Happy New Year. I hope you’ve enjoyed a refreshing break over the summer and are recharged for the challenges of 2025.

A pioneering telehealth clinic in regional Queensland is providing physiotherapy expertise to non- urgent patients on the orthopaedic waiting list, connecting them with care like never before.

ADVOCACY The APA’s first workforce census provides insights into the characteristics and career intentions of the physiotherapy workforce across Australia. We talk to Scott Willis about the key findings of the census and explain why it was needed.

PHYSIOTHERAPY BOARD OF AUSTRALIA The experiences of physiotherapists working in regional, rural and remote communities inform the Board’s understanding of practice across the country.

RECONCILIATION Physiotherapists Caroline Nicolson and Annemarie Lee discuss the development of the Strong Lungs website, a culturally safe online physiotherapy resource on chronic lung diseases for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the Northern Territory.

The first culturally appropriate education resources for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with arthritis have been developed, in a process based on community engagement and a co-design approach. Researcher Brooke Conley talks about the Staying Moving, Staying Strong project.

There is a growing tendency to use co-design to develop programs and projects for healthcare issues that affect Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and communities. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and other researchers talk about why co-design is important and how to get the most out of it.

Burns researcher and physiotherapist Anita Plaza talks about a recent study comparing telehealth with in-person rehabilitation services for patients with burn injuries.

Starting a new physiotherapy program in Victoria’s Gippsland region has given Federation University the opportunity to work closely with the local community to design a program that has a distinct regional focus, while still providing students with a well-rounded foundation in physiotherapy. The program offers challenges and opportunities to both students and educators.

Australians in regional areas have difficulty accessing physiotherapy services compared to their urban counterparts. A rural perspective is needed if we are to make healthcare more equitable.