Field experiments motivated by behavioural economics to understand prosocial behaviour and improve blood supply. Blood and plasma shortages are common in most countries; for example, in 2005 Australia imported nearly 30% of the plasma it used. This project will develop and test in the field several policies to improve Australia's blood supply. The policies will build on robust behaviours observed in economic experiments, but that have generally not been tested outside the lab. The policies inclu ....Field experiments motivated by behavioural economics to understand prosocial behaviour and improve blood supply. Blood and plasma shortages are common in most countries; for example, in 2005 Australia imported nearly 30% of the plasma it used. This project will develop and test in the field several policies to improve Australia's blood supply. The policies will build on robust behaviours observed in economic experiments, but that have generally not been tested outside the lab. The policies include non-binding commitments, giving gifts and narrowing the perceived distance between blood donors and recipients. This project offers Australia many potential benefits including greater economic efficiency to supply blood and plasma, fewer shortages, and consequently improved health services, and greater recognition as a pioneer in blood donor supply methods.Read moreRead less
Emergency Communication: Addressing the challenges in health care discourses and practices. Communication breakdowns have been identified as the major cause of
critical incidents in public hospitals in NSW (NSW Health, 2005a). A key applied benefit of knowledge generated by the project will be a
contribution to the reduction of critical incidents leading to patient
harm - an outcome applicable to Emergency Departments nationally. This project will benefit Australia's Hospital and Health admin ....Emergency Communication: Addressing the challenges in health care discourses and practices. Communication breakdowns have been identified as the major cause of
critical incidents in public hospitals in NSW (NSW Health, 2005a). A key applied benefit of knowledge generated by the project will be a
contribution to the reduction of critical incidents leading to patient
harm - an outcome applicable to Emergency Departments nationally. This project will benefit Australia's Hospital and Health administrations as they endeavour to find solutions to the impact of communication breakdowns and provide communications training of health care personnel. The research will deliver recommendations for system-wide improvements in communication competency.Read moreRead less
Effective clinical handover communication: improving patient safety, experience and outcomes. Improving written and spoken communication in clinical handover will significantly reduce critical incidents in hospitals. The link between communication and critical incidents in hospitals is well documented. One third of the $2 billion p.a. direct financial costs to Australia of critical incidents, is attributed to poor communication between clinicians. National and international governments and heal ....Effective clinical handover communication: improving patient safety, experience and outcomes. Improving written and spoken communication in clinical handover will significantly reduce critical incidents in hospitals. The link between communication and critical incidents in hospitals is well documented. One third of the $2 billion p.a. direct financial costs to Australia of critical incidents, is attributed to poor communication between clinicians. National and international governments and health agencies have targeted clinical handover as critical in safe, effective health care. This project will generate new knowledge of handover to significantly improve patient safety and enable health professionals to enhance their communicative practices, thereby improving the quality of the patient journey through the hospital system.Read moreRead less
A Multi-disciplinary Investigation of how Trauma and Chronic Illness impact on Schooling, Identity and Social Connectivity. School connectedness and retention is an established key to both immediate and long-term health, academic and life outcomes. Young people with chronic illness or accident trauma often miss schooling and get caught in a spiral of catching up and disconnection from important peer relationships and from school. This study investigates the experiences and perspectives of young ....A Multi-disciplinary Investigation of how Trauma and Chronic Illness impact on Schooling, Identity and Social Connectivity. School connectedness and retention is an established key to both immediate and long-term health, academic and life outcomes. Young people with chronic illness or accident trauma often miss schooling and get caught in a spiral of catching up and disconnection from important peer relationships and from school. This study investigates the experiences and perspectives of young people whose schooling is disrupted by illness and trauma. It will produce guidelines for better practice by health and schooling professionals and parents of such children, and provide better knowledge about the processes by which disconnection occurs.Read moreRead less
