The Impact Of Insurance On Use Of Dental Services And Oral Health
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$203,616.00
Summary
Dental problems are very common in the Australian population, and health expenditure on dental services is large. This project addresses the impact of dental insurance on use of dental services and oral health outcomes to investigate the effect of insurance on dental visit patterns and mix of dental services provided, and examine how the cost of dental care is related to outcomes such as tooth loss and quality of life.
Person-centred Environment And Care For Residents With Dementia: A Cost-effective Way Of Improving Quality Of Life And Q
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,548,805.00
Summary
Improving the quality of life (QOL) and quality of care for persons with dementia are important areas of Australian health research. A growing body of evidence shows that QOL in dementia can be improved by relatively simple and inexpensive modifications to nursing care practices and the physical environment. Most studies in these areas are observational, few have utilized a randomized control group design, and none has included economic evaluation. This study will address these deficiencies. Thi ....Improving the quality of life (QOL) and quality of care for persons with dementia are important areas of Australian health research. A growing body of evidence shows that QOL in dementia can be improved by relatively simple and inexpensive modifications to nursing care practices and the physical environment. Most studies in these areas are observational, few have utilized a randomized control group design, and none has included economic evaluation. This study will address these deficiencies. This is the first time that a randomized controlled trial of Person-Centred Care (PCC) and Person-Centred Environment Design (PCD) will be undertaken. The study will be conducted in 40 residential aged care services in New South Wales, to determine the efficacy and cost effectiveness of implementing PCC and PCD separately, and in combination, in improving resident quality of life and quality of care.Read moreRead less
A Randomised Controlled Trial Of The Cost-effectiveness Of Supportive Care Coordination For Advanced Cancer
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$147,269.00
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, physical ....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
Systematic Practice-based Asthma Care In The Australian Setting
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$563,625.00
Summary
Asthma is an illness which increasingly is affecting the health and quality of life of millions of Australians. Much effort has been focused in recent years on ways of improving the management of those people who suffer from moderate and severe asthma. A recent government initiative has been to promote the use of the 3+ Visit Plan, which encourages a more proactive, systematic approach to assessing and treating asthma in general practice. There is currently no evidence about exactly how practice ....Asthma is an illness which increasingly is affecting the health and quality of life of millions of Australians. Much effort has been focused in recent years on ways of improving the management of those people who suffer from moderate and severe asthma. A recent government initiative has been to promote the use of the 3+ Visit Plan, which encourages a more proactive, systematic approach to assessing and treating asthma in general practice. There is currently no evidence about exactly how practices can best be organized to provide this systematic care, in a way which improves the process of care and the health outcomes for patients. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of changing aspects of practice organization and structure, such as setting up registers of asthma patients, providing recalls or reminders to patients to come in for regular review, having the GPs provide education and self-management skills to patients, focusing on the contributions which practice staff can make to the process, and initiating quality assurance measures such as audit and feedback to the GPs about their quality of care. We anticipate that these changes will provide positive benefits for the patients, but will also investigate what it costs the practices, patients and government to bring these changes about, within the perspective of efficiency and cost-effectiveness. The evidence generated by this study will provide an excellent base for providing advice to policy makers, as well as contributing to the development of best-practice models of care for asthma patients in general practice.Read moreRead less
Targeted Cancer Therapies: Their Use, Effectiveness And Cost Effectiveness In Real World Clinical Practice
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$121,682.00
Summary
Cancer treatments come at a high price tag and are also released to the market earlier than ever before. The high costs can be a barrier to public funding and patient access and their early release means their risks and benefits are not fully understood, especially in the long-term. This project aims to examine the newer biological therapies - their use, costs and benefits in real-world clinical practice.
