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Dr. Dianne Russell

Emeritus

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TEAM

Scientists

Biography

Dr. Dianne Russell has a background in kinesiology and advanced training in research methodology. She is an Associate Clinical Professor in the School of Rehabilitation Science at McMaster University. Dianne has been a key individual in the development, evaluation and dissemination of clinical outcome measures such as the Gross Motor Function Measure (GMFM). Dianne has been an investigator on several measurement and evaluation studies and on the development of a number of multi-media teaching tools for service providers. She has a keen interest in the area of knowledge translation and how research findings can be used effectively in clinical practice and policy decision-making.

Area of Focus

Rehabilitation medicine, pediatrics

Resources

Developing All About Outcomes, Part 1: Measuring clinical outcomes in children’s rehabilitation centres in Ontario

This project was the first of two studies designed to develop and test a computerized software program that would enable health service providers in children’s treatment centres to select the most appropriate outcome measure to use with individual clients and/or in program evaluations.

Caring About Caregivers

Through this research, we are investigating how various child and caregiver characteristics impact the health of primary, informal (unpaid) caregivers (usually parents).

STACK

In the STACK Study (which stands for Screening, Tracking and Assessing Coordination in Kids), students in Grades 4 to 8 in two school boards were screened to identify children who may have coordination difficulties.

“If I knew then what I know now” … Parents’ Reflections on Raising Children with Cerebral Palsy

Qualitative interviews with 9 parents participating in this study in order to learn from them about their experiences parenting a child with cerebral palsy from early childhood into young adulthood.

Guidelines on authorship of abstracts, presentations and papers

To provide a clear understanding of what constitutes ‘authorship’ and the order in which authors should be recorded.

What is the evidence of the effectiveness of strengthening for children with cerebral palsy aged 4-18 years?

Muscle weakness is commonly seen in children with cerebral palsy (CP) and can impact on their activities and participation in daily life situations.

Knowledge Brokering in Health Care

his Keeping Current provides an overview of the knowledge brokering literature and is intended to help researchers, service providers, managers and policy makers who are considering establishing knowle

GMFCS – E&R

The Gross Motor Function Measure (GMFM) is a clinical tool designed to evaluate change in gross motor function in children with cerebral palsy.

Quality of Upper Extremity Skills Test (QUEST)

The Quality of Upper Extremity Skills Test is an outcome measure designed to evaluate movement patterns and hand function in children with cerebral palsy.

Knowledge Broker

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of physical therapists, acting as Knowledge Brokers (KBs) within their own clinical facility to facilitate the clinical use of evidence-based measures of gross motor function for children with cerebral palsy.

Serial Casting in the Upper Extremity of Children with Cerebral Palsy

Serial casting is an intervention practice that is becoming more commonly used in occupational therapy (OT) practice, in addition to other treatment modalities/protocols for children with cerebral palsy to manage spasticity and related contractures.

Canadian child development organizations lead research in innovative supports for making practice changes based on evidence

Administrators in the study reported that knowledge brokering appears to be an efficient strategy for providing educational opportunities that enable integration of new ideas into everyday practice.

Knowledge Brokers: A Model To Support Evidence-Based Changes In Practice – Teleconference Summary –

This document summarizes the discussions had from a teleconference and outlines ways to support knowledge brokering in your organization.

Integrated Knowledge Translation in Childhood Disability: Engaging with Partners Throughout the Research Process

This reflection paper is intended to raise awareness and stimulate thinking about Integrated Knowledge Translation (iKT) and how one might engage with a range of partners to develop iKT strategies.

Knowledge Broker Study Report

Knowledge brokering is the process of “bringing people together, to help them build relationships, uncover needs, and share ideas and evidence that will let them do their jobs better.

Knowledge Translation Strategic Planning for CanChild 2013 – 2018

The CanChild team decided to strategic plan for their knowledge translation activities using a framework proposed by Holmes

Casts, Splints, and Orthoses – Upper Extremity Review of effectiveness literature for children with neurological disorders

Children who have a neurological condition, such as cerebral palsy or brain injury, often have difficulty moving their body. Muscle spasticity is one of the most common reasons for this difficulty.

Motor Growth Curves

GMFM scores of a sample of over 650 Ontario children with cerebral palsy with varying GMFCS levels have been used to create five Motor Growth Curves.

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