Improving Outcomes For People With Cancer: Consultation Skills Training With Oncologists
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$499,070.00
Summary
Each year approximately 30,000 Australians die from cancer and 65,000 new cancers are diagnosed. Despite much research for a cure for cancer, the incidence and mortality from cancer has not changed. New treatments now cause people with cancer to live longer with the disease, so we now need to focus on efforts to optimise the quality of life of these people. Although the emotional burden on patients and families is recognized, there is a sense that this is an inevitable by-product of the disease ....Each year approximately 30,000 Australians die from cancer and 65,000 new cancers are diagnosed. Despite much research for a cure for cancer, the incidence and mortality from cancer has not changed. New treatments now cause people with cancer to live longer with the disease, so we now need to focus on efforts to optimise the quality of life of these people. Although the emotional burden on patients and families is recognized, there is a sense that this is an inevitable by-product of the disease and its management in existing clinical systems. However, this does not need to be the case. There is now ample evidence that the way that doctors interact with their patients can effect the accuracy of diagnosis and prognosis, as well as patients' satisfaction, adherence with treatment instructions and quality of life after being diagnosed with cancer. Both patient advocate groups and clinicians have called for further training for doctors to effectively manage psychosocial aspects of cancer care, however, despite this support, there have been few opportunities for such training in Australia. We have developed an innovative consultation-skills program for oncologists. So that the effectiveness of the project can be evaluated, it will be implemented as a randomised controlled trial with oncologists from major Australian cancer clinics being randomly allocated to an intervention or control group. The training program will be delivered by videoconferencing, to overcome many of the barriers that have impeded busy clinicians from participating in previous training programs. This is the first international study to use videoconferencing between remote locations for this type of consultation skills training. A variety of measures will be used to evaluate the impact of the training, including patients' quality of life, anxiety, depression and perceived needs, and oncologists' burn-out.Read moreRead less
Interrogation Of Two Novel Genetic Susceptibility Loci For Multiple Sclerosis
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$840,615.00
Summary
This proposal, from the Australia and New Zealand multiple sclerosis (MS) Genetics Consortium, aims to interrogate two new genes that it recently identified as predisposing for the development of MS. Both of the genes underlying these findings are also associated with risk of developing other autoimmune diseases such as type 1 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis and Graves' disease.
Climate Change And Rural Communities: Integrated Study Of Physical And Social Impacts, Health Risks And Adaptive Options
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$611,599.00
Summary
Rural Australia has begun to experience climate change impacts - which will increase in future. Losses in farm yields, water supplies, property, community morale and family incomes have diverse health effects. We will study the separate and joint effects of climate change and associated extreme events (e.g., bushfires) on selected health outcomes. Using integrative methods, we will clarify the main influences on health risks, their future projections, and how best to intervene to lessen risks.
Communication Of Genetic Information In Families: A Randomised Controlled Trial Of A Genetic Counselling Intervention.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$359,728.00
Summary
The amount of genetic testing information available to Australians has exploded as a result of the human genome project. Our multi-disciplinary team will investigate the most acceptable and feasible way for important genetic information to be transmitted in families. This study will be a world first trial of a genetic counselling intervention which aims to help patients and health professionals communicate life-changing information in families where there is a serious genetic condition.
Improving The Communication Of People With Severe Traumatic Brain Injury: A Clinical Trial
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$448,293.00
Summary
Traumatic brain injury is the leading cause of disability in young Australians, and is particularly prevalent in young men. The condition disturbs thinking and problem solving. Ultimately, these problems manifest in impaired verbal communication. Communication problems following traumatic brain injury can make critical relationships-such as father, husband, and employee-impossible to sustain. Those affected are socially inappropriate and uncomfortable to be around, which causes a lifetime of los ....Traumatic brain injury is the leading cause of disability in young Australians, and is particularly prevalent in young men. The condition disturbs thinking and problem solving. Ultimately, these problems manifest in impaired verbal communication. Communication problems following traumatic brain injury can make critical relationships-such as father, husband, and employee-impossible to sustain. Those affected are socially inappropriate and uncomfortable to be around, which causes a lifetime of lost friendships, unemployability, and social isolation. Minimisation of these lifelong effects is of the utmost importance to the health of those affected, and is critical to reducing the economic burden of the condition. Two approaches have been shown to improve the communication of those with traumatic brain injury. Training in social skills is helpful, as is training partners to deal with difficult communication behaviours. However, to date, no research has concurrently studied these two approaches to rehabilitation. Consequently, it is unknown whether best results are achieved with either one of the two methods, or both. The present project uses a clinical trials approach in an innovative evaluation of three methods of treating those with traumatic brain injury compared with a control group. The trial involves the conceptual advances of including cost effectiveness of treatment as an outcome measure, and inclusion of advanced methods to measure the intricacies of verbal communication. The multidisciplinary team of Chief Investigators has international track records in the requisite disciplines for the study of traumatic brain injury and its rehabilitation.Read moreRead less
A Telehealth Adaptation Of A Treatment For Chronic Stuttering
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$389,400.00
Summary
Stuttering can have devastating effects on psychological development, social adjustment, and the realisation of educational and vocational potential. Best practice treatments for chronic stuttering in adulthood and late adolescence stop or reduce stuttering with a systematic process of speech restructuring. However, speech restructuring treatment for chronic stuttering is specialised and resource intensive. Probably half of Australians with chronic stuttering cannot access such specialised treat ....Stuttering can have devastating effects on psychological development, social adjustment, and the realisation of educational and vocational potential. Best practice treatments for chronic stuttering in adulthood and late adolescence stop or reduce stuttering with a systematic process of speech restructuring. However, speech restructuring treatment for chronic stuttering is specialised and resource intensive. Probably half of Australians with chronic stuttering cannot access such specialised treatment services because of distance and lifestyle factors, and because clinicians do not have the resources to provide the treatment. These problems present a research challenge. The present project aims to meet this challenge by developing an innovative treatment model for adults who stutter based on telehealth. This treatment model will make the treatment accessible to all rural and urban dwelling patients with chronic stuttering, and will make the treatment deliverable by every clinician. The research will have significant impact for many end users.Read moreRead less