Dr Emma Friesen is the RCS Research Manager based in Toowoomba.
Dr Friesen is a Chartered Biomedical Engineer, with over 20 years' experience across the breadth of the Rehabilitation and Assistive Technologies sector.
Dr Friesen’s career experience ranges from frontline clinical service delivery, to manufacturing and distribution, training and education, capacity building, policy and service provision development, and research. Emma has worked alongside academic, clinical, technical and industry experts in Australia and overseas, exploring aspects of frontline service provision and outcomes of allied health interventions, and development of professional standards for Rehabilitation engineering professionals. After seven years living and working in the Netherlands, Emma returned to Australia in late 2022. She currently serves as a Board member on the Engineers Australia National Committee on Rehabilitation Engineering (EA NCRE) and is a past Board member of the Australian Rehabilitation and Assistive Technology Association (ARATA).
Dr Friesen has published over 20 peer-reviewed manuscripts.
Publications
Book Chapters
Walker, L. and Friesen, E. L. (2022). Policy and regulations in rehabilitation engineering. Rehabilitation engineering: Principles and practice. (pp. 155-169) edited by Alex Mihailidis and Roger Smith. Boca Raton, FL United States: CRC Press. doi: 10.1201/b21964
Elsaesser, Linda-Jeanne, Bauer, Stephen, Steel, Emily, Friesen, Emma and Inoue, Takenobu (2019). The value of vocabulary standards towards improving access to assistive technology. Global perspectives on assistive technology: proceedings of the GReAT Consultation 2019, Volume 2. (pp. 247-262) edited by Natasha Layton and Johan Borg. Geneva, Switzerland: World Health Organisation.
Journal Articles
Friesen, Emma L. and Comino, Elizabeth J. (2017). Research culture and capacity in community health services: results of a structured survey of staff. Australian Journal of Primary Health, 23 (2), 123-131. doi: 10.1071/PY15131
Friesen, Emma L., Theodoros, Deborah and Russell, Trevor G. (2017). Usability of mobile shower commodes for adults with spinal cord injury. British Journal of Occupational Therapy, 80 (2), 63-72. doi: 10.1177/0308022616676817
Friesen, Emma L (2017). Measuring AT Usability with the Modified System Usability Scale (SUS). Studies in health technology and informatics, 242, 137-143. doi: 10.3233/978-1-61499-798-6-137
de Paula, Amy R., Friesen, Emma L., Chapman, Isobel, Lau, Vivian, Pryor, Narelle, Rae, Nicole, Tuck, Stephanie, Wilkenson, Lindel and Woodforde, Deb (2017). Initial development and face validation of the Moorong Self-Efficacy Scale for adolescents (MSES-A). International Journal of Child and Adolescent Health, 10 (1), 43-47.
Friesen, Emma L., Theodoros, Deborah and Russell, Trevor G. (2016). Assistive technology devices for toileting and showering used in spinal cord injury rehabilitation - a comment on terminology. Disability and Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology, 11 (1), 1-2. doi: 10.3109/17483107.2014.984779
Friesen, Emma L., Theodoros, Deborah and Russell, Trevor G. (2016). An instrument to measure mobile shower commode usability: the eMAST 1.0. Journal of Assistive Technologies, 10 (3), 153-161. doi: 10.1108/JAT-12-2015-0037
Friesen, Emma L., Theodoros, Deborah. and Russell, Trevor G. (2015). Usability-for-one. Work, 52 (1), 211-213. doi: 10.3233/WOR-152003
Soccio, Jacqui, Brown, Margaret, Comino, Elizabeth and Friesen, Emma (2015). Pap smear screening, pap smear abnormalities and psychosocial risk factors among women in a residential alcohol and drug rehabilitation facility. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 71 (12), 2858-2866. doi: 10.1111/jan.12745
Friesen, Emma L, Theodoros, Deborah and Russell, Trevor G (2015). Use, performance and features of mobile shower commodes: Perspectives of adults with spinal cord injury and expert clinicians. Disability and Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology, 10 (1), 38-45. doi: 10.3109/17483107.2013.832413
Friesen, Emma L., Theodoros, Deborah and Russell, Trevor G. (2015). Development, construction, and content validation of a questionnaire to test mobile shower commode usability. Topics in Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation, 21 (1), 77-86. doi: 10.1310/sci2101-77
Friesen, Emma L., Walker, Lloyd, Layton, Natasha, Astbrink, Gunela, Summers, Michael and De Jonge, Desleigh (2015). Informing the Australian government on AT policies: ARATA's experiences. Disability and Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology, 10 (3), 236-239. doi: 10.3109/17483107.2014.913711
Friesen, Emma L. and Comino, Elizabeth J. (2015). Publication outputs from a Primary and Community Health Research Unit, 2011-14. Australian Journal of Primary Health, 21 (2), 118-119. doi: 10.1071/PY14152
Soccio, Jacqui, Brown, Margaret, Comino, Elizabeth and Friesen, Emma (2014). Women with problematic drug and alcohol use have higher rates of trauma and abnormal pap smears. Australian nursing & midwifery journal, 22 (1), 35.
