The Management To Optimise Diabetes And MEtabolic Syndrome Risk Reduction Via Nurse-led Intervention (MODERN) Study
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,445,861.00
Summary
There is increasing recognition of society’s responsibility to provide effective and sustainable health care to the entire population and not just selected parts. This practical study will test the impact of a nurse-led, multidisciplinary prevention program to reduce the risk of future cardiovascular events in middle-aged individuals at a high risk of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD) living in regional Australia.
Addressing suicides in public places that have become known as ‘suicide hotspots’ is critical. We will examine which interventions work at hotspots, how and why they work, whether particular features are key to their success, whether they work best in combination with other interventions, whether they have unintended consequences, and whether they are cost-effective. Our research will culminate in a resource that provide practical guidance about how best to deal with suicide hotspots.
An Implementation Trial Of A Telephone-based Care Management Program For Patients Following Myocardial Infarction
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$641,656.00
Summary
We are trialling the implementation of an innovative telephone-delivered program for managing people who have had a heart attack. Cardiac rehabilitation programs are generally based in hospitals in Australia and people have to be able to attend the programs when they are offered. Even though such programs have been shown to be very effective in improving outcomes after a heart attack, at least 85% of Australians after a heart attack are either unable to access and-or unable to attend such progra ....We are trialling the implementation of an innovative telephone-delivered program for managing people who have had a heart attack. Cardiac rehabilitation programs are generally based in hospitals in Australia and people have to be able to attend the programs when they are offered. Even though such programs have been shown to be very effective in improving outcomes after a heart attack, at least 85% of Australians after a heart attack are either unable to access and-or unable to attend such programs due to transport and many other barriers. So, there is an urgent need to identify new, effective, and affordable ways of delivering cardiac rehabilitation programs to people after a heart attack. The proposed telephone-delivered program will be particularly appropriate for disadvantaged people, such as those living in rural and remote areas as well as Indigenous Australians, who do not currently have access to hospital-based cardiac rehabilitation programs. People who have had a heart attack will be recruited from three of Brisbane's largest public teaching hospitals, and will then be randomly assigned to the telephone-delivered cardiac rehabilitation program (Care Management Intervention group) or to a control or Usual Care group. The Care Management Intervention group will receive regular telephone calls from a highly qualified 'Care Manager' based at the renowned National Heart Foundation of Australia telephone support service, 'Heartline'. The Care Manager will help people to manage their heart condition and prevent the reoccurrence of further heart problems. People will also be encouraged to make necessary lifestyle and behavioural changes with the assistance of the Care Manager and some Heart Foundation educational and interactive resources to record their progress. We expect that the program or Care Management Intervention group will have better health outcomes than the control or Usual Care group at 6 and 12 months follow up.Read moreRead less
The Burden And Risk Factors Of Depressive Disorders In Indigenous Australians: Implications For Early Detection And Prevention
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$318,768.00
Summary
This Fellowship addresses the high rates of depression amongst Indigenous Australians. The proposed work will quantify the extent to which two major risk factors contribute to the burden of depression in this population and the burden avertable from interventions to modify these risk factors. Findings would inform resource allocation and health service delivery, and in doing so, present opportunities for improvements in the health of Indigenous Australians.
Indigenous Network Suicide Intervention Skills Training (INSIST): Can A Community Designed And Delivered Framework Reduce Suicide/self-harm In Indigenous Youth?
