Dr Hemakumar Devan

Position	Postdoctoral Fellow
Qualifications	BPT (Chennai) MPhty (Distn)(Otago) PhD (Otago)
Research summary	Chronic pain, Self-management, Behavioural Intervention Technologies, Knowledge Translation
Teaching	Undergraduate and postgraduate research supervision
Memberships	International: Steering committee member, Social Aspects of Pain Special Interest Group, International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) ECR member, International Association of Communication in Healthcare (EACH) Associate member, Australia New Zealand Musculoskeletal Clinical Trials Network (ANZMUSC) National: Social media representative and council member, New Zealand Pain Society (NZPS) ECR member, Royal Society of New Zealand ECR steering committee member, Pain at Otago research theme Associate investigator, Centre for Health Systems and Technology (CHeST) research theme Honorary Clinical Reviewer, Health Navigator

Research

Dr Devan's primary research interest is to foster self-management support to empower people with persistent pain and their whānau (family and significant others). He plans to achieve that by conducting research in two overarching themes.

The first theme focuses on designing, developing and deploying digital behavioural interventions (e.g. websites, apps, online delivered interventions, and multi-media resources) – Pain BITS – that are culturally appropriate to facilitate self-management in people living with persistent pain.
Pain BITS webpage

The second theme focuses on partnering with communities to develop solutions for culturally responsive pain management. As part of this theme, he is currently co-leading a project to develop a community-led pain support programme for Māori with pain.

Strategically, his goal is to co-develop digital technologies and community-led pain support services to address health inequities and improve health outcomes for people with persistent pain and their whānau.

Additional details

Regular reviewer for:

Disability and Rehabilitation
Prosthetics and Orthotics International
Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Journal of Medical and Internet Research
Physical Therapy Reviews
New Zealand Journal of Physiotherapy

Publications

Perry, M., Cotes, L., Horton, B., Kunac, R., Snell, I., Taylor, B., Wright, A., & Devan, H. (2021). "Enticing" but not necessarily a "space designed for me": Experiences of urban park use by older adults with disability. International Journal of Environmental Research & Public Health, 18, 552. doi: 10.3390/ijerph18020552

Hale, L., Devan, H., Davies, C., Dean, S. G., Dowell, T., Grainger, R., Gray, A. R., … Ingham, T., Jones, B., Leung, W., Mills, J., … Shipton, E., & Perry, M. (2021). Clinical and cost-effectiveness of an online-delivered group-based pain management programme in improving pain-related disability for people with persistent pain: Protocol for a non-inferiority randomised controlled trial (iSelf-help trial). BMJ Open, 11(2), e046376. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2020-046376

Regan, R., Kovanur Sampath, K., Devan, H., & Arumugam, A. (2020). Effectiveness of physiotherapy interventions on disease-specific and generic outcomes for individuals with cardiovascular diseases in India: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Physical Therapy Reviews, 25(3), 159-174. doi: 10.1080/10833196.2020.1792204

Areli, E., Godfrey, H. K., Perry, M. A., Hempel, D., Saipe, B., Grainger, R., Hale, L., & Devan, H. (2020). ‘I think there is nothing . . . that is really comprehensive’: Healthcare professionals’ views on recommending online resources for pain self-management. British Journal of Pain. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1177/2049463720978264

Aikman, K., Burtt, L., de Ronde, O., Lim, D. K. W., Stratton, P., Wong, H., Grainger, R., & Devan, H. (2020). Mass media campaigns for chronic pain: A scoping review to inform design of future campaigns. Physical Therapy Reviews. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1080/10833196.2020.1832711

Journal - Research Article
Journal - Research Other

Journal - Research Article

Grainger, R., Devan, H., Sangelaji, B., & Hay-Smith, J. (2020). Issues in reporting of systematic review methods in health app-focused reviews: A scoping review. Health Informatics Journal. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1177/1460458220952917

Devan, H., Young, J., Avery, C., Elder, L., Khasyanova, Y., Manning, D., Scrimgeour, M., & Grainger, R. (2020). Media representation of chronic pain in Aotearoa New Zealand: A content analysis of news media. New Zealand Medical Journal, 133(1508), 92-110. Retrieved from https://www.nzma.org.nz/journal

Devan, H., Godfrey, H. K., Perry, M. A., Hempel, D., Saipe, B., Hale, L., & Grainger, R. (2019). Current practices of health care providers in recommending online resources for chronic pain self-management. Journal of Pain Research, 12, 2457-2472. doi: 10.2147/JPR.S206539

Kanagasabai, P., Mulligan, H., Devan, H., Mirfin-Veitch, B., & Hale, L. (2019). Environmental factors influencing leisure participation of children with movement impairments in Aotearoa/New Zealand: A mixed method study. New Zealand Journal of Physiotherapy, 47(2), 105-117. doi: 10.15619/NZJP/47.2.05

Devan, H., Hale, L., Hempel, D., Saipe, B., & Perry, M. A. (2018). What works and does not work in a self-management intervention for people with chronic pain? Qualitative systematic review and meta-synthesis. Physical Therapy, 98(5), 381-397. doi: 10.1093/ptj/pzy029

Perry, M. A., Devan, H., Fitzgerald, H., Han, K., Liu, L.-T., & Rouse, J. (2018). Accessibility and usability of parks and playgrounds. Disability & Health Journal, 11(2), 221-229. doi: 10.1016/j.dhjo.2017.08.011

