Thai Health-risk Transition: A National Cohort Study
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,231,214.00
Summary
Thailand's disease patterns are changing. Some changes are good but others, like emerging diabetes, heart disease and injuries, are of concern. Development-related 'health transition' can be optimised if there is information on new causes of disease - immediate risk factors, and 'upstream' economic, cultural and environmental influences. The team will study this health-risk transition in the whole Thai population - looking back 50 years, then forwards in 100,000 Sukothai Thammathirat Open Univer ....Thailand's disease patterns are changing. Some changes are good but others, like emerging diabetes, heart disease and injuries, are of concern. Development-related 'health transition' can be optimised if there is information on new causes of disease - immediate risk factors, and 'upstream' economic, cultural and environmental influences. The team will study this health-risk transition in the whole Thai population - looking back 50 years, then forwards in 100,000 Sukothai Thammathirat Open University students living all over Thailand and followed for four years. The team will map changing risks and upstream influences, produce information for Thai preventive programs, boost regional research capacity, create a regional partnership, and support PhD and postdoctoral training.Read moreRead less
Multi-centre RDBC Trial Of Oxygen Vs Air For Relief Of Breathlessness In Terminally-ill Patients With Intractable Dyspno
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$149,701.00
Summary
This study will compare the effects of oxygen and air in the relief of breathlessness in patients at the end of life who do not currently qualify for home oxygen. This landmark study will provide accurate information about any benefits that oxygen offers for breathlessness in this setting. This international multi-site study will ask 226 people to participate using either oxygen or air for 7 days while keeping a diary. We will measure breathlessness, quality of life, anxiety and side effects exp ....This study will compare the effects of oxygen and air in the relief of breathlessness in patients at the end of life who do not currently qualify for home oxygen. This landmark study will provide accurate information about any benefits that oxygen offers for breathlessness in this setting. This international multi-site study will ask 226 people to participate using either oxygen or air for 7 days while keeping a diary. We will measure breathlessness, quality of life, anxiety and side effects experienced.Read moreRead less
Helping Family Caregivers Of Palliative Care Patients Manage Their Roles: Evaluation Of A Hospital Based Group Education
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$219,810.00
Summary
While most people would prefer to die at home, the reality is that about two thirds of people die in in-patient settings, such as palliative care units. A home death is more likely if family caregivers are well prepared and supported in their role. Palliative care services are expected to support family caregivers. Research shows, however, that many family caregivers lack the required information to effectively manage their role. They are also prone to suffer psychological distress while support ....While most people would prefer to die at home, the reality is that about two thirds of people die in in-patient settings, such as palliative care units. A home death is more likely if family caregivers are well prepared and supported in their role. Palliative care services are expected to support family caregivers. Research shows, however, that many family caregivers lack the required information to effectively manage their role. They are also prone to suffer psychological distress while supporting their dying relative. Caregivers have expressed a desire for structured information to better prepare them for their role, whether their dying relative is in hospital, a palliative care unit or at home. The aim of this project is to develop and evaluate an educational program offered to family caregivers who are supporting a relative who is receiving palliative care in an inpatient setting. The education program seeks to help family caregivers manage their role and to prepare them for the patient�s home care where appropriate. It is hoped that family caregivers who have attended the program will be more competent, better prepared and more informed about their caregiving role. An additional benefit from attending the program will be the opportunity for family caregivers to meet others in similar situations to themselves. Each education program will involve approximately six family caregivers; it will be conducted very soon after their relative has been admitted to the palliative care unit. The program will be of two hours duration (including time for data collection) and will be facilitated by a suitably qualified health professional. Written resources will be provided and caregivers will be given the opportunity to meet with staff from the multidisciplinary team. Referrals for scheduled consultations will be made where relevant. The program will be conducted in three sites (two in Victoria and one in Western Australia) and will be comprehensively evaluated. The caregivers who attend the program will be invited to provide feedback by completing several questionnaires designed to determine the effectiveness of the program. Group education programs of this kind have previously not been rigorously developed and tested. We seek to address this and hope to demonstrate that we can positively influence the family care giving experience.Read moreRead less
Improving The Psychological Wellbeing Of Family Caregivers Of Home Based Palliative Care Patients: A Randomised Controll
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$300,000.00
Summary
