Psychosocial Disability And Return To Work In Younger Stroke Survivors
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$511,216.00
Summary
Each year about 12,000 Australians of working age survive a stroke. These younger survivors have responsibility for generating an income or providing care for families and state that their main objective is to return to work for financial reasons and to help rebuild confidence and independence. This observational 3 year study will determine thefactors are associated with returning to work, improving the wellbeing of thousands of stroke survivors and their families using multivariate regression.
LONG TERM FUNCTIONAL ABILITY AND COSTS OF STROKE SUBTYPES.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$270,604.00
Summary
Stroke is the third most common cause of death in Australia, and is more common in the older age groups. Because the population most at risk of developing stroke is growing faster than the rest of the population, it is likely that there will be a large increase in the number of strokes occurring in coming years. At 1 year after stroke about one-third of patients have died, a third remain severely disabled and a third recover with minimal disability. In Australia, there is little information on o ....Stroke is the third most common cause of death in Australia, and is more common in the older age groups. Because the population most at risk of developing stroke is growing faster than the rest of the population, it is likely that there will be a large increase in the number of strokes occurring in coming years. At 1 year after stroke about one-third of patients have died, a third remain severely disabled and a third recover with minimal disability. In Australia, there is little information on outcome beyond 1 year. It is thought that at 5 years after stroke about 55% of patients will die, and a further 10% will have another nonfatal stroke. Stroke is estimated to cost the community in excess of $1 billion a year. Little is known about the long-term costs of stroke to survivors and their relatives. These costs are likely to be substantial, and are likely to include costs related to hospitalisations, outpatient visits, general practitioner visits, medications, aids and community services. It is also likely that substantial informal care is provided by relatives and friends (e.g. assistance with shopping and personal care). The aim of this study is to assess the long-term outcome of patients with stroke. These will include measures of survival, stroke recurrence, and ability to perform usual daily activities. In addition, we aim to determine the long-term use of health care and community resources and the costs incurred by patients, their carers, and the community. Information on survival patterns, stroke recurrence and disability will provide information of great value for health service planning. Such information will also be useful to patients, their families, and medical staff who treat these patients. Information on the costs of stroke will provide the only information about the patterns of long-term health care and community resource use among stroke patients in Australia. This information will be useful for health service planning.Read moreRead less
10-year Outcome After Stroke: Final Follow-up For Survival, Stroke Recurrence, Functional Ability And Costs
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$51,475.00
Summary
Stroke is common, occurring in approximately 50,000 Australians each year. About a third of people with stroke die within the first 12 months but we do not know how many survive or how well they manage in the longer term. We aim to interview 10-year survivors of stroke to assess how much help they need to undertake everyday activities, and how much the stroke is costing the Australian community. This information will help us in planning the health care needs for stroke patients in future years.
Incidence And Outcome Of Stroke In Rural South Australia
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$735,541.00
Summary
We propose to undertake a population-based study of the incidence, management and outcome of stroke (survival, disability, recurrent stroke) in geographically defined segments of rural South Australia and compare these with equivalent data, collected during the same period in a defined sector of metropolitan Adelaide. It is hard to over-state the value of this information for planning health services of many kinds for the next decade.
Improving Research Evidence Quality Using Individual Patient Data, Prospective Meta-analysis And Trial Registration
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$387,489.00
Summary
The quality of evidence we use to make health care decisions can be improved if we use systematic reviews that are planned ahead, that use raw data from each participant and include all the trials that have looked at the clinical problem. This research program will utilise these three ways of obtaining better quality data and will thus make research results more reliable. In particular, we will use these techniques to address health problems in mothers and babies.
Why Do Some Breast Cancers Present At An Advanced Stage In Women In Australia?
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$682,950.00
Summary
Each year since 1994, some 10,000 Australian women have been diagnosed with breast cancer and 2,500 have died from it; these deaths have led to loss of some 31,000 years of life before 75 years of age. There is no effective way to prevent breast cancer in most women at risk of it, the only possible intervention is early detection and treatment to reduce the impact of being diagnosed with the disease. The smaller the cancer at treatment, the better the outcome. The national mammographic screening ....Each year since 1994, some 10,000 Australian women have been diagnosed with breast cancer and 2,500 have died from it; these deaths have led to loss of some 31,000 years of life before 75 years of age. There is no effective way to prevent breast cancer in most women at risk of it, the only possible intervention is early detection and treatment to reduce the impact of being diagnosed with the disease. The smaller the cancer at treatment, the better the outcome. The national mammographic screening program, BreastScreen Australia, began in 1991. We expect that screening, through early detection, would reduce the numbers of women who die of breast cancer. Death rates from breast cancer have been falling in Australia since 1994. Despite this program, however, rates of larger breast cancers, more likely to have spread beyond the breast, are not falling. In 1997-98, the woman or her doctor detected nearly half of all breast cancers diagnosed outside of screening by detecting a change in the breast. Given that screening can detect cancers when they are small and that women themselves are also able to detect symptoms that may be small breast cancers and seek medical advice, we must ask why so many cancers are not diagnosed and treated until they are 2cm or larger and threaten life. This project aims to examine reasons in three broad areas: the woman herself, the cancer, and the wider health system, including the medical practitioner to whom symptoms or signs are first presented. Our study aims to understand the factors that contribute the most to the occurrence of larger breast cancers so that public health campaigns can be designed to increase the numbers detected at an early stage.Read moreRead less
ENDOPHTHALMITIS IN WESTERN AUSTRALIA (1980-2002): INCIDENCE, MANAGEMENT AND EFFECTIVENESS OF CHEMOPROPHYLAXIS
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$348,942.00
Summary
Endophthalmitis is a serious sight threatening infection of the internal cavities of the eye. Although endophthalmitis is not a common post-operative complication of eye surgery, 200 cases of this serious sight threatening infection occur each year in Australia following cataract surgery. Not only is this condition extremely distressing to the patients and surgeons alike, around A$4 million per year is spent each year treating the infection. Also, there is significant expenditure on methods to p ....Endophthalmitis is a serious sight threatening infection of the internal cavities of the eye. Although endophthalmitis is not a common post-operative complication of eye surgery, 200 cases of this serious sight threatening infection occur each year in Australia following cataract surgery. Not only is this condition extremely distressing to the patients and surgeons alike, around A$4 million per year is spent each year treating the infection. Also, there is significant expenditure on methods to prevent the infection that have not, as yet, been demonstrated beneficial. Our study will use a multidisciplinary team consisting of consultant ophthalmologists, public health researchers, a biostatistician and health economist to assess the impact of endophthalmitis in WA from 1980-2002 (around 480 cases). The population-based WA Linked Database provides a unique opportunity to produce what will be the largest population study of endophthalmitis. Data from the study will provide important information to develop best-practice treatment guidelines to prevent endophthalmitis following cataract surgery. The significance of this study will be that accurate information on the clinical epidemiology and true cost of endophthalmitis will be obtained for WA. By studying the records of patients with endophthalmitis and comparing them with matched patients, who did not have post-operative endophthalmitis following cataract surgery, we will characterise the risks for this severe complication by identifying the underlying factors that are responsible for the infection. We will also better understand the effect of methods used to prevent the infection. The use of a whole population-based study to assess methods of endophthalmitis prevention has not been done before and will have a significant beneficial impact on health policy and best-practice, not only in Australia, but also internationally.Read moreRead less