence anytime. You can complete this course in your own timeframe and most students will formally finish the course within a 12 month period.

Contact Us

E: mobile-learning@unimelb.edu.au

T: +61 3 8344 5673