Developing A Common Outcome Measure For Priority Setting In Health: Validation Of The 'Transfer To Utility' Technique
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$314,100.00
Summary
The economic evaluation of health programs is a common requirement of funders and purchasers seeking to get the best value from the health dollar. But researchers employ a wide range of disease specific and generic health status instruments to describe trial outcomes, making comparison between diverse interventions difficult. In response to this problem a 'Transfer to Utility' or TTU technique was developed by Dr Segal and colleagues, to translate diverse outcomes reported in clinical trials, in ....The economic evaluation of health programs is a common requirement of funders and purchasers seeking to get the best value from the health dollar. But researchers employ a wide range of disease specific and generic health status instruments to describe trial outcomes, making comparison between diverse interventions difficult. In response to this problem a 'Transfer to Utility' or TTU technique was developed by Dr Segal and colleagues, to translate diverse outcomes reported in clinical trials, into a utility score, so the performance of diverse health interventions can be expressed in cost-QALY and compared. The technique establishes a statistical transformation between instruments commonly used in clinical trials and a utility value. While the technique appears highly useful, based on a priority setting exercise in osteoarthritis enabling 20 disparate interventions to be compared its validity and applicability in other contexts is not established. The purpose of the grant is to explore the TTU technique to i) establish the best method for estimating the regression equation between common health outcome measures and a utility score and validating that method; ii) test generalisability to other disease areas, for which quality of life is the primary objective of management (in stroke, drug dependence and depression), iii) develop and validate a method for translating the most commonly used measure of general health status, the SF-36, into a utility score and iv) illustrate the application of the TTU in comparing intervensions for the prevention and management of depression. The results of the research will be of value to i) decision makers who must compare the performance of medical-health care interventions across a range of diseases and modalities and ii) to clinicians who want to practice evidenced based health care. The potential health gains for the community are substantial, in supporting the redirection of resources to more effective and cost-effectiveRead moreRead less
The Cost-effectiveness Of Early Resuscitation Of Sepsis In Australia - An Economic Evaluation Alongside The ARISE-RCT
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$115,971.00
Summary
Critical care treatment is expensive and consumes a significant portion of hospital resources. This study will collect cost, survival and quality of life data on a group of sepsis patients enrolled in a trial of strict protocolised treatment versus standard care (the ARISE study). This information will be used to determine how much it costs for each additional survivor with protocolised treatment, and how much it costs for each quality adjusted life year gained with protocolised treatment.
Modelling The Cost-effectiveness Of Therapeutic Strategies For Invasive Candidiasis Among The ICU Population
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$282,733.00
Summary
ICU patients are vulnerable to fungal infections during their stay in hospital. These infections are costly to treat and pose real dangers to the patient with up to 1270 lives lost each year. The best way to diagnose and treat these infections is currently not known. Making an early and accurate diagnosis is difficult but important if the infection is to be managed appropriately. This research will show which management strategies are optimal for patients and health services.
The Economic Impact Of Managing Gastro-oesophageal Reflux Disease, Barretts Oesophagus And Oesophageal Cancer.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$301,764.00
Summary
Cancer of the oesophagus is a deadly disease with less than 20% of patients expected to live beyond one year after diagnosis. Oesophageal cancer is strongly linked to acid reflux and obesity. This study will look at the economic impact of treating patients for oesophageal cancer and associated precursor conditions and explore the cost-effectiveness of potential screening options for individuals at high-risk.
Improving Vision And Quality Of Life: An Innovative And Comprehensive Eye Care Model For Individuals In Residential Care Facilities
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$896,953.00
Summary
Elderly people living in residential care facilities have high levels of vision loss which can impact on emotional health, falls, daily functioning, and quality of life. Appropriate correction and cataract surgery can improve vision and, with low vision rehabilitation, can enhance quality of life. This project will assess the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of a new model of eye care targeting vision impairment to improve residents’ daily functioning, enhance their emotional well-being and quali ....Elderly people living in residential care facilities have high levels of vision loss which can impact on emotional health, falls, daily functioning, and quality of life. Appropriate correction and cataract surgery can improve vision and, with low vision rehabilitation, can enhance quality of life. This project will assess the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of a new model of eye care targeting vision impairment to improve residents’ daily functioning, enhance their emotional well-being and quality of life; and reduce falls.Read moreRead less