Dr Michelle Cottrell
PhD MMan Ther BPhty
Senior Research Fellow
RECOVER Injury Research Centre
RECOVER Injury Research Centre
The University of Queensland
Level 7, Surgical Treatment and Rehabilitation Service
296 Herston Road
HERSTON QLD 4029
The University of Queensland
Level 7, Surgical Treatment and Rehabilitation Service
296 Herston Road
HERSTON QLD 4029
Michelle is a Research Fellow at the RECOVER Injury Research Centre. Since graduating from The University of Queensland in 2008 with a Bachelor of Physiotherapy, she has worked across multiple public hospital settings in both Queensland and Victoria. During this time, Michelle furthered both her clinical and research qualifications by obtaining a Master's in Manual Therapy from the University of Western Australia in 2013 and a PhD from The University of Queensland in 2020. Michelle's PhD focused on implementing telehealth as an alternative pathway to care for individuals with chronic spinal pain conditions accessing tertiary hospital services.
Michelle joined the RECOVER team in 2026 for the PACE-RURAL clinical trial and will oversee the coordination of research activities in Queensland.
In addition, Michelle works with the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital Physiotherapy Department, where she has held both research and management positions since 2018.
Journal Articles
Cottrell, Michelle, Featherston, Sarah and Pateman, Kelsey (2025). Determining a capability framework and training requirements to support provision of physiotherapy via telehealth in an Australian public tertiary health setting: a multi-methods study. Physiotherapy Theory and Practice, 41 (10), 2130-2140. doi: 10.1080/09593985.2025.2498690
McDougall, Alistair, Raymer, Maree, Window, Peter, Cottrell, Michelle, Nelson, Curtley, Francia, Carl, Watson, Eliza and O’Leary, Shaun (2024). Exploring equity of care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples within the state-wide Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy Screening Clinic and Multi-disciplinary Service in Queensland Health. Australian Health Review, 49 (1) AH24063, 1-12. doi: 10.1071/ah24063
Collins, Natalie J., Smith, Michelle D., O’Leary, Shaun P., Maclachlan, Liam R., Cottrell, Michelle A., Vicenzino, Bill, Vuvan, Viana, Comans, Tracy, Kemp, Joanne L., Barton, Christian J., Lee, Darryl, McCaskill, Stuart, Cush, Adrian, Hislop, Andrew C. and Raymer, Maree E. (2024). Implementing Good Life with osteoArthritis from Denmark (GLA:D®) in Australian public hospitals. Part 1: feasibility. Musculoskeletal Science and Practice, 71 102960, 102960. doi: 10.1016/j.msksp.2024.102960
Hartono, Joseph, Cottrell, Michelle, Window, Peter and Russell, Trevor (2024). Performance of key physical tests for temporomandibular disorder via telehealth: establishing validity and reliability. Journal of Oral Rehabilitation, 51 (4), 648-656. doi: 10.1111/joor.13643
O'Leary, Shaun, Heine, Janelle, Warren, Jacelle, Smyth, Tanya, Ballard, Emma, Mitchell, Gary, See, William, Barlas, Panos, Machado, Gustavo C, Cottrell, Michelle, Comans, Tracy and Foster, Nadine E (2024). Reinforcing informed medication prescription for low back pain in the emergency department (RIME): a controlled interrupted time series implementation study protocol. BMJ Open, 14 (3) e082668, 1-10. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2023-082668
Hargreaves, Joanna, Leslie, Simone, Cottrell, Michelle, Snoswell, Ashlee, O'Leary, Shaun and Window, Peter (2023). Exploring the barriers and enablers to high quality clinical placements in physiotherapy at a metropolitan teaching hospital using an implementation science approach. Australian Journal of Clinical Education, 12 (1), 23-40. doi: 10.53300/001c.75204
Naumann, Leonie, Reul-Hirche, Hildegard, Comans, Tracy, Burns, Clare L., Paratz, Jenny and Cottrell, Michelle (2023). Evaluating telehealth for the education and monitoring of lymphoedema and shoulder dysfunction after breast cancer surgery. Supportive Care in Cancer, 31 (4) 239, 1-9. doi: 10.1007/s00520-023-07693-8
