Episode 125 (A thematic analysis)

The ResearchWorks Podcast

Season 3 Wrap Up
Final episode of the season?!?
As Ash and Dayna reflect on this incredible year, we pull together some key themes of the episodes and the ever so wonderful and brilliant guests we have had on the show. We are so grateful for all of the researchers who so generously gave their time to help spread the word on the current state of science in the field. We have learnt so much and we hope you have had some great takeaways too!
In true Ash style, the qualitative researcher in her couldn’t help but to carry out a thematic analysis of the episodes in 2023. We love that she did that though - you can see the transdiagnostic approach really set in because of the common themes that run through so many different areas. We truly believe that if you can grasp all of the themes of the episodes this year, you can so easily translate this knowledge into your practice - staying up to date with the latest and waiting ever so hopefully for more to come.
In this episode, we talk about the powerhouses of the industry who joined us on the show. They are thought provokers for sure - titans of the industry with years of experience, extensive global collaborations and wisdom to impart to clinicians and researchers alike. These researchers include Professor Peter Rosenbaum, Professor Diane Damiano, Professor Andrew Whitehouse, Professor Mark Belgrove and Professor Laurent Servais and of course some of our returning guests which include Professor Ben Jackson, Dr Bhooma Aravamuthan, Dr Ros Ward and Ginny Paleg just to name a few. All of their messaging was around the importance of the ‘F-words’!
We as health professionals need to “be humble” as Bhooma so eloquently described and the real importance of being person centred was a common theme. Starting the season with Emily Prior and later Connor Johnstone truly reinforced this - both incredible young people with lived experience. It always comes down to the consumers and what a compelling reason to bring forth evidence based interventions and approaches. Their lives matter, their dreams matter - and again, the ‘F-words’ framework brings that home.
We loved our conversations with other thought provokers such as Associate Professor Daniel Navon regarding the sociological take on genetic testing (who asked us more questions then we of him!) and most recently Dr Jessica Stokes-Parish on the world of misinformation, disinformation and the value of debunking! (remember the CRABs mnemonic!)
Then there was the whole theme of brain activation and mobility - we loved talking about the functional MRI results with Dr Yannick Bleyenhueff and that self-initiation is vital! More than just the talk about dosage and the number of hours children engage in therapy - it is about ensuring that the right ingredients are in the intervention. This led nicely into a little series with Andrina Sabet, Dr Heather Feldner and Dr Sam Logan on mobility as a human right. For Dayna, as a clinician, this whole area was incredibly exciting. We now have these papers to reference and use as a resource when we have to advocate for change.
Then we just talked about our highlights and what a highlight reel too! Going international and bringing the podcast to EACD in Slovenia was an amazing experience. We loved meeting so many people and the opportunity to help bring their work into the broader community.
Also, our very first Minister visit with the Honourable Bill Shorten was a highlight for sure. The clinic and our studio was a hive of activity and it was so encouraging to hear the Minister describe the value of evidence based practice and that it is be the way forward for a sustainable scheme.
That was 2023! We are so excited for what 2024 holds! We look forward to meeting more of you at EACD in Bruge and AusACPDM in Cairns in 2024. Have a wonderful holiday season and we will talk to you again soon!