Aims Stroke is a leading cause of disability in Australia, having an associated decline in functional activities and socialization over time. This article discusses an exploration of stroke survivors' views on a stroke maintenance exercise group, and aims to provide insight into the long-term needs of this clinical group. Methods A qualitative study using open-ended, in-depth interviews was completed with a purposive sample of 10 long-term stroke survivors from two stroke maintenance exercise groups. Findings Thematic analysis of survivor's responses identified three common themes: further insight into difficulties post-stroke; group provision of exercise opportunity, information and social support; and outcomes of increased confidence, motivation and participation. Conclusions This study highlights the challenges faced by long-term stroke survivors and the value of programmes, such as this stroke maintenance exercise group, in facilitating community participation.

Typical models of stroke rehabilitation usually direct minimal resources for ongoing maintenance beyond discharge. However, there is increasing recognition of the benefits of community-based rehabilitation to maintain physical function and health in frail and disabled clients. A stroke maintenance exercise group was established to provide long-term care for stroke survivors. A pilot study was conducted to explore its effects compared with a traditional peer support group. Self-reported questionnaires, measuring daily task participation with the Home Functioning Questionnaire and quality of life with the EQ-5D, were utilised to compare twenty-two clients in the stroke maintenance exercise group and twenty-one in the peer support group. The results indicated that both these groups showed a significant increase with daily task participation over a 3-month period. However, no improvement was evident in either group on self-rated quality of life or health status, as measured by the EQ-5D. This pilot study suggests that both stroke maintenance exercise groups and peer support groups are effective with assisting long-term stroke survivors to improve participation in everyday activities. More research is recommended to further explore the long-term needs of this clinical group.

Purpose: This study investigated the perceived impact of a paired 5-week clinical placement on physiotherapy (PT) and physiotherapist assistant (PTA) students' skills. Students were supervised by a PT clinical instructor (CI), and a collaborative peer-coaching model was used. Method: Three pairs of PT and PTA students participated in concurrent paired placements incorporating the concepts of reciprocal peer coaching and the 2:1 model of supervision. Qualitative data were gathered using pre-and post-placement interviews and the participants' journals. Results: The participants reported that using this clinical education model increased their self-directed learning. This outcome was anticipated by the researchers with the incorporation of the 2:1 model of supervision. The post-placement interviews also indicated that there was informal teaching among students, as expected from the integration of reciprocal peer coaching. Participants reported an improvement in the students' competencies in communication, consultation, and assignment of tasks within the physiotherapy team. The students further reported an increase in their confidence with regard to their respective roles and an improvement in their ability to work effectively within the physiotherapy team. Conclusion: As indicated by the comments and reviews of the participants, pairing PT and PTA students on clinical placements and incorporating a collaborative peer-coaching model can result in improvements in the students' skills in communication, consultation, and assignment of tasks. Mots clé s : apprentissage collaboratif, é ducation clinique interdisciplinaire, enseignement par les pairs, physiothé rapeute adjoint, physiothé rapie 75

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Background: Increasing demand for allied health services is driving workforce redesign towards greater productivity within budgetary constraints. To date, there has been limited research into workforce redesign tools at an organisational level. The aim of this article was to evaluate an implementation of The Calderdale Framework for state-wide service delivery workforce redesign within allied health settings across Queensland. Method: A multi-phase methodology with mixed methods of data collection was used. This included analysis of documents, staff surveys, and semi-structured, in-depth interviews with staff from work units utilising the Framework across the state. Findings: The primary mechanisms for implementation were staff training and provision of centralised resources. Across the state, all health services engaged in training and most completed associated workforce redesign projects. However, the number and type of projects varied across the state as did the successful projects. Feedback from staff indicated the structured nature of the framework was viewed positively, but was time intensive to perform. Local contextual factors heavily influenced workforce redesign success. Conclusion: Key factors pertaining to state-wide workforce redesign include: providing coordinated and centralised systems to support staff, ensuring adequate training, prioritising the development of key local staff, and proactively managing local contextual factors.