The ASPA Physical Activity in Healthcare SIG is hosting a webinar and bringing together an expert panel representing diverse healthcare disciplines to discuss the question “is it feasible for all healthcare professions to promote physical activity?”.

The webinar will begin with a presentation from Emily Lehman, PhD candidate from The University of Queensland, who will present the consensus-based competencies for clinicians promoting physical activity in healthcare, developed from a recently published Delphi study.

Emily’s presentation will be followed by a panel discussion with audience Q&A which will explore and reflect on the feasibility of promoting physical activity in healthcare across different disciplines and settings. Attendees will be invited to ask panel members questions on the topic, which can be submitted prior to, as well as during the webinar. The panel includes healthcare professionals who are leaders in their disciplines, representing occupational therapy, general medical practice, exercise physiology, and nursing.

Event co-chairs:

• Associate Professor Nicole Freene: University of Canberra (Physical Activity in Healthcare SIG Co-Chair)
• Tahlia Alsop: The University of Queensland

Presentation ‘What should all health professionals know about movement behaviour change? An international Delphi-based consensus statement’

• Emily Lehman, The University of Queensland

Panel members

• Dr Merrill Turpin: Senior Lecturer in Occupational Therapy, The University of Queensland
• Associate Professor Emma Beckman: Vice President, Exercise and Sports Science Australia
• Dr John Vaughan, OAM: Supervisor Liaison Officer, Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP)
• Ms Bronwyn Jennings: Cancer Nurses Society of Australia (CNSA): Chair of Gynaecology Specialist Practice Network, Mater Hospital Brisbane

Speaker Bios

Bronwyn Jennings

Bronwyn Jennings is the Gynaecology Oncology Clinical Nurse consultant at the Mater Hospital Brisbane, Australia. She is a member of the Cancer Nurses Society of Australia (CNSA) and chairs the Gynae oncology Specialist Practice Network. Her main research interests include patient reported outcome measures, post-treatment (survivorship) care, and nurse-led models of care. Her primary focus is to develop individualised innovative streamlined models of care for women across metropolitan, regional, and remote areas.

Emily Lehman

Emily Lehman is a dedicated researcher currently pursuing a PhD at the University of Queensland, with her research focusing on pre-professional health student training in the delivery of physical activity behaviour change. With a background that includes a Master of Public Health in Health Promotion and a Bachelor of Clinical Exercise Physiology, Emily has cultivated a robust skill set through collaboration with multidisciplinary researchers and hands-on experience in the allied health industry. Passionate about health promotion and public health, she is committed to making meaningful contributions to the health landscape, both in Australia and on an international scale.

Emma Beckman

Dr Emma Beckman is a Teaching and Research academic at the University of Queensland. Emma is passionate about engaging in research to improve the lives of people with a disability through sports, physical activity, and exercise. Following a master’s degree in Adapted physical activity, Emma completed her PhD in strength assessment for classification in Para Sport. She is currently a co-investigator in the UQ IPC Classification Research Partnership, and an internationally accredited classifier in Para Athletics. Dr Beckman is an accredited Exercise Physiologist, Accredited Sport Scientist and is currently the Vice President of Exercise and Sport Science Australia (ESSA).

John Vaughan

Dr John Vaughan is a General Practitioner and has been a supervisor of medical students and GP registrars for over 30 years. Dr Vaughan was awarded an Order of Australia Medal in 2020 for his service to medicine and Surf Life Saving. Dr Vaughan’s professional interests include preventive healthcare, rural, remote, and Indigenous health, he is also an avid proponent of exercise as an essential component of health.

Merrill Turpin

Dr Turpin’s research centres on the clinical/professional reasoning of occupational therapists across the spectrum of experience from new graduates to experts, as well as the subjective experiences of people with disabilities. She specialises in the use of qualitative research methods and uses a variety of qualitative research methods in her own research, as well as advising others on these research methods. Dr Turpin has written books and book chapters on occupational therapy models of practice, evidence-based practice, and clinical reasoning, as well as publications on various aspects of people's experience. Dr Turpin is a teaching and research academic at The University of Queensland. The connection between theory and practice is central to her research and teaching. Because occupational therapists attend to both thinking and experience, they need to use rigorous thinking and a deep understanding of human experience in their practice.

Tahlia Alsop

Tahlia is a physiotherapist with a particular interest in neurological rehabilitation and a research officer at the Health & Wellbeing Centre for Research Innovation at the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia. Tahlia’s research explores physical activity and sedentary behaviour across a range of populations, with a particular focus on adults in inpatient settings. With diverse clinical experience across various healthcare settings and systems, she has developed a keen interest in the multilevel influences on the practices and perspectives of health professionals in the delivery of movement behaviour change support in their routine clinical practice.

Members can view the recording of the webinar below. Please ensure you are logged into your ASPA account in order to view.