ASSESSMENT OF PHOTOGRAPHY AS AN AID TO EARLY DETECTION OF MELANOMA IN OLDER MALES BY GENERAL PRACTITIONERS
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$36,110.00
Summary
Our previous studies have shown that older groups are more likely to present with advanced melanoma and that over half the deaths from melanoma occur in males over the age of 50. Early detection of melanoma in this group could therefore be expected to result in a major reduction in mortality from the disease. The reason for presentation with more advanced melanoma appears to be due to a high frequency of melanoma at hard to see sites such as the back and a form of melanoma (nodular melanoma) tha ....Our previous studies have shown that older groups are more likely to present with advanced melanoma and that over half the deaths from melanoma occur in males over the age of 50. Early detection of melanoma in this group could therefore be expected to result in a major reduction in mortality from the disease. The reason for presentation with more advanced melanoma appears to be due to a high frequency of melanoma at hard to see sites such as the back and a form of melanoma (nodular melanoma) that is hard to recognise in its early stages. Older people also are less able to recognise changes of melanoma. Our previous studies also showed that both doctors and lay people have poor ability to recognise changes in skin lesions over time but can do so if a photographic record is available. We wish therefore to evaluate in pilot studies whether a screening service based on photographic records taken at age 50 will assist in the early detection of melanoma in this age group. A pilot study is necessary to evaluate the feasibility of recruitment procedures, acceptability to doctors and cost-effectiveness. We have made substantial progress and are requesting another years funding to complete the study and its analysis. If the project is successful it is intended to conduct a larger randomised trial in the Hunter Region to evaluate this approach to screening. Thickness of the primary melanoma and survival from melanoma will be used as the endpoints.Read moreRead less
Nurses, Older People And Hospitals: Meeting New Challenges.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$462,500.00
Summary
This project addresses an area of pressing international concern- how to improve health care provision in acute care hospitals to a growing group of patients, people aged 85 years and over. It is known that people 85 years and over have complex health needs. It is also known that older people typically do not do well in hospital. In fact, there is often a decline in their health following hospitalisation. The need to cope with older and often sicker patients will continue to place, substantial p ....This project addresses an area of pressing international concern- how to improve health care provision in acute care hospitals to a growing group of patients, people aged 85 years and over. It is known that people 85 years and over have complex health needs. It is also known that older people typically do not do well in hospital. In fact, there is often a decline in their health following hospitalisation. The need to cope with older and often sicker patients will continue to place, substantial pressure on the acute hospital system and those who work in it. The Registered Nurse [RN], as a part of the health care team, has a pivotal role in providing and coordinating the care that people 85 and over require while in hospital. Yet, little is known about the problems that RNs face in providing care to people 85 and over in hospital. The aim of this project is to identify the problems that impact upon RNs in the provision of care to people 85 years and over and find innovative solutions to those problems. In so doing, the final project recommendations will address ways to assist RNs to enhance the care of people 85 and over in hospital, and at the same time enhance the professional working life of RNs. These recommendations will feed into health and aged care policy development, and the educational preparation of nurses, and thus will have relevance at an individual, organisational, and policy level.Read moreRead less
Disentangling The Interrelationship Between Multimordibity, Multimedicine Use, And Cardiovascular Health
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$480,978.00
Summary
Australians are living longer, but are also living with more health conditions and taking more medicines to treat those conditions. For people with cardiovascular disease (CVD), this is a problem as hundreds of non-cardiac medicines known to increase the risk of cardiovascular events, such as myocardial infarction, stroke, or heart failure. We will take a holistic, patient-centred approach determine the true burden of CVD related to use of medicines to treat comorbid conditions in Australia.
Integration And Implementation Of Deprescribing Recommendations To Reduce Medication Induced Harm
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,544,073.00
Summary
Older people in Australia commonly take multiple medicines for their health conditions. As people age and their health changes, medicines that were once helpful may become harmful. This research program will investigate how we can enhance treatment guidelines and use these guidelines in practice to increase discontinuation of unnecessary and potentially harmful medicines. This will lead to reduced medicine induced harm and may improve the quality of life of older Australians.
Understanding Frailty In Older People: An Epidemiological Insight
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$314,644.00
Summary
We need to find better and more efficient ways to identify older people at risk of poor outcomes. The measurement of frailty, a key concept in geriatric medicine, may provide this exact information. The proposed research will investigate frailty in large-scale population datasets across both community and hospital settings. Results can be used to guide patient management, influence public health policy and inform future intervention studies.
Implementing Delirium Prevention In Hospitalised Older Patients Using Normalisation Process Theory
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$175,303.00
Summary
Hospital-acquired delirium in older people is preventable. The study aim is to translate the research evidence for the prevention and management of delirium in hospitalised older people into practice. The outcome will be person and family-centred delirium prevention practices embedded into nursing work, with delirium prevention integrated into the workplace culture of Gold Coast Health. A collaborative implementation model inclusive of end users, namely nurses and consumers, will be used.