Preventing Early Language Delay In Primary Care Setting:cluster Randomised Trial
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$415,133.00
Summary
The trial aims to lower the numbers of children with poor expressive language skills at ages 2 and 3 years, through a sustainable early language promotion program linked to the universal Victorian Maternal and Child Health (M and CH) service, attended by more than 75% of Victorian children at 12 months of age. The trial targets the 20% of toddlers most at risk of expressive language delay, by virtue of having limited or no spoken vocabulary at 18 months of age. It also aims to lower the numbers ....The trial aims to lower the numbers of children with poor expressive language skills at ages 2 and 3 years, through a sustainable early language promotion program linked to the universal Victorian Maternal and Child Health (M and CH) service, attended by more than 75% of Victorian children at 12 months of age. The trial targets the 20% of toddlers most at risk of expressive language delay, by virtue of having limited or no spoken vocabulary at 18 months of age. It also aims to lower the numbers of children with behaviour problems (strongly linked to language delay), to determine the acceptability and cost-effectiveness of the approach, and to determine whether it differentially benefits disadvantaged children.Read moreRead less
Dementia Literacy In Greek, Italian And Chinese Australians
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$228,473.00
Summary
The dementia knowledge and beliefs of persons from Italian, Greek and Chinese backgrounds will be compared to third generation Australians. Five hundred persons from each group will be randomly selected from around Australia to be surveyed by telephone. Questions will assess whether dementia symptoms are recognised, what these persons think causes dementia, where they would go for help, how likely they are to use aged care services and stigma towards persons with dementia. Focus groups will be c ....The dementia knowledge and beliefs of persons from Italian, Greek and Chinese backgrounds will be compared to third generation Australians. Five hundred persons from each group will be randomly selected from around Australia to be surveyed by telephone. Questions will assess whether dementia symptoms are recognised, what these persons think causes dementia, where they would go for help, how likely they are to use aged care services and stigma towards persons with dementia. Focus groups will be conducted to identify barriers to service use and identify methods to improve dementia knowledge in Italian, Greek and Chinese groups. This information will be used to improve community education and service delivery for persons with dementia from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. The Primary Dementia Collaborative Research Centre at the University of NSW, NSW Multicultural Health Communication Service and Alzheimer’s Australia are partners in this research.Read moreRead less
A Controlled Multi-faceted Community Intervention Trial To Improve The Oral Health Of Preschool Aged Child In Rural VIC
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$100,000.00
Summary
Pre-school aged children living in rural Victoria have worse dental health than that of their metropolitan counterparts. This is due in part to the lack of exposure to water fluoridation, difficulty accessing dental services and other sociodemographic issues. Whilst most pre-school aged children do not routinely get taken to a dentist, they do come into contact with local community nursing and medical staff. The aim of this project is to evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of improving or ....Pre-school aged children living in rural Victoria have worse dental health than that of their metropolitan counterparts. This is due in part to the lack of exposure to water fluoridation, difficulty accessing dental services and other sociodemographic issues. Whilst most pre-school aged children do not routinely get taken to a dentist, they do come into contact with local community nursing and medical staff. The aim of this project is to evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of improving oral health for these preschool aged children by developing oral health promotion skills in the existing local medical, nursing and dental practitioners, augmented by referral pathways that improve accessibility to dental services.Read moreRead less
Assessment To Service Outcomes - Care Pathways For Older Australians With Dementia, CVD And Arthritis
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$656,029.00
Summary
The project aims to use existing data source to answer questions similar to �What happens to people after they have been assessed and recommended for aged care? in respect of service delivery for people with one of the three chronic conditions dementia, arthritis or cardiovascular disease. The project is to provide information about issues such as �bed blockers� and determine if the outcomes are different for people who have been assessed for aged care while they are in hospital. It is to chart ....The project aims to use existing data source to answer questions similar to �What happens to people after they have been assessed and recommended for aged care? in respect of service delivery for people with one of the three chronic conditions dementia, arthritis or cardiovascular disease. The project is to provide information about issues such as �bed blockers� and determine if the outcomes are different for people who have been assessed for aged care while they are in hospital. It is to chart changes in service use over time and examine factors that affect the type of care used by older people.Read moreRead less
Potential Avian Influenza-induced Pandemic: Minimising Public Panic
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$249,854.00
Summary
Communication appearing in the Australian media regarding a potential bird flu epidemic can serve to accurately and effectively inform the public OR misinform and contribute to panic and undesirable behavioural responses. The Australian Government has time to develop communication strategies and specific messages that can effectively convey desired information at different stages of the anticipated pandemic. This research team proposes to develop communication strategies (including specific mess ....Communication appearing in the Australian media regarding a potential bird flu epidemic can serve to accurately and effectively inform the public OR misinform and contribute to panic and undesirable behavioural responses. The Australian Government has time to develop communication strategies and specific messages that can effectively convey desired information at different stages of the anticipated pandemic. This research team proposes to develop communication strategies (including specific messages, media vehicles, spokespeople, images etc for the different target audiences) that government, medical authorities, NGOs and other relevant organisations can use to increase the public's understanding of the risk. Such strategies will ensure that we can minimise fear, refute misinformation the public may encounter from individuals (e.g., co-workers) or media sources, and enhance the likelihood of the public taking the recommended preventive and remedial actions should an Avian Influenza pandemic occur. Additionally, the research team will then utilise these communication strategies to develop evidence-based guidelines for communication strategies to be used in cases of similar serious health threats in Australia. Based at the University of Wollongong, the project team is a sophisticated and synergistically qualified team of experts. The team includes: a main media health promotions expert (Associate Professor Sandra Jones); two marketing communications experts, one of whom has an academic focus and the other a practitioner focus (Professor John Rossiter and Dr Max Sutherland respectively); a public health and medical expert in health behaviour change (Professor Don Iverson); a senior public health campaigns expert (Professor Chris Puplick), and an expert in communicable diseases and infection control education and programs (Professor Julian Gold).Read moreRead less
Needs Based Access To Specialist Palliative Care Services: Development And Evaluation Of A Consumer Toolkit
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$286,572.00
Summary
The study will test the cost-effectiveness of two models of supportive care coordination for advanced cancer against _usual care�: a Telephone Caseworker model and an Oncologist-GP model. Both models are aimed at improving patients� and their informal caregivers� health and psychosocial status; are patient-centred, evidence based and readily transferable across health care settings. The Telephone Caseworker model has the additional advantage of reaching people isolated through geography, physica ....The study will test the cost-effectiveness of two models of supportive care coordination for advanced cancer against _usual care�: a Telephone Caseworker model and an Oncologist-GP model. Both models are aimed at improving patients� and their informal caregivers� health and psychosocial status; are patient-centred, evidence based and readily transferable across health care settings. The Telephone Caseworker model has the additional advantage of reaching people isolated through geography, physical disability or age.Read moreRead less