Boosting organ donation registration in diverse communities. This project aims to increase the number and diversity of people on the Australian Organ Donor Register. Transplant success can increase when organs are matched between people of similar ethnic backgrounds, but diverse communities have historically low registration rates. This project is significant because it focuses on this disparity to co-create with two diverse communities interactive media and community dissemination strategies th ....Boosting organ donation registration in diverse communities. This project aims to increase the number and diversity of people on the Australian Organ Donor Register. Transplant success can increase when organs are matched between people of similar ethnic backgrounds, but diverse communities have historically low registration rates. This project is significant because it focuses on this disparity to co-create with two diverse communities interactive media and community dissemination strategies that respect cultural and religious beliefs while addressing concerns about donation raised in our previous research. Tested with a third diverse community, the outcome will be a model that can be both scaled and tailored to ensure equitable access to transplantation for all, benefiting the lives of many. Read moreRead less
Gender and genetic risk: Exploring how men and women conceptualise and experience genetic risk in the Australian context. The proposed comprehensive empirical investigation will contribute new foundational knowledge relevant to preventative healthcare in Australia, an area of national research priority. Genetic technology promises significant preventative health economy benefits to Australia. Knowledge from this study will potentially benefit male and female users of healthcare services involvin ....Gender and genetic risk: Exploring how men and women conceptualise and experience genetic risk in the Australian context. The proposed comprehensive empirical investigation will contribute new foundational knowledge relevant to preventative healthcare in Australia, an area of national research priority. Genetic technology promises significant preventative health economy benefits to Australia. Knowledge from this study will potentially benefit male and female users of healthcare services involving genetics, by elucidating their perspectives and needs. It will potentially benefit policy-makers and service providers in clinical genetic and other services involving genetics and inform future service models. It will contribute to future strategic research directions and the training,at PhD level, of a future researcher in a priority health area. Read moreRead less
Implementing and evaluating the impact of the Carer Support Needs Assessment Tool (CSNAT) in community palliative care. The support needs of family caregivers at end of life will be assessed using a comprehensive tool and addressed by service providers to improve carers' psychological and physical wellbeing, carer burden, bereavement outcomes and the likelihood of the patient achieving their preferred place of death.
A hybrid magnetic resonance imaging: linear accelerator (Magnetic resonance imaging-Linac) for highly accurate radiotherapy cancer treatment. Radiotherapy is often used to treat cancer, however it is very difficult to ensure the radiation doses the tumour properly as the tumour moves during treatment due to breathing. This project will produce an image-guidance system that will allow much better targeting of the treatment and thus produce better outcomes.
Examining organisational complexity and clinical risk to improve hospital patients' safety. Improving communicative practices will reduce the massive rate and cost of medication errors and hospital-acquired infections. Current costs of hospital-caused incidents are around AU$2 billion per year. These costs are likely to rise further because hospitals are becoming busier, more culturally and linguistically diverse, less generously resourced per patient, and more technologically capable of keeping ....Examining organisational complexity and clinical risk to improve hospital patients' safety. Improving communicative practices will reduce the massive rate and cost of medication errors and hospital-acquired infections. Current costs of hospital-caused incidents are around AU$2 billion per year. These costs are likely to rise further because hospitals are becoming busier, more culturally and linguistically diverse, less generously resourced per patient, and more technologically capable of keeping sicker patients alive for longer, leading to increased clinical risk and more incidents. This project could save around 20% of the total cost of hospital operations by reducing lengths of stay, lowering re-admission rates and ensuring better deployment of clinical resources.Read moreRead less
The role of bush fires in the formation and fate of dioxin like chemicals in Australia. A global (POPs) treaty signed by more than 100 nations targets the reduction and elimination of dioxins, which are persistent, bioaccumlative and highly toxic to humans. Bushfires have been suggested as the major source of dioxins in Australia. Experimental data indicate bushfires may not represent the actual sources of dioxin. Our aim is to experimentally establish the levels of dioxins formed and re-emi ....The role of bush fires in the formation and fate of dioxin like chemicals in Australia. A global (POPs) treaty signed by more than 100 nations targets the reduction and elimination of dioxins, which are persistent, bioaccumlative and highly toxic to humans. Bushfires have been suggested as the major source of dioxins in Australia. Experimental data indicate bushfires may not represent the actual sources of dioxin. Our aim is to experimentally establish the levels of dioxins formed and re-emitted from bushfires in Australia. The results will assist to make informed decisions that lead to effective action for reducing dioxin contamination in Australia, fulfilling the treaty requirements and protecting the population and environment.
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