Tara Alexander

Tara Alexander is a Senior Research Fellow at the University of Wollongong, working within the Science, Medicine and Health Faculty at the Australasian Rehabilitation Outcomes Centre (AROC). She joined the Australian Health Services Research Institute (AHSRI) in 2002 after previously working at the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. As the AROC Data Manager and Statistician, she is responsible for data management, benchmarking, reporting and research analysis components of AROC across Australia and New Zealand.

Dr. Alexander brings extensive statistical and database management expertise to rehabilitation research. Her primary focus is on AROC research, with occasional involvement in Community Health Services and Development (CHSD) projects. Her work spans rehabilitation-specific patient experience surveys, community health and community care surveys, and the development of databases to support various evaluation projects. She has significant experience in data linkage of de-identified datasets and has provided statistical expertise for building priority rating tools for community care.

Tara was instrumental in establishing AROC and created the purpose-built IT system known as AROC Online services, which is used across Australia and New Zealand to track and improve patient outcomes. In 2022, she was recognized in the Brilliant Women in Digital Health Awards presented by Telstra Health for her groundbreaking work in digital health solutions for the rehabilitation sector.

Her research portfolio demonstrates a strong focus on rehabilitation outcomes across diverse patient populations including stroke survivors, individuals with traumatic brain injuries, cancer patients, and those recovering from hip fractures. Recent work has increasingly examined the potential for home-based rehabilitation as a cost-effective alternative to traditional inpatient care, with several publications on rehabilitation in the home (RITH) models. She has played a significant role in the Australian Traumatic Brain Injury Initiative, contributing to systematic reviews that inform data collection standards and outcome measurement for TBI patients.

Scientific Awards

• 2022 Brilliant Women in Digital Health Awards (Telstra Health) - Recognized for establishing AROC and creating AROC Online services

Research Funding

• Rehabilitation In the Community and Hospital outpatient setting (RICH) (2023-2027) - Translational Challenge Grant
• Person-centred rehabilitation: implementation and evaluation of a rehabilitation specific patient experience survey (2014) - Research Grant

Research Infrastructure

Tara Alexander is a key member of the Australasian Rehabilitation Outcomes Centre (AROC), which operates under the Australian Health Services Research Institute (AHSRI) at the University of Wollongong. She developed and manages AROC Online services, a comprehensive IT system used across Australia and New Zealand for tracking rehabilitation patient outcomes, benchmarking performance, and supporting research initiatives in the rehabilitation sector.