Devan, H., Hendrick, P., Hale, L., Carman, A., Dillon, M. P., & Ribeiro, D. C. (2017). Exploring factors influencing low back pain in people with non-dysvascular lower limb amputation: A national survey. PM&R, 9(10), 949-959. doi: 10.1016/j.pmrj.2017.02.004

Devan, H., Dillon, M. P., Carman, A. B., Hendrick, P., Hale, L., Boocock, M., & Ribeiro, D. C. (2017). Spinal and pelvic kinematics during gait in people with lower-limb amputation, with and without low back pain: An exploratory study. Journal of Prosthetics and Orthotics, 29(3), 121-129. doi: 10.1097/JPO.0000000000000137

Hoermann, S., Ferreira dos Santos, L., Morkisch, N., Jettkowski, K., Sillis, M., Devan, H., Kanagasabai, P. S., … Regenbrecht, H., Hale, L., & Cutfield, N. J. (2017). Computerised mirror therapy with Augmented Reflection Technology for early stroke rehabilitation: Clinical feasibility and integration as an adjunct therapy. Disability & Rehabilitation, 39(15), 1503-1514. doi: 10.1080/09638288.2017.1291765

Perry, M., Dean, S., & Devan, H. (2016). The relationship between chronic low back pain and fatigue: A systematic review. Physical Therapy Reviews, 21(3-6), 173-183. doi: 10.1080/10833196.2016.1264665

Devan, H., Carman, A. B., Hendrick, P. A., Ribeiro, D. C., & Hale, L. A. (2015). Perceptions of low back pain in people with lower limb amputation: A focus group study. Disability & Rehabilitation, 37(10), 873-883. doi: 10.3109/09638288.2014.946158

Devan, H., Carman, A., Hendrick, P., Hale, L., & Ribeiro, D. C. (2015). Spinal, pelvic, and hip movement asymmetries in people with lower-limb amputation: Systematic review. Journal of Rehabilitation Research & Development, 52(1), 1-20. doi: 10.1682/JRRD.2014.05.0135

Devan, H., Hendrick, P., Ribeiro, D. C., Hale, L. A., & Carman, A. (2013). Asymmetrical movements of the lumbopelvic region: Is this a potential mechanism for low back pain in people with lower limb amputation? Medical Hypotheses, 82(1), 77-85. doi: 10.1016/j.mehy.2013.11.012

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Journal - Research Other

Kovanur Sampath, K., Darlow, B., Tumilty, S., Shillito, W., Hanses, M., Devan, H., & Thomson, O. P. (2020). Barriers and facilitators experienced by osteopaths in implementing a biopsychosocial (BPS) framework of care when managing people with musculoskeletal pain: A mixed methods systematic review protocol. International Journal of Osteopathic Medicine, 35, 41-45. doi: 10.1016/j.ijosm.2020.01.001

Yoshikawa, K., Brady, B., Perry, M. A., & Devan, H. (2020). Sociocultural factors influencing physiotherapy management in culturally and linguistically diverse people with persistent pain: A scoping review. Physiotherapy, 107, 292-305. doi: 10.1016/j.physio.2019.08.002

Karos, K., McParland, J. L., Bunzli, S., Devan, H., Hirsh, A., Kapos, F. P., … Ashton-James, C. E. (2020). The social threats of COVID-19 for people with chronic pain. Pain. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000002004

Lim, W. S., Sharma, S., & Devan, H. (2020). Physiotherapists’ attitudes towards and challenges of working in a referral-based practice setting: A systematic scoping review. European Journal of Physiotherapy. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1080/21679169.2020.1739748

Fernandes, L. G., Devan, H., Kamper, S. J., Williams, C. M., & Saragiotto, B. T. (2020). Enablers and barriers of people with chronic musculoskeletal pain for engaging in telehealth interventions: Protocol for a qualitative systematic review and meta-synthesis. Systematic Reviews, 9, 122. doi: 10.1186/s13643-020-01390-x

Annear, A., Sole, G., & Devan, H. (2019). What are the current practices of sports physiotherapists in integrating psychological strategies during athletes’ return-to-play rehabilitation? Mixed methods systematic review. Physical Therapy in Sport, 38, 96-105. doi: 10.1016/j.ptsp.2019.04.018

Devan, H., Farmery, D., Peebles, L., & Grainger, R. (2019). Evaluation of self-management support functions in apps for people with persistent pain: Systematic review. JMIR mHealth & uHealth, 7(2), e13080. doi: 10.2196/13080

Farrell, G., Watson, L., & Devan, H. (2019). Current evidence for nonpharmacological interventions and criteria for surgical management of persistent acromioclavicular joint osteoarthritis: A systematic review. Shoulder & Elbow, 11(6), 395-410. doi: 10.1177/1758573219840673

Devan, H., Perry, M. A., van Hattem, A., Thurlow, G., Shepherd, S., Muchemwa, C., & Grainger, R. (2019). Do pain management websites foster self-management support for people with persistent pain? A scoping review. Patient Education & Counseling, 102, 1590-1601. doi: 10.1016/j.pec.2019.04.009

Saitta, M., Devan, H., Boland, P., & Perry, M. A. (2019). Park-based physical activity interventions for persons with disabilities: A mixed-methods systematic review. Disability & Health Journal, 12, 11-23. doi: 10.1016/j.dhjo.2018.07.006

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