Friesen, Emma L., Comino, Elizabeth J., Reath, Jennifer, Derrett, Alison, Johnson, Maree, Davies, Gawaine Powell, Teng-Liaw, Siaw and Kemp, Lynn (2014). Building research capacity in south-west Sydney through a Primary and Community Health Research Unit. Australian Journal of Primary Health, 20 (1), 4-8. doi: 10.1071/PY12081
Friesen, Emma L., Short, Kate, Margetson, Kate, Carman, Sarah and Comino, Elizabeth J. (2014). From an initial idea to dissemination: a case study of novice practitioner research in South Western Sydney. Journal of Assistive, Rehabilitative & Therapeutic Technologies, 2 (1) 23207, 1-5. doi: 10.3402/jartt.v2.23207
Friesen, Emma L., Phuah, Trina and Comino, Elizabeth J. (2014). Writing conference abstracts: a guide for Rehabilitation and Assistive Technology practitioners. Journal of Assistive, Rehabilitative & Therapeutic Technologies, 2 (1) 23233, 1-3. doi: 10.3402/jartt.v2.23233
Friesen, Emma, Theodoros, Deborah and Russell, Trevor (2013). Clinical assessment, design and performance testing of mobile shower commodes for adults with spinal cord injury: An exploratory review. Disability and Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology, 8 (4), 267-274. doi: 10.3109/17483107.2012.704656
Tickle, Emma L., Brownlee, Joanne and Nailon, Di (2005). Personal epistemological beliefs and transformational leadership behaviours. Journal of Management Development, 24 (8), 706-719. doi: 10.1108/02621710510613735
Conference Papers
Elsaesser, Linda-Jeanne, Arthanat, Sajay, Bauer, Stephen, Friesen, Emma, Inoue, Takenobou and Steel, Emily (2021). The value of vocabulary standards to discuss at outcomes and impact. RESNA 2020, Pittsburgh, PA United States, 23-24 September 2020. New York, NY United States: Taylor & Francis. doi: 10.1080/10400435.2021.1920810
Friesen, Emma (2019). Developing an administration manual for the electronic mobile shower commode assessment tool(eMAST): A case study. AAATE 2019 Conference, Bologna, Italy, 27-30 August 2019. Amsterdam, Netherlands: IOS Press. doi: 10.3233/TAD-190011
Friesen, Emma L. (2019). An introduction to the electronic mobile shower commode assessment tool. 35th International Seating Symposium, Pittsburgh, PA United States, 20-22 March 2019. Pittsburgh, PA United States: University of Pittsburgh.
Friesen, Emma L., Russell, Trevor G. and Theodoros, Deborah (2015). Testing usability of Mobile Shower Commodes for adults with Spinal Cord Injury: research method and overview. 13th European Conference on the Advancement of Assistive Technology, AAATE 2015, Budapest, Hungary, 9-12 September 2015. Amsterdam, Netherlands: IOS Press. doi: 10.3233/978-1-61499-566-1-98
Friesen, Emma L. (2015). Structures, snacks, sprints, and socialising: strategies to increase writing output for AT Practitioners. 13th European Conference on the Advancement of Assistive Technology, AAATE 2015, Budapest, Hungary, 9-12 September 2015. Amsterdam, Netherlands: IOS Press. doi: 10.3233/978-1-61499-566-1-788
Friesen, Emma, Astbrink, Gunela, Walker, Lloyd, Summers, Michael, Layton, Natasha and De Jonge, Desleigh (2013). Informing the Australian government on at policy: ARATA's experience. i-CREATe 2013 - International Convention on Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology, Seoul, Korea, 29 - 31 August, 2013. Singapore: Singapore Therapeutic, Assistive & Rehabilitative Technologies (START) Centre.
Friesen, Emma L., Russell, Trevor and Theodoros, Deborah (2010). Developing an initial questionnaire for a modified-Delphi study on mobile shower commodes. 4th International Convention on Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology, i-CREATe 2010, Shanghai, China, 21 - 24 July 2010. Singapore: Singapore Therapeutic, Assistive & Rehabilitative Technologies.
Department Technical Report
Friesen Osborne, E. and Brown, I. (2024). Submission: Future regulation of assistive technology. National Committee on Rehabilitation Engineering, Engineers Australia.
Data Collection
Friesen, Emma, Theodoros, Deborah G. and Russell, Trevor G. (2016). An instrument to measure mobile shower commode usability: the eMAST 1.0. Tables. The University of Queensland. (Dataset) doi: 10.14264/uql.2016.514