Staff profile

Dr Megan Davidson

Head of Department of Physiotherapy, Associate Professor

Faculty of Health Sciences

School of Allied Health
Department of Physiotherapy

Melbourne (Bundoora)

 

Qualifications

PhD La Trobe University. BAppSc(Physio) Curtin University of Technology. CertAcupuncture Nanjing College of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Membership of professional associations

Member of the Australian Physiotherapy Association and the Council of Physiotherapy Deans, Australia and New Zealand

Area of study

Physiotherapy

Research interests

Back and Neck Pain

- Outcome measures, spinal pain, rehabilitation, education

Teaching units

HLT2IEP Integrating Evidence into Practice (2nd year Physiotherapy)

ALH1BAD Bad Science (1st year elective - all welcome)

 

Recent publications

Articles in peer-reviewed journals

Richards, M.C., Ford, J.J., Thompson, S.L., Hahne, A.J., Surkitt, L.D., Davidson, M. & McMeeken, J.M. (2013). The effectiveness of physiotherapy functional restoration for post-acute low back pain: a systematic review. Manual Therapy 18:4-25.

Davidson, M. & Keating, J. (2012). Patient-reported outcomes: Interpreting reports of measurement properties. British Journal of Sports Medicine. Online First.

Pizzari, T. & Davidson, M. (2012). Occupational physiotherapy may achieve better outcomes than usual physiotherpay for transport accident claimants. Physiotherapy Research International. DOI 10.1002/pri.1533

Iles, R., Taylor, N., Davidson, M. & O'Halloran, P. (2012). Patient recovery expectations in non-chronic non-specific low back pain: A qualitative investigation. Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine 44: 781-787.

Dalton, M., Davidson, M. & Keating, J. (2012). The Assessment of Physiotherapy Practice (APP) is a reliable measure of professional competence of Physiotherapy students: a reliability study. Journal of Physiotherapy 58(1): 49-56.

Dalton, M., Davidson, M. & Keating, J. (2011). The Assessment of Physiotherapy Practice (APP) is a valid measure of professional competence of Physiotherapy students: a cross-sectional study with Rasch analysis. Journal of Physiotherapy 57(4): 239-246.

Iles, R., Taylor, N., Davidson, M. & O’Halloran, P. (2011). Telephone coaching can increase activity levels for people with non-chronic low back pain: a randomised controlled trial. Journal of Physiotherapy 54(4): 231-238.

de Morton, N.A., Davidson, M. & Keating, J.L. (2011). Reliability of the de Morton Mobility Index (DEMMI) in an older acute medical population. Physiotherapy Research International. 16:1 DOI 10.1002/pri.493 (

Davidson, M. & de Nardis, R. (2011). A 12-item symptom severity rating scale for cervical spine dysfunction. Spine March 1 online

Holden, J., Davidson, M. & Tan, J. (2010). Can the Fear-Avoidance Beliefs Questionnaire predict work status in people with work-related musculoskeletal disorders? Jnl of Back and Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation 23(4):201-208. DOI 10.3233/BMR-2010-0268

de Morton, N.A., Davidson, M. & Keating, J.L. (2010). Validity, responsiveness to change and the minimally clinically important difference for the de Morton Mobility Index (DEMMI) in an older acute medical population. BMC Geriatrics 10:72 doi:10.1186/1471-2318-10-72

Davidson, M. & Iles, R. (2010). Evidence-based practice in physiotherapy. In: P. Liamputtong  (ed.) Research methods in health: A practical guide for the health professions. Oxford University Press.

Davidson, M. (2009). Rasch analysis of 24, 18 and 11-item versions of the Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire. Quality of Life Research. DOI: 10.1007/s11136-009-9456-4.

Iles, R. A., Davidson, M., Taylor, N. F. & O’Halloran, P. (2009) Systematic review of the ability of recovery expectations to predict outcomes in non-chronic non-specific low back pain. Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation DOI 10.1007/s10926-008-9161-0 

Keating, J., Dalton, M. & Davidson, M. (2009). Assessment in clinical education. In: C. Delaney & Molloy, E. (eds) Clinical education: Evidence, practice and understanding. Sydney:Elsevier. Pp147-172.

Davidson, M., Smith, R. & Stone, N. (2009). Interprofessional education: Sharing the wealth. In: C. Delaney & Molloy, E. Clinical education: Evidence, practice and understanding. Sydney: Elsevier. Pp 70-91.

Davidson, M. (2009). Functional Capacity Evaluation. In. Kumar, S. (Ed.) Ergonomics for rehabilitation professionals. Boca Raton, Fl:CRC Press. pp 507-544.

Davidson, M., Keating, J.L. & Hamer, P. (2009). Evaluation of physiotherapy practice. In. Higgs, J., Smith, M., Webb, G., Skinner, M. & Croker, A. (eds) Contexts of Physiotherapy Practice. Sydney: Elsevier Churchill Livingstone. Pp313-326.

de Morton, N.A., Davidson, M. & Keating, J.L. (2008). The de Morton Mobility Index (DEMMI): An essential health index for an ageing world. Health and Quality of Life Outcomes. 6:63.

