Cardiovascular Disease(CD) affected 3.67 million Australians in 2001. In 2002, it accounted for 37.6% of deaths. Nationally, development and implementation of strategies ensuring up-to-date, multi-disciplinary, cost-effective, and sustainable care for all Australians is needed. This project aims to explore current and future models of management of CD with a particular focus on drug use and health economics. It is hoped that this project will inform the development of improved health policy.
The MASTER Anaesthesia Trial (or Mulcentre Australian Study of Epidural Anaesthesia) is a large clinical experiment designed to determine whether using epidural techniques to control pain during and after surgery results in fewer complications after major surgery. The Trial involves a comparison of epidural methods, in which some of the anaesthetic and pain-killing drugs are injected into the space in the spinal column surrounding the sac that encloses the spinal cord, with conventional methods, ....The MASTER Anaesthesia Trial (or Mulcentre Australian Study of Epidural Anaesthesia) is a large clinical experiment designed to determine whether using epidural techniques to control pain during and after surgery results in fewer complications after major surgery. The Trial involves a comparison of epidural methods, in which some of the anaesthetic and pain-killing drugs are injected into the space in the spinal column surrounding the sac that encloses the spinal cord, with conventional methods, where the drugs are injected into a vein or muscle. Both approaches are well accepted in clinical practice, but it remains uncertain whether one is superior to the other. At present, nineteen hospitals in Australia, Hong Kong and Malaysia are contributing patients to the project, with others in New Zealand and Asia expected to join soon. If one method of anaesthesia and pain control is found to be significantly better than the other, in terms of avoiding complications, this would have obvious benefits to patients, but would also reduce lengths of stay in hospital and improve efficiency within the health system.Read moreRead less
Real-Time Molecular Typing Systems In Infection Control: Design And Effectiveness
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$82,554.00
Summary
MRSA is a major cause of hospital-acquired infection. Molecular typing identifies how a patient managed to contract MRSA in the hospital, and if the strain they have is particularly dangerous. This study will develop a rapid typing protocol then implement it routinely, to determine whether providing this information to infection control staff in a more timely fashion will lead to reduced MRSA infections in hospitals.
Australia has limited systems in place to identify, then reduce or withdraw (disinvest) ineffective or inappropriate health care practices. Such practices result in sub-optimal care and inefficient use of scarce resources. Disinvestment models are few and have not been tested in Australia. We will develop a novel, systematic policy framework by linking policy, clinical, patient and community members as partners in the decision process for disinvesting (or not) selected health care practices.