Glenwright, Ben G., Simmich, Joshua, Cottrell, Michelle, O'Leary, Shaun P., Sullivan, Clair, Pole, Jason D. and Russell, Trevor (2023). Facilitators and barriers to implementing electronic patient-reported outcome and experience measures in a health care setting: a systematic review. Journal of Patient-Reported Outcomes, 7 (1) 13, 1-14. doi: 10.1186/s41687-023-00554-2
Burns, Clare L., Cottrell, Michelle, Jones, Amber, Foley, Jasmine, Rahmann, Ann, Young, Adrienne, Cruickshank, Mark and Pateman, Kelsey (2022). Prioritising enhancements across allied health telehealth services in a metropolitan hospital: Using a concept mapping approach. Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare, 28 (10), 740-749. doi: 10.1177/1357633x221122106
Cottrell, Michelle, Burns, Clare L., Jones, Amber, Rahmann, Ann, Young, Adrienne, Sam, Sonia, Cruickshank, Mark and Pateman, Kelsey (2021). Sustaining allied health telehealth services beyond the rapid response to COVID-19: learning from patient and staff experiences at a large quaternary hospital. Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare, 27 (10), 615-624. doi: 10.1177/1357633x211041517
O’Leary, Shaun, Raymer, Maree, Window, Peter, Swete Kelly, Patrick, Lee, Darryl, Garsden, Linda, Tweedy, Rebecca, Phillips, Ben, O’Sullivan, Will, Wake, Anneke, Smith, Alison, Pahor, Sheryl, Pearce, Luen, McLean, Rod, Thompson, David, Williams, Erica, Nolan, Damien, Anning, Jody, Seels, Ian, Wickins, Daniel, Marks, Darryn, Diplock, Brendan, Parravicini, Vicki, Parnwell, Linda, Vicenzino, Bill, Comans, Tracy, Cottrell, Michelle, Khan, Asaduzzaman and McPhail, Steven (2020). A multisite longitudinal evaluation of patient characteristics associated with a poor response to non-surgical multidisciplinary management of low back pain in an advanced practice physiotherapist-led tertiary service. BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders, 21 (1) 807, 1-12. doi: 10.1186/s12891-020-03839-5
O'Leary, Shaun, Raymer, Maree, Window, Peter, Swete Kelly, Patrick, Elwell, Bula, McLoughlin, Ian, O'Sullivan, Will, Phillips, Ben, Wake, Anneke, Ralph, Andrew, O'Gorman, Helen, Jang, Ellen, Groves, Karen, Hislop, Andrew, Lee, Darryl, Garsden, Linda, Conroy, Michael, Wickins, Daniel, Vicenzino, Bill, Comans, Tracy, Cottrell, Michelle, Khan, Asaduzzaman and McPhail, Steven (2020). Patient characteristics associated with a poor response to non-surgical multidisciplinary management of knee osteoarthritis: a multisite prospective longitudinal study in an advanced practice physiotherapist-led tertiary service. BMJ Open, 10 (10) e037070, 1-10. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2020-037070
Cottrell, Michelle A. and Russell, Trevor G. (2020). Telehealth for musculoskeletal physiotherapy. Musculoskeletal Science and Practice, 48 102193, 102193. doi: 10.1016/j.msksp.2020.102193
Cottrell, Michelle A., O'Leary, Shaun P., Raymer, Maree, Hill, Anne J., Comans, Tracy and Russell, Trevor G. (2019). Does telerehabilitation result in inferior clinical outcomes compared with in-person care for the management of chronic musculoskeletal spinal conditions in the tertiary hospital setting? A non-randomised pilot clinical trial. Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare, 27 (7), 1357633X1988726-452. doi: 10.1177/1357633x19887265
Cottrell, Michelle, Judd, Perry, Comans, Tracy, Easton, Paula and Chang, Angela T. (2019). Comparing fly-in fly-out and telehealth models for delivering advanced-practice physiotherapy services in regional Queensland: an audit of outcomes and costs. Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare, 27 (1), 1357633X1985803-38. doi: 10.1177/1357633x19858036