Iles, R.A., Davidson, M. & Taylor, N. F. (2008). A systematic review of psychosocial predictors of failure to return to work in non-chronic non-specific low back pain. Occupational and Environmental Medicine. 65:507-517.

Davidson, M., Smith, R., Dodd, K., Smith, J. & O’Loughlan, M. (2008). Interprofessional pre-qualification clinical education: A systematic review. Australian Health Review. 32 (1): 111-120.

de Morton, N.A., Keating, J.L. & Davidson, M. (2008). Rasch analysis of the Barthel Index in the assessment of hospitalised older patients following admission for an acute medical condition. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. 89(4):641-647.

Davidson, M. (2008). Rasch analysis of three versions of the Oswestry Disability Questionnaire. Manual Therapy 13(3): 222-231.

Davidson, M. & de Morton N (2007). A systematic review of the Human Activity Profile. Clinical Rehabilitation, 21: 151-162.

Iles, R. & Davidson, M (2006). Evidence based practice: A survey of physiotherapists' current practice. Physiotherapy Research International. 11(2), 93-103.

Abrams, D., Davidson, M., Harrick, J., Harcourt, P. & Zylinski, M. (2006). Monitoring the change: Current trends in outcome measure usage in physiotherapy. Manual Therapy 11:46-53.

Keating, JL, Kent, P, Davidson M, Duke R, McKinnon, L, De Nardis, R (2005) Predicting short term response and non-response to neck strengthening exercise for chronic neck pain. Journal of Whiplash and Related Disorders 4 (1): 41-53.

Davidson, M. & Keating J (2005). Oswestry Disability Questionnaire (ODQ). Australian Journal of Physiotherapy 51, 270.

Davidson, M. (2005). Clinical education and evidence-based practice. In M.Rose & D. Best (Eds.) Transforming practice through clinical education, professional supervision and mentoring. Edinburgh: Elsevier. pp175-184.

Davidson, M. & Best, D. (2005). Domains of teaching and learning Part 3 Attitudes. In M.Rose & D. Best (Eds.) Transforming practice through clinical education, professional supervision and mentoring. Edinburgh: Elsevier. pp 111 – 120.

Davidson, M., Keating, J.L. & Eyres, S. (2004). A low back specific version of the SF-36 Physical Functioning scale. Spine, 29(5), 586-594. 

Davidson, M. (2002). The interpretation of diagnostic tests: A primer for physiotherapists. Australian Journal of Physiotherapy, 48, 227-232.

Davidson, M. & Keating, J.L. (2002). A comparison of five low back disability questionnaires: Reliability and responsiveness. Physical Therapy, 82(1), 8-24. 

Freeman, J., Morris, M., Davidson, M. & Dodd, K. (2002). Outcome measures to quantify the effects of physical therapy for people with multiple sclerosis. Neurology Report, 26(3), 139-144.

Davidson, M. (2000). Limited/inconclusive evidence for acupuncture treatment of chronic pain. Australian Journal of Physiotherapy 46, 239.

 

Book Chapters:

 Davidson, M. & Iles, R. (2010). Evidence-based practice in physiotherapy. In: P. Liamputtong(ed.) Research methods in health: A practical guide for the health professions. Oxford University Press. Pp 285-300.

Keating, J., Dalton, M. & Davidson, M. (2009). Assessment in clinical education. In: C. Delaney & Molloy, E. Clinical education: Evidence, practice and understanding. Sydney:Elsevier. Pp 147-172.  

Davidson, M., Smith, R. & Stone, N. (2009). Interprofessional education: Sharing the wealth. In: C. Delaney & Molloy, E. Clinical education: Evidence, practice and understanding. Sydney:Elsevier. Pp 70-91.  

Davidson, M. (2009). Functional capacity evaluation. In. S. Kumar (Ed.) Ergonomics for rehabilitation professionals. Boca Raton, Fl:CRC Press. pp 507-544.  

Davidson, M., Keating, J.L. & Hamer, P. (2009). Evaluation of physiotherapy practice. In. J. Higgs, M. Smith, G. Webb, M. Skinner. & A. Croker (Eds) Contexts of Physiotherapy Practice. Sydney: Elsevier Churchill Livingstone. Pp313-326.  

Davidson, M. (2005). Clinical education and evidence-based practice. In M.Rose & D. Best (Eds.) Transforming practice through clinical education, professional supervision and mentoring. Edinburgh: Elsevier. pp175-184.  

Davidson, M. & Best, D. (2005). Domains of teaching and learning Part 3 Attitudes.  In M.Rose & D. Best (Eds.) Transforming practice through clinical education, professional supervision and mentoring. Edinburgh: Elsevier. pp 111 – 120.  

Research projects

Research themes:

1. Development of and determining the measurement properties of patient-reported outcome measures   2.Evaluating aspects of physiotherapy practice   3.Prediction and improvement of outcome in spinal pain  4. Assessment in education