Testing, Translation And Uptake Of Evidence In General Practice: A Systems Approach To Rapid Translation
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,411,050.00
Summary
Testing, Translation & Uptake of Evidence in General Practice: A systems approach. Though General Practice is the frontline of Australia’s health system, new research findings are often ignored by busy GPs, resulting in suboptimal care. We plan to improve this by: A. A network of influential GPs practices to test new research, B. Practice support units who provide GP and patient summaries of new research, C. Active transfer of successful new practices via social media, guidelines, and courses.
Translating Cardiovascular Disease Prevention Guidelines Into General Practice: A Behavioural Intervention Within A Systems Approach To Improve Evidence-based Practice
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$318,768.00
Summary
This project will develop, evaluate and implement a combined GP and patient intervention to improve cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention, by increasing: 1) use of CVD risk calculators; 2) guidelines-based prescribing of medication to high risk and not low risk patients; and 3) patient understanding of CVD risk/management options and involvement in decision making. This will improve care for millions of patients, reduce the cost of CVD, and develop new methods to improve other areas of health.
A Longitudinal Study To Determine Aetiology Of The Condition Known As Breast Thrush In Lactating Women
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$775,147.00
Summary
This project looks at 2 common breast problems in breastfeeding women: breast thrush and mastitis (bacterial infection). Some health professionals believe breast thrush is caused by Candida albicans (thrush) while others believe it is caused by the bacteria Staphylococcus aureus (golden staph). This study will follow a group of women to determine if S. aureus or C. albicans is the cause of breast thrush and to describe the transmission of these organisms between mother and baby .
A Perntership Intervention Trial To Redress TreatmentDelay And Improve Outcomes In Rural Cancer Patients
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,258,784.00
Summary
Improving the poor outcomes in Australian cancer patients living in rural and remote areas is a national priority, but there is as yet insufficient evidence on how the problem is best tackled. In this project, partner organisations that deliver cancer services in non-metropolitan WA will team with experienced researchers to develop a ‘best prospects’ package of interventions targeting the community, medical and other health practitioners and patients with cancer; and to evaluate the effectivenes ....Improving the poor outcomes in Australian cancer patients living in rural and remote areas is a national priority, but there is as yet insufficient evidence on how the problem is best tackled. In this project, partner organisations that deliver cancer services in non-metropolitan WA will team with experienced researchers to develop a ‘best prospects’ package of interventions targeting the community, medical and other health practitioners and patients with cancer; and to evaluate the effectiveness of the package using a scientifically valid randomised controlled trial.Read moreRead less
Implementing Clinical Practice Guidelines In General Practice: A Cluster Randomised Controlled Trial
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$426,000.00
Summary
Evidence based clinical practice guidelines have the potential to improve clinical practice through providing health care workers with the most reliable information on which to base their treatment decisions. Many governments and organisations are investing significantly in the development of guidelines for common and important clinical disorders. To date, however, we do not fully understand how to increase the uptake of guidelines and facilitate health care workers to change their practice in l ....Evidence based clinical practice guidelines have the potential to improve clinical practice through providing health care workers with the most reliable information on which to base their treatment decisions. Many governments and organisations are investing significantly in the development of guidelines for common and important clinical disorders. To date, however, we do not fully understand how to increase the uptake of guidelines and facilitate health care workers to change their practice in line with the guideline's recommendations. This project aims to work with general practitioners to develop a method or strategy to increase the uptake of guidelines for the treatment of acute low back pain, particularly to reduce the number of patients who are unnecessarily x-rayed, and to increase advice to stay active. The effectiveness of the developed strategy will be tested by randomly assigning general practice clinics to either receive the intervention or to have access to the guidelines without any extra interventions (such as training and reminders) to help doctors change their practice. Both the doctor's practice, and patient outcomes of pain and disability will be measured to determine not only if the doctors followed the guidelines, but whether this resulted in an improvement in patient outcome. The findings of this study will help us understand the best ways to improve adhesion to guidelines and so has the potential to be applied to other conditions presenting to general practice where there are recommendations not currently being implemented into practice.Read moreRead less
Personalised Care For Type 2 Diabetes In Primary Care: Empowering Patients And Clinicians To Treat To Target
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$177,197.00
Summary
This Fellowship program focuses on evidence based clinical care of people with type 2 diabetes (T2D) in general practice. In particular it seeks to translate evidence about progressive intensification of treatment of elevated glucose levels to achieve “target levels” into real world everyday general practice care of people with T2D. Doing so will play an important role in reducing the long term serious complications and could reduce the costs to the community of this condition.