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$828,215.00
Summary
Queensland has the highest rates of youth suicide in Australia. Indigenous youth suicide rates are reported at twice the rate of Queensland’s total population for 15 to 44 years. Statistical data on urban-rural differences in Australia have only been available since 1986 (ABS, 1994). Although the number of suicides is far greater in urban areas (1,299 suicides aged 10–24 years in metropolitan areas versus 311 in towns with populations less than 4,000), rural demonstrate greater suicide rates per
Dynamic Postural Stability And Falls Prediction In Older People During Walking In Real-world Environments.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$680,793.00
Summary
The increased occurrence of falls with advancing age (33-50% of people aged >65 years) is a significant cause of mortality (1014 deaths in 1998), morbidity, and disability, affecting not only the individuals concerned, but the health care system (45,069 fall related hospitalizations in 1998 in Australia) and the broader community (National falls Prevention Initiative, 2004). Although there are a number of falls risk tests, most rely on determination of body sway while standing when the body i ....The increased occurrence of falls with advancing age (33-50% of people aged >65 years) is a significant cause of mortality (1014 deaths in 1998), morbidity, and disability, affecting not only the individuals concerned, but the health care system (45,069 fall related hospitalizations in 1998 in Australia) and the broader community (National falls Prevention Initiative, 2004). Although there are a number of falls risk tests, most rely on determination of body sway while standing when the body is static rather than in motion. Given that up to 70% of falls occur during walking and performing transfers, there is a clear need to develop tests of falls risk prediction that incorporate indices of postural stability measured during more dynamic activities. Test development needs to be underpinned by clear evidence of how age-related sensory and motor deficits affect postural stability during walking. The studies outlined in this application will develop and utilise new accelerometer-based technologies to determine the fundamental mechanisms underlying balance control during walking in older people. Specifically, this project will aim to develop a clear understanding of how changes in factors as vision, neuromuscular function (strength, stiffness) and proprioception contribute to the overall decline in stability and balance during walking in older people. Combined with physiological assessment measures developed by the research team, the research will allow the development of a more definitive predictive test of stability and falls risk. This test will be able to be used by health professionals for assessment of older people to determine the most effective therapeutic and-or exercise interventions to target those individuals at risk. This technology will also be adaptable to a biofeedback device to allow individuals to monitor their own stability.Read moreRead less
The Effectiveness Of An Indicated Prevention Program For Anxiety
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$867,982.00
Summary
Generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) is a common disorder. In this research project, we evaluate the effectiveness of a new automated Internet program which is designed to reduce the risk of GAD and to promote self help. If found to be effective, this website will provide assistance to those at risk living in rural and remote areas without access to other resources, and individuals who prefer to seek help anonymously.
Geelong Osteoporosis Study: Fracture Risk Prediction Based On Twenty Years Of Prospective Data.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,107,758.00
Summary
In this population-based study we will generate evidence, both environmental and genetic, for defining fracture risk in Australian men and women. This will help identify individuals likely to sustain fragility fractures so that suitable therapies can be recommended. The data will be useful for developing prognostic models in both a clinical setting and for genetic screening programmes.
20 Year Study Of Skin Cancer In A Queensland Community
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$396,415.00
Summary
Skin cancers are by far the commonest cancers diagnosed in Australia. Even though it is known that sun exposure in excess causes skin cancers there are complexities about the causes, especially of basal cell carcinoma (BCC) -the major type of skin cancer- that are still not understood. Relative intensity of sun exposure and perhaps its timing with respect to age in life may well be critical factors. We aim to study these causes in very great detail by collating information that has been gathered ....Skin cancers are by far the commonest cancers diagnosed in Australia. Even though it is known that sun exposure in excess causes skin cancers there are complexities about the causes, especially of basal cell carcinoma (BCC) -the major type of skin cancer- that are still not understood. Relative intensity of sun exposure and perhaps its timing with respect to age in life may well be critical factors. We aim to study these causes in very great detail by collating information that has been gathered over a 20 year period in a community-based skin cancer study in Nambour, Qld as well as performing some laboratory tests on skin cancer tissue collected from participants. This 3-year project will enable the full realisation of the potential of this esource-20 years in the making- with its wealth of information for answering questions about skin cancer decelopment and preventability. It should finally provide us with a clearer rationale for 'prevention of skin cancer' than is currently available. In addition we shall assess the costs of treatment of skin cancer in general and for the individual, and how much preventive practices for skin cancer might save the health budget, by using the releavnt data collected from this community sample.Read moreRead less
Cancers of the skin are the most common tumours in humans, and their diagnosis and treatment impose the largest costs on Australia’s cancer budget. While much has been learned about the roles of sunlight and skin type as risk factors for skin cancer, relatively little is known about the genes conferring risk. This study will compare the genetic profiles of over 6000 patients with skin cancer to 3000 people without skin cancer to pinpoint the genes responsible for skin cancer.