Publications by authors named "James Gerrard"

Background: Collective evaluation of studies assessing students' self-perceived cultural capability following clinical placement is required to help inform future cultural capability training for both university and healthcare service environments. Therefore, the aim of this systematic review was to evaluate studies investigating health professional students' self-perceived cultural capability following participation in a clinical placement with First Nations Peoples.

Methods: Electronic database searchers were conducted in MEDLINE, EMBASE, AMED, PsychINFO, Pubmed, CINAHL and Informit.

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Background: Globally, diabetes affects approximately 500 million people and is predicted to affect up to 700 million people by 2045. In Australia, the ongoing impact of colonization produces inequity in health care delivery and inequality in health care outcomes for First Nations Peoples, with diabetes rates 4 times those of non-Indigenous Australians. Evidence-based clinical practice has been shown to reduce complications of diabetes-related foot disease, including ulceration and amputation, by 50%.

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Regular physical activity is an important component of diabetes management. However, there are limited data on the habitual physical activity of people with or at risk of diabetes-related foot complications. The aim of this study was to describe the habitual physical activity of people with or at risk of diabetes-related foot complications in regional Australia.

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Background: Ongoing colonisation produces inequity in healthcare delivery and inequality in healthcare outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples. As a consequence, within the domain of lower limb health, foot disease has severe impacts for First Nations Peoples. Central to developing culturally safe healthcare and driving positive foot health change for First Nations Peoples, is the need for health professionals to develop understanding of First Nations perspectives of foot health.

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Background: Developing since colonisation, Australia's healthcare system has dismissed an ongoing and successful First Nations health paradigm in place for 60,000 years. From Captain James Cook documenting 'very old' First Nations Peoples being 'far more happier than we Europeans' and Governor Arthur Phillip naming Manly in admiration of the physical health of Gadigal men of the Eora Nation, to anthropologist Daisy Bates' observation of First Nations Peoples living 'into their eighties' and having a higher life expectancy than Europeans; our healthcare system's shameful cultural safety deficit has allowed for an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander child born in Australia today to expect to live 9 years less than a non-Indigenous child. Disproportionately negative healthcare outcomes including early onset diabetes-related foot disease and high rates of lower limb amputation in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples contribute to this gross inequity.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study aimed to compare the effectiveness of heel lifts versus calf muscle eccentric exercise in treating mid-portion Achilles tendinopathy.
  • Conducted at La Trobe University with 100 participants, the study measured improvement through the VISA-A questionnaire after 12 weeks.
  • Results showed heel lifts led to a greater improvement in VISA-A scores (mean difference of 9.6 points) than eccentric exercises, but the difference was not significant enough to confirm a clinically meaningful advantage.
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Background: The effect of different orthotic materials on plantar pressures has not been systematically investigated. This study aimed to review and summarise the findings from studies that have evaluated the effect of orthotic materials on plantar pressures.

Methods: We conducted a systematic review of experimental studies that evaluated the effect of foot orthotic materials or shoe insole materials on plantar pressures using in-shoe testing during walking.

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Background: Corticosteroid injection is frequently used for plantar heel pain (plantar fasciitis), although there is limited high-quality evidence to support this treatment. Therefore, this study reviewed randomised trials to estimate the effectiveness of corticosteroid injection for plantar heel pain.

Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised trials that compared corticosteroid injection to any comparator.

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Background: Plantar heel pain is a common foot complaint that causes significant disability and poorer health-related quality of life. Foot orthoses and corticosteroid injection are effective treatments for plantar heel pain; however, it is unclear whether one is more effective than the other.

Objective: The aim of this trial was to compare the effectiveness of foot orthoses and corticosteroid injection for plantar heel pain.

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Increasing preferred step rate during running is a commonly used strategy in the management of running-related injuries. This study investigated the effect of different step rates on plantar pressures during running. Thirty-two healthy runners ran at a comfortable speed on a treadmill at five step rates (preferred, ±5%, and ±10%).

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