Support for family caregivers during the care giving phase and into bereavement is a core element of palliative care philosophy and practice. The majority of people report a preference to be cared for at home yet only about a quarter of Australians receiving palliative care services have a home death. Family caregivers provide the bulk of support to patients receiving palliative care at home and without this contribution the well-being of patients and their capacity to remain at home would be co ....Support for family caregivers during the care giving phase and into bereavement is a core element of palliative care philosophy and practice. The majority of people report a preference to be cared for at home yet only about a quarter of Australians receiving palliative care services have a home death. Family caregivers provide the bulk of support to patients receiving palliative care at home and without this contribution the well-being of patients and their capacity to remain at home would be compromised. Many research studies have acknowledged the negative psychological, physical, social and financial impact experienced by family caregivers who care for a relative requiring palliative care at home. Family caregivers report a variety of unmet needs throughout the palliative care and bereavement process, despite input from health care services and have been referred to as �hidden patients�. Support for family caregivers is often crisis driven. Resource issues in rural areas add to the challenges of providing optimal family centred support. Hence, it is difficult to claim that palliative care services pro-actively provide effective targeted support for family caregivers and for the most part, family situations with unmet needs prevail. Family caregivers want information that prepares them for what is involved in supporting a dying relative, on how to provide patient comfort, practical care needs and strategies to minimise their own psychological burden. Our study specifically responds to these identified needs by evaluating a home based intervention that aims to enhance the psychological well-being of family caregivers. Family caregivers will receive two home visits from a palliative care nurse, written resources and phone support. A care plan will be developed in partnership with the local palliative care service.Read moreRead less
Cognitive Outcome And Therapeutic Interventions For Coronary Artery Disease.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$392,104.00
Summary
Dementia is recognized as an increasingly important factor affecting quality of life as people age. Deaths from heart disease are declining, in part due to improved surgical techniques and to the use of less invasive methods to keep arteries open such as coronary stenting. It is now well known that 20 to 60% of patients experience some degree of impairment in thinking ability (cognitive impairment) after cardiac surgery, that this will persist in some of these individuals for years and may incre ....Dementia is recognized as an increasingly important factor affecting quality of life as people age. Deaths from heart disease are declining, in part due to improved surgical techniques and to the use of less invasive methods to keep arteries open such as coronary stenting. It is now well known that 20 to 60% of patients experience some degree of impairment in thinking ability (cognitive impairment) after cardiac surgery, that this will persist in some of these individuals for years and may increase the risk of long-term problems. Cognitive impairment affects people in many ways. While it is not yet known whether the occurrence of cognitive impairment predisposes to dementia, it is thought that Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) may do so. We propose to explore the link between MCI and Post Procedural Cognitive Deficit (PPCD) in patients with coronary disease from before the first point of objective diagnosis, i.e. prior to the coronary angiogram, and over a 12-month period, through and subsequent to further treatment interventions such as stenting or cardiac surgery. Our Pilot data suggest that PPCD does indeed occur after angiography, and we propose to identify how long this lasts, whether MCI predisposes to it and whether it is better to wait until it resolves before further interventions are undertaken. In this way we hope to identify the safest treatment strategy for patients with coronary disease that will minimize the occurrence of Cognitive Deficit and possibly longer-term cognitive changes after investigation and treatment for their symptoms.Read moreRead less
Study Of HPV 6 L1 Virus Like Paticles As Therapeutic Vaccine For Genital Warts And Recurrent Respiratory Papillomatosis.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$615,608.00
Summary
This project will examine the effectiveness of a vaccine designed to prevent tumours and cancers associated with papillomarvirus infection as treatment for existing infections, and will look for predictors of a favourable outcome from treatment.
Optimising Prevention And The Management Of Care For Australians With Or At Risk Of Serious And Continuing Chronic Illne
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$3,760,301.00
Summary
The project aims to study three prototype conditions - cardiovascular disease, diabetes and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease - in people aged 45 to 85 in the Sydney West Area Health Service and the Australian Capital Territory with a view to implementing and evaluating new models of care and developing policies that observe accurately the current state of the art technologies, discern the gaps in knowledge, locate the barriers to optimality and engage policy makers in practical proposals ab ....The project aims to study three prototype conditions - cardiovascular disease, diabetes and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease - in people aged 45 to 85 in the Sydney West Area Health Service and the Australian Capital Territory with a view to implementing and evaluating new models of care and developing policies that observe accurately the current state of the art technologies, discern the gaps in knowledge, locate the barriers to optimality and engage policy makers in practical proposals about how best to use the currently available resources to achieve better health outcomes.Read moreRead less