ABOUT THIS PROJECT
This website has been developed as part of research being conducted by Nicole Grant, an Occupational Therapist and doctoral (PhD) student from the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, at The University of Queensland, Australia. This project is being supervised by Professor Sylvia Rodger (BOccThy., MEdSt., PhD, FAOTA) and Associate Professor Tammy Hoffmann (BOccThyHons, PhD). The project is aimed at helping parents of children newly diagnosed with autism to make intervention decisions. The project is due for completion in late 2014.
This website was created to comply with The International Patient Decision Aid Standards (http://ipdas.ohri.ca/) and the DISCERN evaluation tool for consumer health information (http://www.discern.org.uk/discern_instrument.php). It’s currently in its trial phase. Your feedback and suggestions are very welcome.
Any questions regarding the project can be directed to nicole.grant@uqconnect.edu.au or s.rodger@uq.edu.au.
Acknowledgements
First and foremost, thank you to those parents who were involved in the surveys, focus groups and interviews undertaken in the lead up to the development of this website. Their generosity and sharing of their time, stories and ideas has been integral to the development of this site. If anyone finds this website at all helpful, it will be because of them.
For their expertise and assistance with content and questionnaire development:
Professor Sylvia Rodger, The University of Queensland Associate Professor Tammy Hoffmann, The University of Queensland and the Centre for Research in Evidence-Based Practice, Bond University Professor Jacqueline Roberts, Griffith University Professor Margot Prior, The University of MelbourneFor provision of funding in support of Nicole’s candidature:
Professor Cheryl Dissanayake, The Olga Tennison Autism Research CentreFor their assistance with concept development, information gathering, technical expertise and data entry:
Mr Justin Grant Mrs Donna Joosten Ms Kristena Lowry Mr Dominic Turner-Jones
For their feedback regarding the content and function of the site during the pre-trial period:
Mrs Ngaire Stirling Ms Helen Wilkins Dr Fiona Jones Dr Ann Kennedy-Behr
For her assistance with content editing:
Dana Flannery Hayes, www.talkaboutcreative.com.au
Website developed by IT2K/Website Blue
Additional website support provided by LBM Designs
FUNDING DECLARATION
Major sponsor Springfree Trampoline contributed significantly to the project, along with a number of independent businesses and individuals who generously donated funds. Without their contribution, this website would not have come to fruition. These site sponsors are acknowledged here.
Additional expenses associated with the development, hosting, and ongoing management of the website are self-funded. The author and site owner is the owner/ manager of Gateway Therapies, a private paediatric therapy practice in Brisbane, Australia.
References:
Elwyn, G., O’Connor, A., Stacey, D., Volk, R., Edwards, A., Coulter, A., Thomson, R., Barratt, A., Barry, M., Bernstein, S., Butow, P., Clarke, A., Entwistle, V., Feldman-Stewart, D., Holmes-Rovner, M., Llewellyn-Thomas, H., Moumjid, N., Mulley, A., Ruland, C., Sepucha, K., Sykes, A., & Whelan, T., on behalf of the International Patient Decision Aids Standards (IPDAS) Collaboration. Developing a quality criteria framework for patient decision aids: online international Delphi consensus process. BMJ 2006 Aug 26;333(7565):417.
Charnock, D., Shepperd, S., Needham, G. & Gann, R. (1999) DISCERN: an instrument for judging the quality of written consumer health information on treatment choices. J Epidemiol Community Health, 53:2 105-111.
