Sexual dysfunction is common but often under-recognised or neglected after stroke. This study sought to identify the existing methods for providing information and discussion on post-stroke sexual activity, and perceived gaps from the patient perspective. A sample of 1265 participants who had been admitted to any of the four major public hospitals in Tasmania, Australia, with stroke (International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) group B70) were mailed a survey assessing their experiences with, and opinions about, receipt of post-stroke sexual activity education. One hundred and eighty-three participants (14.5%) responded; of these, 65% were male and the mean age was 69.1 years. The results indicated that, whilst over 30% or participants wanted to receive information related to post-stroke sexual activity, only a small proportion of participants (8.2%) had received this. In terms of the method of receiving this information, participants preferred to receive this from a doctor in a private discussion with or without their partner present. The delivery of post-stroke sexual activity information and education is inconsistent and fails to meet patient needs within major Tasmanian hospitals, highlighting the importance of developing sound, routine, post-stroke education and information processes.

Evidence suggests that it is challenging for universities to develop workplace-relevant content and curricula by themselves, and this can lead to suboptimal educational outcomes. This paper examines the development, implementation, and evaluation of Australia’s first tertiary graduate course in healthcare redesign, a partnership initiative between industry and university. The course not only provides students with an understanding of person-centered sustainable healthcare but also the skills and confidence to design, implement, and evaluate interventions to improve health service delivery. Increasing students’ application of new knowledge has been through work-integrated learning, a pedagogy that essentially integrates theory with the practice of workplace application within a purposely designed curriculum. The specific aim of this study was to examine the outcomes of the course after two years, utilizing an anonymous online survey of graduates. Sixty-two graduates (48%) completed the survey. Kirkpatrick’s four-level evaluation model was used to analyze the data. The analysis revealed high satisfaction levels in relation to the course content and delivery. Through successful completion of the innovative course, students had increased their knowledge of health system redesign methods and, importantly, the ability to translate that knowledge into everyday practice. Graduates of the clinical redesign course reported that they had been able to transfer their skills and knowledge to others in the workplace and lead further improvement projects.

Reablement is described as a goal directed intervention with a view to maintain or improve the independence of clients through "doing with, rather than doing for". As a relatively new concept in care, lack of specific skills in reablement is not uncommon, however, intrinsic values aligned with reablement are beneficial to organisations providing care and support to clients. The aim of this study is to develop a pre-employment questionnaire to assess readiness for a reablement approach to care as a step towards developing a reablement culture across organisations. A questionnaire based on activities of daily living (ADL), developed by the research team in consultation with a local community-based care organisation, was completed by 166 staff members at a community-based care organisation in Tasmania across several timepoints during and following reablement education sessions in 2018. The scores from these questionnaires were utilised to develop a questionnaire appropriate for determining readiness for reablement prior to employment within the organisation. Over a period of twelve months, a total of 407 Reablement Readiness Questionnaires were submitted by staff, indicating high levels of willingness to engage in reablement prior to and following the education sessions. Exploratory factor analyses were performed, and the construct validity and internal consistency of the emerging factors were assessed. An exploratory factor analysis indicated that ADL, in relation to reablement, consist of three dimensions-Lifestyle, My body and Connecting. The corresponding questions were subsequently built into an online questionnaire for pre-employment use. This questionnaire also has potential benefit in recruitment of staff to other community service organisations, to ascertain their readiness for reablement prior to beginning a variety of different roles within client care and support.

A challenge for providers of work-integrated learning courses is delivering a meaningful learning experience for students, while collaborating with organisations to ensure adequate support. Evaluating student experience has traditionally been about collecting feedback on teaching methods, course content and learning outcomes, rather than the educational influence of student interactions with people, places and systems at their workplace. The aim of this mixed-methods study was to evaluate the student experience within a workplace-integrated healthcare redesign postgraduate course and understand how it affects student learning. Ninety-nine graduates of the course completed an online bespoke survey indicating their levels of satisfaction with the course, including delivery, support and goal achievement. In addition, 10 graduates participated in semi-structured interviews where they shared their overall experience with the course, including barriers and enablers to completion, the balance between academic requirements and workplace responsibilities, and the influence of educators on their achievements. The results suggested that social interaction, communication, and knowledge and skills development were highly valued by students, and that resourcing, course structure and organisational support were significant factors that influenced student outcomes. Cross-discipline interaction and networking opportunities further enhanced student learning. Study findings indicated that a blended model of learning involving workplace project-based activity and traditional academic delivery provided meaningful, practice-relevant learning opportunities and enriched the student experience.