An Evaluation Of Trust In A Primary Health Care System
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$135,550.00
Summary
Trust is a critical issue in the relationships between organisations that need to work together to achieve integrated services for consumers. As organisational representatives get to know one another trust may develop permitting a greater degree of collaboration. In Victoria, the Primary Care Partnerships Strategy process aims to strengthen the relationships between agencies in alocal areas to improve collaboration and achieve services that operate in an integrated way in the provision of servic ....Trust is a critical issue in the relationships between organisations that need to work together to achieve integrated services for consumers. As organisational representatives get to know one another trust may develop permitting a greater degree of collaboration. In Victoria, the Primary Care Partnerships Strategy process aims to strengthen the relationships between agencies in alocal areas to improve collaboration and achieve services that operate in an integrated way in the provision of services to consumers. It is about strengthening the system of care. The aim of this study is to understand how people within a primary care system build and maintain relationships of trust between individuals and between organisations. Individuals will be interviewed to learn how they experience trust and related issues, documents will be analysed to learn about the policy and organisational environments of trust relationships, and the Trust Evaluation Scale used to measure the factors associated with trust over a two year period. The outcomes of this study will be an understanding of how organisations establish the relationships that allow them to collaborate effectively. In particular it will help us understand how they can be encouraged to share the same protocols and procedures, to share information, and become more skilful at managing organisational differences, and it will provide a deeper understanding of relationships between primary health care organisations and the strategies that can help individuals and organisations create trust and collaborate.Read moreRead less
People who have experienced a previous heart attack or stroke are at greatest risk of having another cardiovascular event. Drug treatment, with aspirin and medication to lower blood pressure and cholesterol, has been shown to substantially reduce this risk. Despite good evidence that these drugs are effective, and that their use is recommended in both Australian and international guidelines, many people who should be taking these medications on a long-term basis are not. This may partly be due t ....People who have experienced a previous heart attack or stroke are at greatest risk of having another cardiovascular event. Drug treatment, with aspirin and medication to lower blood pressure and cholesterol, has been shown to substantially reduce this risk. Despite good evidence that these drugs are effective, and that their use is recommended in both Australian and international guidelines, many people who should be taking these medications on a long-term basis are not. This may partly be due to under-prescribing by doctors, but it is also likely that asymptomatic patients are discouraged by the cost and inconvenience of taking many tablets. In the first study of its kind in this country, we will determine whether a strategy based on the provision of recommended treatments in a single pill (a polypill) will result in better use of these drugs, and as a consequence, will achieve optimum practice in patients with heart disease or stroke. Under the care of their general practitioner, 1000 such patients will be randomly allocated to the polypill, or to continuing their usual treatment. At the end of 2 years, both groups will be assessed for the proportion of people still prescribed and taking all recommended treatments. We will also collect information on the attitudes and experiences of those participating in the study of prescribing (by doctors), dispensing (by pharmacists) and taking (by patients) the polypill. As cardiovascular diseases are the leading causes of illness and death in Australia, finding new ways to ensure the maximum use of known, effective preventive treatments in patients with heart disease and stroke, particularly to those who have less access to health care, is of critical importance. The polypill represents a novel strategy with the potential to achieve this objective, and to improve the clinical care and well-being of many thousands of Australians.Read moreRead less