Primary Health Care Errors Study: Qualification And Quantification Of Errors Occurring In General Practice
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$191,000.00
Summary
The General Practice Errors Study (GPES) is a project that aims to examine errors that GPs notice in their daily practice, that affect patient well-being or care. Very little work has been done on this subject in General Practice in any other country, and Australia is the only country with previous research that has attempted to describe GP errors with the Quality in Australia Health Care Study (QAHCS). However, we have so far not had any research that has been done on a representative sample of ....The General Practice Errors Study (GPES) is a project that aims to examine errors that GPs notice in their daily practice, that affect patient well-being or care. Very little work has been done on this subject in General Practice in any other country, and Australia is the only country with previous research that has attempted to describe GP errors with the Quality in Australia Health Care Study (QAHCS). However, we have so far not had any research that has been done on a representative sample of GPs, or been able to quantify the frequency with which different types of errors occur. This study plans to ask a representative sample of GPs in both urban and rural areas to report their errors, so that we can try to quantify the incidence and prevalence of these different error types. No previous work has been done in Primary care which has attempted to determine the rate of recognized errors that occur in the community. In addition, since the last major work on this topic was done between 1993 and 1998, there have been many changes to General Practice, especially in the area of computerisation, and the types of problems that GPs face now may have changed significantly. Anonymous reporting is very important in order to encourage health professionals to admit to their mistakes, and in the past, projects have used paper based reporting forms, making it difficult to offer anonymity and requiring protection for participants under a Commonwealth Act of Parliament. However the GPES project will be the first major study of General Practice errors that uses an on-line anonymous reporting form, and high level encryption, located on a secure web-site, to encourage honest reporting. The reporting form was trialled in the 2001 pilot study. By analysing the types of errors occurring, and their contributing factors, we can target at-risk population groups and develop strategies to improve patient care and prevent future harm.Read moreRead less
Flavivirus Replication - Biogenesis, Ultrastructure And Roles Of Induced Membranes
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$334,880.00
Summary
Flaviviruses are the agents of many mosquito-transmitted infections such as encephalitis and dengue, and hepatitis C virus is a member of the same virus family. During virus multiplication in cells, new membrane structures are induced and these represent regions where the replication events occur. Using Kunjin virus, an agent of Australian encephalitis, as a model, and advanced techniques in biochemistry and electron microscopy, we have previously identified these membranes as the site of synthe ....Flaviviruses are the agents of many mosquito-transmitted infections such as encephalitis and dengue, and hepatitis C virus is a member of the same virus family. During virus multiplication in cells, new membrane structures are induced and these represent regions where the replication events occur. Using Kunjin virus, an agent of Australian encephalitis, as a model, and advanced techniques in biochemistry and electron microscopy, we have previously identified these membranes as the site of synthesis of the viral RNA or genetic material, and the viral proteins involved. These comprise the viral replication complex. The research will define the origin of these membranes, and how the components of the associated replication complex are assembled. Assembly of the virus particles in cells is also being analysed using similar technology. Hepatitis C virus cannot be reliably grown at present for research purposes in cultured cells, and we will attempt to develop a helper system to overcome the problem. An understanding of these processes, and how the viral RNA is copied into progeny RNA for new virus particles, may assist in the development of antiviral drugs for treatment of slow or persistent virus infections such as hepatitis C.Read moreRead less
Resistant forms of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) constitute a leading cause of cancer-related deaths in children. Despite tremendous improvements in therapy, 25-30% of patients still experience a relapse and many of them occur in patients stratified as low risk. Further treatment is often toxic, frequently unsuccessful and carries the risk of significant long-term morbidity. For the design of more appropriate therapy, information on the biology of relapsed ALL is urgently require ....Resistant forms of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) constitute a leading cause of cancer-related deaths in children. Despite tremendous improvements in therapy, 25-30% of patients still experience a relapse and many of them occur in patients stratified as low risk. Further treatment is often toxic, frequently unsuccessful and carries the risk of significant long-term morbidity. For the design of more appropriate therapy, information on the biology of relapsed ALL is urgently required. The sequencing of the human genome and advanced screening technology (microarrays) allow the detailed analysis of expression patterns in large numbers of specimens. We propose to study the genetic features of this disease by investigating 28 childhood ALL patients from whom we have stored specimens received at two time points, one at diagnosis and one at relapse. The hypothesis of this study is that relapsed leukaemias display genetic features which are correlated to their resistance to therapy. The specific questions we will be asking are: (1) Which genes are expressed at high levels in leukaemia specimens at the time of relapse while not expressed (or expressed at lower levels) at the time of diagnosis and vice versa? (2) What is the function of differentially expressed genes? (3) Is the pattern of gene expression correlated with resistance to the particular drug therapy used? (4) Is the leukaemia clone at relapse related or unrelated to the clone present at diagnosis, as determined by receptor rearrangement? The expression levels of identified discriminator genes will be confirmed by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The quality of this set of specimens makes them particularly suited to achieve the stated goals, providing a unique opportunity to investigate drug resistance in childhood ALL. The data generated will provide the basis for the examination of genes suitable as new therapeutic targets.Read moreRead less
Allergen-sensitzation And Environmental Exposures In Early Life Interact Synergistically To Alter Lung Growth
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$425,088.00
Summary
