Consumer Perspectives And Preferences Across The Trajectory Of Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$307,946.00
Summary
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a growing health problem. An understanding of patient perspectives is important to alleviate the societal burden of CKD and improve patient survival, quality of life and health. This research will identify: information needs of patients with early-stage CKD, issues relevant to dialysis patients and kidney transplant recipients, and patient preferences for organ allocation. I intend to achieve this by conducting interviews, focus groups and surveys with patients ac ....Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a growing health problem. An understanding of patient perspectives is important to alleviate the societal burden of CKD and improve patient survival, quality of life and health. This research will identify: information needs of patients with early-stage CKD, issues relevant to dialysis patients and kidney transplant recipients, and patient preferences for organ allocation. I intend to achieve this by conducting interviews, focus groups and surveys with patients across Australia.Read moreRead less
Personalised Nutrition To Revolutionise Gestational Diabetes Prevention
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$854,008.00
Summary
Gestational diabetes (GDM) affects 1 in 7 pregnant women, significantly increasing future risk for cardiovascular diseases in women and offspring. Clinical management of GDM is a healthy diet; but this one-size fits all approach is ineffective. We need to prevent GDM. We will use dietary modelling to inform culturally acceptable, personalised nutrition plans that will reverse metabolic risk factors to prevent GDM. Personalised nutrition represents a paradigm shift for current clinical care.
Investigating Implementation Of 2017 Stroke Clinical Guidelines In Inpatient Stroke Rehabilitation
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$318,768.00
Summary
There are major problems in Australia and overseas of patients not receiving evidence-based care. In the first 3 months after a stroke, receiving more therapy helps people improve. People in stroke rehabilitation should receive 3 hours therapy/day, but this does not usually happen. This project will use rigorous research methods to work with stroke survivors, their carers and staff in rehabilitation hospitals to find the best way to ensure that each stroke survivor does 3 hours of practice/day.
Technology-enabled And Consumer-informed Approaches To Improving Mental Health
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$766,322.00
Summary
Mental disorders are the leading cause of disability in Australia, the majority of Australians with a mental illness do not seek professional help and people with a severe mental illness live 25 years less than others in the community. This research aims to improve the quality of life of those with a mental illness, through an innovative research program that investigates new technology based models of mental health service and delivery and involves people with mental illness as part of the rese ....Mental disorders are the leading cause of disability in Australia, the majority of Australians with a mental illness do not seek professional help and people with a severe mental illness live 25 years less than others in the community. This research aims to improve the quality of life of those with a mental illness, through an innovative research program that investigates new technology based models of mental health service and delivery and involves people with mental illness as part of the research team.Read moreRead less
A Centre Of Research Excellence In Adolescent Health: Making Health Services Work For Adolescents In A Digital Age
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,496,295.00
Summary
Developmentally appropriate adolescent healthcare must be inter-disciplinary, with sound communication and acknowledging increasing autonomy; not easily accommodated within traditional paediatric and adult models of care. Our diverse team of experts will work with young people, parents, policy makers and service providers to create principles of cost-effective, equitable and accessible healthcare for adolescents, making best use of present-day health services and modern digital technologies.
