ACHIEVING IMPACT USING OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY IN EDUCATION, FOR MARGINALISED COMMUNITIES AND IN PUBLIC HEALTH
With
Associate Professor Emma George, Program Director, Occupational Therapy
School of Allied Health Science and Practice,
The University of Adelaide &
Board Director, Occupational Therapy Australia &
Australian Delegate, World Federation of Occupational Therapists
PEOPLE IN HEALTH CARE SEGMENT
Filmed in Adelaide | June 2025
Associate Professor Emma George is a leader in occupational therapy, fascinated by the role and importance of occupation as a right for health and well-being. Her research projects all explore the way we address health inequities among marginalised people and communities with a commitment to social and occupational justice.
She has led and collaborated in research on national policy implementation, the health and well-being of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and communities, and the recovery from exploitation and modern slavery in Australia and India.
In all of her research she am committed to learning more about occupational injustices (marginalisation, alienation, deprivation, imbalance, apartheid and dysfunction), the recognition and realisation of rights, and the response of allied health in order to promote equity and justice, culturally safe practice and trauma informed care. She is an Occupational Therapy Australia board director and serves as the elected Australian delegate to the World Federation of Occupational Therapists.
Source: Supplied
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Research finds many practitioners feel underprepared to navigate men’s distress
Movember’s Men in Mind expands nationally to equip mental health professionals with the tools to better connect with men before they reach crisis point. Research conducted by the Men’s Health Research team at Movember has found men account for three in every four suicide deaths in Australia, and more than 50% had sought help in the year before they died.
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Medicinal cannabis in Australia Update
According to the Australian Journal of General Practice, published by the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, more than 130,000 medicinal cannabis approvals have been issued in Australia to date, mostly by general practitioners, with approximately 65% of these to treat chronic non-cancer pain. Despite robust supportive data from animal models, current clinical trial evidence for THC and CBD efficacy in chronic pain is incomplete. In their prescribing decisions, doctors must balance patient demand and curiosity with caution regarding potential risks and limited efficacy (Source: https://www1.racgp.org.au/ajgp/2021/october/medicinal-cannabis)
Australian Health Journal met with 3 speakers at the recent @arcsaustralia ARCS22 Conference providing an update on medicinal cannabis. The discussion with the speakers now centres on affordability and access.
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Lasers in dental treatment without needles and drills
In 2017, Dr. Omar Zuaiter and Alaa Habeb launched Dentroid, a dental technology startup with a mission to make dentistry a kinder and friendlier experience for patients and dentists using photonics (using laser technology) and robotics, as alternatives to needles, drills and sprays. The vision for the startup is to have dentistry adopt laser technology, addressing the root causes of dental pain & anxiety, and create a pain-free dental experience.