Cottrell, Michelle A., Hill, Anne J., O'Leary, Shaun P., Raymer, Maree E. and Russell, Trevor G. (2018). Clinicians' perspectives of a novel home-based multidisciplinary telehealth service for patients with chronic spinal pain. International Journal of Telerehabilitation, 10 (2), 81-88. doi: 10.5195/ijt.2018.6249
Cottrell, Michelle A., O'Leary, Shaun P., Swete-Kelly, Patrick, Elwell, Bula, Hess, Sally, Litchfield, Mary-Ann, McLoughlin, Ian, Tweedy, Rebecca, Raymer, Maree, Hill, Anne J. and Russell, Trevor G. (2018). Agreement between telehealth and in-person assessment of patients with chronic musculoskeletal conditions presenting to an advanced-practice physiotherapy screening clinic. Musculoskeletal Science and Practice, 38, 99-105. doi: 10.1016/j.msksp.2018.09.014
O'Leary, Shaun, Cottrell, Michelle, Raymer, Maree, Smith, David and Khan, Asaduzzaman (2018). General health factors may be a barrier to effective non-surgical multidisciplinary rehabilitation of common orthopaedic conditions in tertiary care settings. BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders, 19 (1) 348, 348. doi: 10.1186/s12891-018-2265-6
Galea, Olivia A., Cottrell, Michelle A., Treleaven, Julia M. and O’Leary, Shaun P. (2018). Sensorimotor and Physiological Indicators of Impairment in Mild Traumatic Brain Injury: A Meta-Analysis. Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair, 32 (2), 115-128. doi: 10.1177/1545968318760728
Cottrell, Michelle A., Hill, Anne J., O'Leary, Shaun P., Raymer, Maree E. and Russell, Trevor G. (2017). Service provider perceptions of telerehabilitation as an additional service delivery option within an Australian neurosurgical and orthopaedic physiotherapy screening clinic: a qualitative study. Musculoskeletal Science and Practice, 32, 7-16. doi: 10.1016/j.msksp.2017.07.008
Gane, E. M., Michaleff, Z. A., Cottrell, M. A., McPhail, S. M., Hatton, A. L., Panizza, B. J. and O'Leary, S. P. (2017). Prevalence, incidence, and risk factors for shoulder and neck dysfunction after neck dissection: a systematic review. European Journal of Surgical Oncology, 43 (7), 1199-1218. doi: 10.1016/j.ejso.2016.10.026
Cottrell, Michelle A ., Hill, Anne J., O'Leary, Shaun P., Raymer, Maree E. and Russell, Trevor G. (2017). Patients are willing to use telehealth for the multidisciplinary management of chronic musculoskeletal conditions: a cross-sectional survey. Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare, 24 (7), 1357633X17706605-452. doi: 10.1177/1357633X17706605
Cottrell, Michelle A., Galea, Olivia A., O'Leary, Shaun P., Hill, Anne J. and Russell, Trevor G. (2016). Real-time telerehabilitation for the treatment of musculoskeletal conditions is effective and comparable to standard practice: a systematic review & meta-analysis. Clinical Rehabilitation, 31 (5), 625-638. doi: 10.1177/0269215516645148
Conference Papers
Collins, N. J., Cottrell, M. A., Raymer, M., Smith, M. D., O'Leary, S. P., Maclachlan, L. R., Vicenzino, B., Vuvan, V., Comans, T. A., Kemp, J. L., Barton, C. J., Lee, D., McCaskill, S. and Hislop, A. (2021). Service providers perceptions of factors influencing the implementation of GLA:D® into australian public tertiary facilities: a qualitative study. 2021 OARSI World Congress on Osteoarthritis, Online, 29 April-1 May 2021. London, United Kingdom: Elsevier. doi: 10.1016/j.joca.2021.05.048
Collins, N.J., Raymer, M., Smith, M.D., O'Leary, S.P., Maclachlan, L.R., Cottrell, M.A., Vicenzino, B., Vuvan, V., Comans, T.A., Kemp, J.L., Barton, C.J., Lee, D., McCaskill, S. and Hislop, A. (2021). Implementation of good life with osteoarthritis in Denmark (GLA:D®) is feasible in Australian tertiary public hospital facilities. 2021 OARSI World Congress on Osteoarthritis, Online, 29 April-1 May 2021. London, United Kingdom: Elsevier. doi: 10.1016/j.joca.2021.05.047
Thesis
Cottrell, Michelle (2020). Telerehabilitation in the management of chronic musculoskeletal conditions: an implementation science approach. PhD Thesis, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, The University of Queensland. doi: 10.14264/uql.2020.506