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Consumer opportunity: Register your interest to join the Governance Committee for the RISE text messaging trial
RISE for recovery, information, support and empowerment after road traffic injury: A feasibility trial
We invite consumers with a lived experience of whiplash after road traffic injury to contribute their valuable experiences and ideas as members of the governance committee for a new project at The University of Queensland.
What are the aims of the project?
Whiplash is the most common and expensive injury from road traffic accidents, and getting the right treatment early is important. But current treatments often miss the emotional impact of trauma and aren’t always affordable or easy to access. Text message-based programs have shown promise for other types of pain, but they haven’t been tested for people injured in car accidents. That’s why our team has co-designed RISE, a new and easy-to-access support program delivered by text message.
The primary aim of this study is to pilot test the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effectiveness of RISE. RISE provides text messages to improve Recovery, Information, Support, Empowerment in the first 3 months after RTI, supporting patients who have been previously left to navigate recovery by themselves.
About this role
As part of the project’s governance committee, consumers will be directly involved in decision-making and oversight of the project. This role involves monitoring project progress, addressing challenges, and ensuring accountability of the project.
Responsibilities:
- Quarterly meetings of the governance committee for the duration of the projected – expected to finish at the end of 2026.
- Approximately 2 meetings for the remainder of 2025, and 4 meetings in 2026.
- Tasks may include:
- Ensuring the relevance of the project design
- Reviewing recruitment strategies and materials
- Advising on the interpretation of results, drawing from a lived-experience perspective
Meetings and reimbursement:
- All meetings will take one hour and be held online
- The day and time of the meetings will be confirmed based on consumer availability
- Consumers will be reimbursed for their time
- $50 per meeting (plus any additional pre-reading if required)
Eligibility criteria:
- You must be over 18
- A resident of Queensland
- Have lived experience of whiplash after a motor vehicle incident
- Experience as a consumer on Governance Committees would be highly regarded
Register your interest
To register your interest in joining the RISE Governance Committee or if you have any questions, please email Jessica Formosa via j.formosa@uq.edu.au.
Please provide a few sentences about your experience of whiplash, previous experience in consumer advisory or governance committees, and why you are interested in being part of the RISE project.
Project lead
Dr Rachel Elphinston is a clinical psychologist and senior research fellow at the RECOVER Injury Research Centre at The University of Queensland. Her research interests focus on the psychological risk factors for pain and disability following injury, as well as the effectiveness of interventions to treat comorbid prescription medication use and misuse. Dr Elphinston has a current appointment with Addiction and Mental Health Services in Metro South Health and has experience in working in multidisciplinary clinical and research teams to translate research into practice and design and implement new models of care.