Development And Evaluation Of A Decision Aid For Women With A Breech-presenting Baby.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$156,890.00
Summary
Many studies have shown that women want to participate in clinical decisions about the treatments they receive during pregnancy and that involvement in decision making increases satisfaction with maternity care. Decision aids are interventions to help people make specific and deliberative decisions by providing information on the options and outcomes relevant to the person's health. This project aims to develop and evaluate the world's first decision aid for women with a breech presenting baby ( ....Many studies have shown that women want to participate in clinical decisions about the treatments they receive during pregnancy and that involvement in decision making increases satisfaction with maternity care. Decision aids are interventions to help people make specific and deliberative decisions by providing information on the options and outcomes relevant to the person's health. This project aims to develop and evaluate the world's first decision aid for women with a breech presenting baby (bottom rather than head first) in late pregnancy. A decision aid for breech presentation is timely because recent results of an international trial have dramatically altered women's options in the management of breech presentation. The trial of vaginal breech birth versus planned caesarean section (CS) found overwhelming evidence of reduced infant death and disability for women with a planned CS. Planned CS is now considered best practice for delivery of a breech presentation at birth. However, another treatment option for women with a breech presentation is turning the breech to head first before birth (called external cephalic version, ECV). Each of these options (ECV or planned CS) has benefits and risks, and the relative importance of these benefits and risks varies for individual women, a scenario where a decision aid produces the greatest benefit. The breech decision aid developed in this project will be based on the best and most recently available evidence and outcomes. It will incorporate a workbook, audiotape-CD and worksheet that will guide (but not direct) women to a treatment option that best suits them, taking ~20 minutes to complete. The decision aid will be evaluated to assess the impact on women's satisfaction with decision making, knowledge, anxiety and pregnancy outcomes. If successful, the results could be applied to improve consumer information and participation in clinical decisions across a wide spectrum of pregnancy care issues.Read moreRead less
Preventing Overdiagnosis: A Research Programme To Investigate And Respond To The Health Impacts Of Expanding Disease Definitions And Lowering Diagnostic Thresholds
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$318,768.00
Summary
The “modern epidemic” of overdiagnosis is recognised as a source of harm and waste in healthcare. Overdiagnosis happens when someone is given a diagnosis for a disease that won’t harm them, leading to unnecessary treatment. This project will investigate how expanding disease definitions are helping drive overdiagnosis by labelling too many people, how to communicate about the problem, and how to improve the process of defining disease, so health resources can focus more on those most in need.
Improving The Cardiometabolic Health Of People With Psychosis: The Physical Health Nurse Consultant Service
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$667,021.00
Summary
People with psychosis have high rates of chronic disease that reduces lifespan by 25 years. The health system struggles to provide adequate care. We developed the Physical Health Nurse Consultant service that provides physical health care coordination and will evaluate whether it improves physical health, consumer experience and cost-effectiveness. Outcomes will directly address policy initiatives to improve physical health service delivery in mental health services.
Consumer Information Materials And A Communication Aid For Diagnostic Tests For Breast Disease
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$105,863.00
Summary
Many studies have now shown that the majority of patients want to participate in clinical decisions about medical treatments they might receive. As a result, information materials are being developed to help consumers and doctors work together to reach satisfying treatment decisions which are based on the best available evidence and also reflect the individual patient's needs and preferences about the treatment options. Very little is known, however, about whether consumers also want to particip ....Many studies have now shown that the majority of patients want to participate in clinical decisions about medical treatments they might receive. As a result, information materials are being developed to help consumers and doctors work together to reach satisfying treatment decisions which are based on the best available evidence and also reflect the individual patient's needs and preferences about the treatment options. Very little is known, however, about whether consumers also want to participate in decisions about whether to have a medical test. Tests can be trivial, such as a blood or urine test, or quite major and invasive, such as a biopsy or a colonoscopy. People considering a medical test might want to know the answers to the following questions: What is my chance of having the disease being tested for? If the test result is positive what is the chance I have the disease? If the test result is negative what is the chance I have the disease anyway? How will the test result influence treatment of my condition? What are possible side-effects of the test? Generally information materials about medical tests only describe the test itself, and do not contain the information people need to answer these questions. Even doctors may not have to hand the data needed to answer these questions. Yet without this information, consumers cannot make truly informed and rational choices about whether to have the test. This project aims to find out whether consumers want to participate in decisions about medical tests, what information they would want to do this, and to develop and trial information materials and a communication aid for a small number of breast cancer tests. We will use tests for diagnosing breast cancer as our model but we anticipate the work will be applicable across a wide range of medical tests.Read moreRead less
This program, run by an established team with skills in public health, clinical epidemiology, biostatistics, health economics and behavioural science addresses the under-researched issues of whether, when and how to use medical tests. The elements of the program follow the sequence in which testing is often done: for screening (early detection), for diagnosis on which to base treatment decisions, and for monitoring the effects of treatment. A common approach throughout is the identification of t ....This program, run by an established team with skills in public health, clinical epidemiology, biostatistics, health economics and behavioural science addresses the under-researched issues of whether, when and how to use medical tests. The elements of the program follow the sequence in which testing is often done: for screening (early detection), for diagnosis on which to base treatment decisions, and for monitoring the effects of treatment. A common approach throughout is the identification of the benefits and harms of testing and assessing their trade-off; how benefits weigh up against harms. This research is relevant to all partners in healthcare, (consumers, clinicians and policy-makers), who currently are being tested or using tests without being fully informed about the accuracy and effects of these tests.Read moreRead less