Carers\u27 preferences for the delivery of therapy services for people with disability in rural Australia: Evidence from a discrete choice experiment

Background: The implementation of the Australian National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is expected to generate a responsive, person-centred system that will empower people with disability to choose the services and support they receive. However little attention has been paid to examine how users of the NDIS will choose and spend their individual budgets. This study aimed to determine quantitatively the relative importance that carers of people with a disability living in rural Australia place on different therapy service delivery characteristics. Methods: A stated preference discrete choice experiment (DCE) was incorporated into a survey of carers of people with disability living in rural Australia. Carers chose between therapy delivery services differing in attributes such as travel time to receive therapy, sector providing the service (i.e. Government, not-for-profit, private), out-of-pocket costs, person who delivers the therapy (therapist or other staff) and waiting time. Results: A total of 133 carers completed the DCE. The majority of respondents cared for a child with a disability (84%), the average age of the person they cared for was 17 years (SD 14.25). Participants expressed strong preferences for a short waiting time (0-3 months) to receive therapy services; services delivered by a therapist, no out of pocket cost and travelling up to 4 hours to receive a therapy session (p Conclusion: Carers of people with a disability in rural Australia exhibited strongest preferences for short waiting times (0-3 months). Therapy services that are delivered by therapy assistants or support workers will require careful introduction to achieve uptake and acceptability

Factors affecting retention of allied health professionals working with people with disability in rural New South Wales, Australia: discrete choice experiment questionnaire development

Objective: This paper describes the development of a discrete choice experiment (DCE) questionnaire to identify the factors (attributes) that allied health professionals (AHPs) working with people with disability identify as important to encouraging them to remain practising in rural areas. Methods: Focus groups and semi-structured interviews were conducted with 97 purposively selected service providers working with people with disability in rural New South Wales, Australia. Focus groups and interviews were digitally recorded, transcribed, and analysed using a modified grounded theory approach involving thematic analysis and constant comparison. Results: Six attributes that may influence AHPs working with people with disability in rural areas to continue to do so were inductively identified: travel arrangements, work flexibility, professional support, professional development, remuneration, and autonomy of practice. The qualitative research information was combined with a policy review to define these retention factors and ensure that they are amenable to policy changes. Conclusion: The use of various qualitative research methods allowed the development of a policy-relevant DCE questionnaire that was grounded in the experience of the target population (AHPs)

The Mass Assembly Histories of Galaxies of Various Morphologies in the GOODS Fields

We present an analysis of the growth of stellar mass with cosmic time partitioned according to galaxy morphology. Using a well-defined catalog of 2150 galaxies based, in part, on archival data in the GOODS fields, we assign morphological types in three broad classes (Ellipticals, Spirals, Peculiar/Irregulars) to a limit of z_AB=22.5 and make the resulting catalog publicly available. We combine redshift information, optical photometry from the GOODS catalog and deep K-band imaging to assign stellar masses. We find little evolution in the form of the galaxy stellar mass function from z~1 to z=0, especially at the high mass end where our results are most robust. Although the population of massive galaxies is relatively well established at z~1, its morphological mix continues to change, with an increasing proportion of early-type galaxies at later times. By constructing type-dependent stellar mass functions, we show that in each of three redshift intervals, E/S0's dominate the higher mass population, while spirals are favored at lower masses. This transition occurs at a stellar mass of 2--3 times 10^{10} Msun at z~0.3 (similar to local studies) but there is evidence that the relevant mass scale moves to higher mass at earlier epochs. Such evolution may represent the morphological extension of the ``downsizing'' phenomenon, in which the most massive galaxies stop forming stars first, with lower mass galaxies becoming quiescent later. We infer that more massive galaxies evolve into spheroidal systems at earlier times, and that this morphological transformation may only be completed 1--2 Gyr after the galaxies emerge from their active star forming phase. We discuss several lines of evidence suggesting that merging may play a key role in generating this pattern of evolution.Comment: 24 pages, 1 table, 8 figures, accepted for publication in Ap