Asthma develops as the result of complex interactions between genetic susceptibilities and environmental exposures. Approximately 40% of 6-year-old children in Perth are sensitized to inhaled allergens, however, only half of these have asthma. Allergic sensitization per se is therefore insufficient for the development of persistent asthma. A second hit, associated with lung inflammation in early life, increases this risk several fold. This second hit could come from viral infection or from other ....Asthma develops as the result of complex interactions between genetic susceptibilities and environmental exposures. Approximately 40% of 6-year-old children in Perth are sensitized to inhaled allergens, however, only half of these have asthma. Allergic sensitization per se is therefore insufficient for the development of persistent asthma. A second hit, associated with lung inflammation in early life, increases this risk several fold. This second hit could come from viral infection or from other inflammatory stimuli such as exposure to cigarette smoke, air pollutants and vehicle exhaust emissions. The timing of this second hit may well be important, particularly if it is early while the lungs are still growing and developing. The aim of this project is to examine interactions between allergen sensitization and exposure to environmental hazards in early life using a mouse model of allergic inflammation. We will test the hypothesis that the combination of allergic sensitization and viral infections in early life alter lung growth, airway function and airway hyperresponsiveness, however, exposure to air pollutants can not provide the 'second hit required to induce persistent asthma. Determining the role viral infection and environmental pollution have early in life may provide us with a strategy for intervention that could prevent life-long changes in respiratory function and airway hyperresponsiveness.Read moreRead less
Chimeric Virus-like Particles (VLPs) Displaying H1, H3 And H5 Haemagglutinins - Construction And Immunogenicity
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$207,543.00
Summary
Virus-like particles (VLPs) provoke strong immune responses in the body. We have developed a novel VLP system that allows the production of VLPs containing foreign vaccine antigens of much larger size than previously possible, and have shown that these VLPs provoke strong immune responses in mice without the use of adjuvants. The capacity of these VLPs is large enough to accommodate the most important vaccine antigen of influenza, the haemagglutinin (HA) molecule. We will test whether VLPs can b ....Virus-like particles (VLPs) provoke strong immune responses in the body. We have developed a novel VLP system that allows the production of VLPs containing foreign vaccine antigens of much larger size than previously possible, and have shown that these VLPs provoke strong immune responses in mice without the use of adjuvants. The capacity of these VLPs is large enough to accommodate the most important vaccine antigen of influenza, the haemagglutinin (HA) molecule. We will test whether VLPs can be produced containing each of the three most important HA types _ H1 and H3 that are currently circulating in man, and H5 (avian) that is considered a pandemic threat. VLPs will be tested for their ability to induce neutralizing antibody and cellular immune responses in mice, and for their ability to protect ferrets from influenza infection. If successful, the HA-VLP system would provide a method for the rapid production of new influenza vaccines using large-scale fermentation technology as for hepatitis B and many other vaccines, rather than eggs or cell culture as used for current influenza vaccines.Read moreRead less
Creating An Empirically Based Classification System For Mental Illness
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$645,205.00
Summary
Mental disorders are typically diagnosed using a set of strictly agreed diagnostic criteria. For example, in the DSM-5 a major depression diagnosis requires at least five of nine symptom criteria to be met. However, the DSM-5 is now widely agreed to have important limitations for the work of researchers and clinicians. My research will overcome those limitations by completing a data-driven classification system based on the patterns in the ways people experience symptoms of mental illness.
Insult, Injury And Recovery In Brain Disease: From Molecules To Therapeutic Outcome
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$8,215,611.00
Summary
When nerve cells are damaged, destroyed or injured, through disease or trauma, common pathological processes are set in train. Even though there are many factors that might trigger disease, these inevitably lead to common processes that end in cell death or initiate protective processes. One theme involves the factors that surround these responses to nerve injury and stress, and the consequent protective and regenerative responses that ensue. Another theme, closely integrates with the first, is ....When nerve cells are damaged, destroyed or injured, through disease or trauma, common pathological processes are set in train. Even though there are many factors that might trigger disease, these inevitably lead to common processes that end in cell death or initiate protective processes. One theme involves the factors that surround these responses to nerve injury and stress, and the consequent protective and regenerative responses that ensue. Another theme, closely integrates with the first, is to exploit basic biological mechanisms with the aim of identifying and developing therapeutic targets for the management of a wider range of neurological conditions.Read moreRead less
Molecular Classification Of Carcinoma Of Unknown Primary
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$418,250.00
Summary
Carcinoma of unknown primary (CUP) is the fourth largest cause of cancer death. The condition has a particularly poor outlook, with a median survival of less than one year. Current methods for diagnosis of CUP include histopathology and sophisticated imaging. These are successful in approximately 40% of cases. Frequently the reason for the poor outcome in this disease is that the 60% of patients with CUP for whom no diagnosis is made do not benefit from chemotherapy specifically designed for a p ....Carcinoma of unknown primary (CUP) is the fourth largest cause of cancer death. The condition has a particularly poor outlook, with a median survival of less than one year. Current methods for diagnosis of CUP include histopathology and sophisticated imaging. These are successful in approximately 40% of cases. Frequently the reason for the poor outcome in this disease is that the 60% of patients with CUP for whom no diagnosis is made do not benefit from chemotherapy specifically designed for a particular tumour origin. These patients receive a less effective, generic, chemotherapy. The aim of this project is to use microarrays to identify the gene expression profile in many known tumours to create a molecular fingerprint of the various tumour types. By comparing the fingerprint from a CUP with the database we should be able to identify the true tumour type in CUP, and allow patients to benefit from more specific chemotherapy.Read moreRead less