FREE EXTERNAL RESOURCES
Free online learning modules
The University of Melbourne Centre for Health, Exercise and Sports Medicine offers free online learning modules including the three below, with further clinician resources availabe at healthsciences.unimelb.edu.au.
- Taking Control of Your Hip and Knee Osteoarthritis
- Physiotherapy Exercise and Physical Activity for Knee Osteoarthritis (PEAK)
- EduWeight: Weight Management for Adult Patients with Chronic Disease
Future Learn offer free online training courses of interest to physiotherapists:
- Cognitive Behavioural Skills to Treat Back Pain: The Back Skills Training (BeST) Programme
- Improving Healthcare Through Clinical Research
- Clinical Supervision: Planning Your Professional Development
E-learnSCI.org have produced a number of free on-line learning modules which cover the basic management of individuals after spinal cord injury
RAP-el is a free e-learning module for practising physiotherapy who want to improve their disease knowledge and clinical practice skills to optimally manage patients with rheumatoid arthritis
American Medical Society for Sports Medicine has produced a case study teaching tool to be used by medical professionals to support clinical reasoning and differential diagnosis in sports medicine.
The Goodfellow Unit provides a wide range of courses for healthcare professionals working in primary care using peer reviewed evidence based content. Online modules are endorsed by the New Zealand College of General Practitioners. Some of the content is of interest to physiotherapists.
NHS wales have produced a series of online learning modules to support CPD in General Practice. Some of the content will be of interest to physiotherapists
The Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre
at the University of Tasmania currently offers two free online courses for understanding and preventing dementia.
Apps
Available on the Apple App Store, My Exercise Messages is a free and easy to use app designed by the University of Melbourne to support people with osteoarthritis (chronic lower limb joint pain) stick to regular exercise.
Podcasts
The Physiomatters podcast developed by Jack Chew - UK based extended scope physiotherapist and owner of Chews Health discusses contemporary issues in physiotherapy practice alongside industry experts.
ClinicalEdge podcast developed by Australian Physiotherapist David Pope discusses the assessment and management of common musculoskeletal disorders with industry experts.
Pain Reframed podcast hosted by Dr Tim Flyn (PT) and Dr Jeff Moore (PT) explores issues related to pain and pain management interviewing US-based and international multidisciplinary experts
Please see the 'research resources' page on the PNZ website for academic podcasts from Cochrane, BJSM and more
Cultural Competence
Cross Cultural resource kit. This is currently free to employers of ADHB CMDHB and WaitemataDHB. People from other regions can access some of the resource for a fee.
Falls Prevention
The Health Quality and Safety Commission New Zealand have provided information entitled the ‘10 topics in reducing harm from falls’.
Neuroscience Research Australia (NeuRA) provides information on research and knowledge in the area of falls, balance and neurodegeneration.
Western Sydney Health District has produced a leaflet with 4 basic balance exercises for seniors which physiotherapists may want to provide to their patients. Available under 'Healthy older people' and 'Balance and Strength Fridge Magnet'.
Fragility Fractures
Orthogeriatics textbook (open access) - The Management of Older Patients with Fragility Fractures
Respiratory Health
The Asthma and Respiratory Foundation NZ provide a range of free resources relating to respiratory health
Paediatrics
Starship offer clinical guidelines for paediatric health professionals.
The Victoria State Government have paediatric orthopaedic resources for health professionals.
AUT Sports Performance Research Institute New Zealand has a Keeping Kiwi Kids Sportsmart Infographic.
Parent Project Muscular Dystropy provide resources for health care providers working with patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
Can Child provide a range of resources for healthcare professionals working with children.
The Child Development and Rehabilitation website provides an enormous range of useful resources for healthcare professionals working in paediatric settings.
The Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology Journal is available open access from the American Academy for Cerebral Palsy and Developmental Medicine
The Cerebral Palsy Foundation provide information and useful resources related to cerebral palsy.
Evidence to your inbox
The Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) publishes regular newsletters summarising the latest high-quality research evidence related to physiotherapy practice. Sign up to the regular newsletter to get emails of physiotherapy research relevant to your specialist area of practice.
Research review provides a summary of the latest research alongside expert commentary of how the research may apply to a New Zealand context. The reviews cover a range of areas including rehabilitation, neurology, respiratory medicine, digital health, Maori Health, hip and knee, and much more.
PATIENT EDUCATION RESOURCES
Pain management
Retrain Pain was founded by three US based physical therapist who teamed up to create an organisation devoted to free online pain education. The online learning modules for patients are designed for brevity and to simply a complex topic into bite sized chunks.
PainTrainer is an interactive, online programme based on scientific research that teaches patients effective strategies to manage their pain.
painHEALTH has been developed through the Department of Health, Western Australia, in collaboration with Curtin University, the University of Western Australia and the Musculoskeletal Health Network. The aim of the website is to help health consumers with musculoskeletal pain access reliable and usable evidence-informed information and skills to assist in the co-management of their musculoskeletal pain.
MSK Self-Management Resources include a list of patient education and self-help resources compiled by Dr Jonathan Hill as part of the 'Back-UP' project.
Mental Health
Computer assisted learning for the mind (CALM )is a good resource for patients in supporting them to manage stress anxiety and depression.
Smiling Mind is a not for profit organisation aimed at supporting children and young people to realise benefits from regular mindfulness practice.
Research to your inbox
www.researchreview.co.nz - You can become a member of research review and receive updated research information within multiple . Research Review publications identify the most important 'practice changing' research and provide a free regular summary to health professionals together with comments from a leading specialist in the area identifying the local implications of that research.
The Physiotherapy Evidence Database allows you to sign up and receive regular emails of clinical practice guidelines, systematic reviews and clinical trials for a range of physiotherapy specialties to which users can subscribe.
Cauda Equina Syndrome
The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy have published an educational video regarding Cauda Equina Syndrome and a credit card resource for physiotherapists to hand out to patients with the Cauda Equina warning signs.
Auckland DHB Patient Education Resources
Education videos for physiotherapists and patients created by Auckland District Health Board.
Page updated February 2024