Should I stay or should I go? Exploring the job preferences of allied health professionals working with people with disability in rural Australia

Introduction: The uneven distribution of allied health professionals (AHPs) in rural and remote Australia and other countries is well documented. In Australia, like elsewhere, service delivery to rural and remote communities is complicated because relatively small numbers of clients are dispersed over large geographic areas. This uneven distribution of AHPs impacts significantly on the provision of services particularly in areas of special need such as mental health, aged care and disability services. Objective: This study aimed to determine the relative importance that AHPs (physiotherapists, occupational therapists, speech pathologists and psychologists – “therapists”) living in a rural area of Australia and working with people with disability, place on different job characteristics and how these may affect their retention. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted using an online questionnaire distributed to AHPs working with people with disability in a rural area of Australia over a 3-month period. Information was sought about various aspects of the AHPs’ current job, and their workforce preferences were explored using a best–worst scaling discrete choice experiment (BWSDCE). Conditional logistic and latent class regression models were used to determine AHPs’ relative preferences for six different job attributes. Results: One hundred ninety-nine AHPs completed the survey; response rate was 51 %. Of those, 165 completed the BWSDCE task. For this group of AHPs, “high autonomy of practice” is the most valued attribute level, followed by “travel BWSDCE arrangements: one or less nights away per month”, “travel arrangements: two or three nights away per month” and “adequate access to professional development”. On the other hand, the least valued attribute levels were “travel arrangements: four or more nights per month”, “limited autonomy of practice” and “minimal access to professional development”. Except for “some job flexibility”, all other attributes had a statistical influence on AHPs’ job preference. Preferences differed according to age, marital status and having dependent children. Conclusions: This study allowed the identification of factors that contribute to AHPs’ employment decisions about staying and working in a rural area. This information can improve job designs in rural areas to increase retention

System Description: an Interface Between CLAM and HOL

. The CLaM proof planner has been interfaced to the HOL interactive theorem prover to provide the power of proof planning to people using HOL for formal verification, etc. The interface sends HOL goals to CLaM for planning and translates plans back into HOL tactics that solve the initial goals. The project homepage can be found at http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/Research/HVG/Clam.HOL/intro.html. 1 Introduction CLaM [2] is a proof planning system for Oyster, a tactic-based implementation of the constructive type theory of Martin-Lof. CLaM works by using formalized pre- and post-conditions of Oyster tactics as the basis of plan search. These specifications of tactics are called methods. When a plan for a goal is found, the expectation is that the resulting tactic will solve the goal. Experience shows that the search space for plans is often tractable: CLaM has been able to automatically plan many proofs. A particular emphasis of research with CLaM has been the automation of inductive proo..

The development of reading tests for use in a regularly spelled language.

Data are presented on the development of tests of reading skill in rural Tanzanian primary school pupils. Instruction in these schools is in Kiswahili, a regularly spelt language. Using a translation of a standard reading test, children could read aloud all words once they had learnt sound-letter correspondences, regardless of comprehension. In addition, children can appear to pass traditional comprehension tasks by decoding only some of the words. Three graded tests were developed which allow testing of children who either have only some letter knowledge, can read single words, or are proficient readers. The tests require children to both decode and understand the reading material in order to achieve high scores. The tests correlated well with scores on other educational achievement tests, and showed age and school grade differences. It is suggested that these tests are useful measures of reading development in a regularly spelt language. Adaptation to English and validation against standardised instruments is planned

ASD intervention research in real world contexts: Refining single case designs

Abstract: There is a pressing need for intervention research that reflects real world practice to support evidence based decision making for families, professionals and administrators who support children with ASD. Some of the challenges confronting intervention research are explored, with solutions offered based on single case design methodology. Challenges with single case designs are also outlined and contemporary solutions that are applicable in real world contexts are illustrated in a study by the authors. Research utilizing these strategies may assist with facilitating practitioners to engage in practice-based research to bridge the research to practice gap in intervention with young children with ASD