Amanda Timmer

Position: Lecturer
Discipline: Occupational Therapy 
Location: Gippsland Campus, Room 5N-119
Phone: (03) 5122 6258
Email: a.timmer@federation.edu.au

Qualifications

  • Doctor of Philosophy - Central Queensland University - 2018
  • Master of Occupational Therapy - University of South Australia - 2006
  • Bachelor of Applied Science (Occupational Therapy) - La Trobe University - 1990

Teaching

Programs

  • Bachelor of Occupational Therapy (Honours)

Courses

  • Health Professional Research 1 (NHPHS2101)
  • Health Professional Research 2 (NHPHS2102)

Biography

Amanda is an occupational therapist with over 30 years’ experience working in adult rehabilitation in private and public hospital settings. Amanda joined Federation University in 2021 to work with the occupational therapy team to deliver the newly created Bachelor in Occupational Therapy (Honours) program. She currently coordinates the undergraduate allied health research subjects, delivering the course to students from occupational therapy, physiotherapy, and speech pathology programs.

Amanda has previously held voluntary positions with Occupational Therapy Australia, including coordinating special interest groups, convening state conferences and chairing the Victorian Divisional Council.

Areas of expertise

(1) Hospital Associated Deconditioning

Amanda’s doctoral studies involved the development and testing of an occupational therapy rehabilitation intervention for older adults with hospital associated deconditioning. This involved examining current practice internationally through a systematic review and a national Delphi study. The results of this research were used to develop an occupation-based rehabilitation intervention and the effectiveness was tested conducting a randomised controlled trial in the hospital setting with occupational therapy staff. The resulting publications and conference presentations were shared internationally.

(2) Outcome measurement

Following the completion of her PhD, Amanda and her co-researchers were awarded a grant from the Ramsay Research Foundation, to develop a standard set of outcome measures to evaluate participation in rehabilitation. An investigation into the responsiveness of these outcome measures was completed at one rehabilitation hospital. This led to work at a national level to implement the set of outcome measures across 32 Ramsay Health Care (RHC) hospitals currently providing rehabilitation services. Standard outcome measure data across all health domains is now being collected for every patient completing rehabilitation at RHC, improving the health care systems and clinical practice.

(3) Evidence based rehabilitation

Amanda is passionate about research with direct clinical application. She has a strong commitment to enabling clinicians to understand and use evidence in their clinical practice. This is demonstrated through her publications and conference presentations. With significant experience in the clinical setting and involvement in conducting research in a clinical setting, Amanda appreciates the support required for clinicians to use and develop evidence through research and is well placed to supervise higher degree research.

Research interests

  • Measuring health outcomes
  • Hospital Associated Deconditioning
  • Evidence based rehabilitation

Supervision

Available for supervision of masters and PhD students.

Publications

Refereed journal articles

Alderdice, E., Wolfe, D., Timmer, A. J., & Unsworth, C. A. (2022). Use of the AusTOMs-OT to record outcomes in an occupational therapy homeless service. British Journal of Occupational Therapy, 85(9), 669–676.

Unsworth, C.A., Baker, A., Brito, S., Das Neves, B., Dickson, N., Gohil, A., Kahandawa, G., Naweed, A., & Timmer, A. (2022). Views of American and Australian mobility device users and ambulant bus users regarding occupant restraint systems on public buses. Journal of Transport and Health. 25, 101380

Unsworth, C., Dickerson, A., Gélinas, I., Harries, P., Margot-Cattin, I., Mazer, B., Stapleton, T., Swanepoel, L., Timmer, A., Van Niekerk, L. & Vrkljan, B., (2021). Linking people and activities through community mobility: an international comparison of the mobility patterns of older drivers and non-drivers. Ageing & Society, 1-26.

Timmer, A. J., Unsworth, C. A., & Browne, M. (2020). Occupational therapy and activity pacing with hospital-associated deconditioned older adults: a randomised controlled trial. Disability and Rehabilitation, 42(12), 1727-1735.

Timmer, A. J., Unsworth, C. A., & Browne, M. (2019). A randomized controlled trial protocol investigating effectiveness of an activity-pacing program for deconditioned older adults. Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy, 86(2), 136-147.

Unsworth, C. A., Timmer, A., & Wales, K (2018). Reliability of the Australian Therapy Outcome Measures for Occupational Therapy (AusTOMs‐OT). Australian Occupational Therapy Journal, 65(5), 376-386.

Timmer, A. J., Unsworth, C. A., & Taylor, N. F. (2015). Occupational therapy inpatient rehabilitation interventions with deconditioned older adults following an acute hospital admission: A Delphi study. Australian Occupational Therapy Journal 62(1),41-49.

Timmer, A. J., Unsworth, C. A., & Taylor, N. F. (2014). Rehabilitation interventions with deconditioned older adults following an acute hospital admission: a systematic review. Clinical Rehabilitation 28(11), 1078-1086.

Refereed conference proceedings

De Cata, L., Pound, E., & Timmer, A. (2022). Enhancing the occupational therapy orthopaedic spinal program: Practical applications of evidence-based practice. National OT Exchange Conference. Melbourne, June

Timmer, A., Schache, M., Haig, J., & French, D. (2021). Measuring patient change during rehabilitation-the establishment of a national outcome measure database and preliminary data analysis. National Allied Health Conference. Australia, August

Schache, M., Timmer, A., & Unsworth, C. (2021). Measuring patient change during rehabilitation-the responsiveness of a standard set of outcome measures. National Allied Health Conference. Australia, August

McNeill, M., & Timmer, A. (2020). Activate - A new multidisciplinary Oncology Outpatient Program. National OT Exchange-Virtual Conference, Australia, July.

Timmer, A. (2019). Activity pacing for deconditioned older adults in sub-acute care. National Occupational Therapy Conference, Sydney, July.

De Cata, L., & Timmer, A. (2019). Are you tired of not sleeping? A novel approach to addressing sleep as an occupation in sub-acute care. National Occupational Therapy Conference, Sydney, July.

Condron, C., Stubenrauch, C., & Timmer, A. (2017). Enhancing the student evaluation process: a framework for consumer inclusion. National Occupational Therapy Conference, Perth, July.

Stubenrauch, C., & Timmer, A. (2017). Bridging the gap between students’ theoretical knowledge and clinical reasoning during professional practice placements. National Occupational Therapy Conference, Perth, July.

Timmer, A., & Unsworth, C. (2017). Activity pacing with deconditioned older adults: defining and articulating an occupation-focused approach to reconditioning in sub-acute care. National Occupational Therapy Conference, Perth, July.

Timmer, A. (2017). Introducing the Australian Therapy Outcome Measures-Occupational Therapy (AusTOMs-OT) into a subacute setting and analysis of the first 6 months data. National Occupational Therapy Conference, Perth, July.

Brown, D., & Timmer, A. (2016). Where is the occupation in a multidisciplinary back pain program? Victorian Occupational Therapy Conference, Melbourne, July.

Pound, E., White, M., & Timmer, A. (2015) Computer assisted visual retraining post stroke. National Occupational Therapy Conference, Melbourne, July

Timmer, A. (2015). Inpatient rehabilitation with deconditioned older adults: a Delphi study regarding occupational therapy service delivery and interventions. National Occupational Therapy Conference, Melbourne, July

Timmer, A. (2014). Reconditioning interventions in a rehabilitation setting: a systematic review. World Federation Occupational Therapy Conference (WFOT), Japan, July

Associations

  • AHPRA registered Occupational Therapist
  • Occupational Therapy Australia