Minimising Disability And Falls In Older People Through A Post-hospital Individualised Exercise Program.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$536,435.00
Summary
This study aims to implement and evaluate the Functional Activities for Better Balance (FABB) program, a tailored exercise program which is designed to minimise disability and falls, among older adults who have recently had a hospital stay. A randomised controlled trial will be undertaken to determine the success of the program in minimising disability and falls and improving balance, muscle strength, and reaction time, quality of life and fear of falling. In addition, predictors of adoption of ....This study aims to implement and evaluate the Functional Activities for Better Balance (FABB) program, a tailored exercise program which is designed to minimise disability and falls, among older adults who have recently had a hospital stay. A randomised controlled trial will be undertaken to determine the success of the program in minimising disability and falls and improving balance, muscle strength, and reaction time, quality of life and fear of falling. In addition, predictors of adoption of and adherence to the exercise program and the cost effectiveness of the program will be established. We will recruit 350 older people in the first six months after an in-patient stay in aged care and rehabilitation wards at one of two large teaching hospitals. Participants randomised to the intervention group will be asked to complete an individualised home exercise program three times a week. In addition, they will be offered a choice between receiving monthly physiotherapy home visits or attending exercise classes. These weekly exercise classes will be conducted by physiotherapists and will be made up of 6-8 people. The control group will receive an education booklet about falls prevention and will be given the opportunity to join the program on a self-funding basis after their one-year control period is complete. Post-intervention between-group comparisons will be made using appropriate statistical techniques including regression models. Additional analyses will establish predictors for program adoption and adherence and cost-effectiveness (the incremental cost per fall prevented in the exercise group compared with the control group). This study addresses an increasingly important health care problem in a systematic manner and thus has the potential to substantially enhance the health of older people in Australia and internationally.Read moreRead less
Fracture Associated Premature Mortality; An International Consortium
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$579,807.00
Summary
Following an osteoporotic fracture there is an increased premature mortality compared with someone who has not fractured. There is also evidence that anti-osteoporosis medication reduces this premature mortality. This study will determine the size of the fracture-mortality relationship and the effect of treatment on this mortality for different fracture types and in different populations by integrating data from multiple international epidemiology studies of osteoporosis.
Fundamental flaws in the design and reporting of research outcomes can undermine evidence-based medicine, impede patient-centred care, cause harm to patients, and result in a waste of research dollars. Our 3-year multinational project engages with patients, caregivers, clinicians, researchers and policy makers, to establish core outcomes in haemodialysis. This will ensure that patient-centred outcomes are consistently measured and reported in haemodialysis trials and other forms of research.
Centre Of Research Excellence: Partnering With Patients With Chronic Kidney Disease To Transform Care And Outcomes (CRE-PACT)
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,500,000.00
Summary
CRE-PACT will partner with patients to generate and translate new high-priority evidence to improve outcomes that are important to people living with chronic kidney disease (CKD). We will address the topics and questions most important to patients. We will build the next generation of research leaders and a community of research-ready patient-partners. There will be an integrated pathway for evidence translation and implementation at a global scale to improve patient-centred outcomes.
Chronic Kidney Disease: Natural History Of Disease, Cost And Quality Of Life
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$72,281.00
Summary
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is present in 12% of Australians aged over 25. CKD is associated with poor health outcomes including cardiovascular disease and progression to End Stage Kidney Disease. Many questions about CKD remain. My research aims to increase our understanding of the natural history of CKD in the Australian population, with focus on outcomes of CKD progression, cardiovascular and all-cause mortality, quality of life, and costs to society.
The Burden Of Late Preterm Birth On Brain Development And 2 Year Outcomes – A Prospective, Longitudinal Cohort Study
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$838,690.00
Summary
80% of preterm babies are born from 32-36 weeks’ gestation, and are late preterm (LPT). LPT children have more learning problems, but why this occurs is unknown. This study aims to understand the effect of LPT birth on brain development. We will do brain scans at term and assess development at 2 years of age of 200 LPT and 200 full-term children. We expect LPT babies will have subtle alterations in brain development compared with term controls which will be associated with delayed development.
A new quality of life instrument with older people for economic evaluation. This project aims to develop and validate a new preference-based quality-of-life instrument with applications in aged-care. The new instrument will be developed with older people receiving aged care services, and will focus upon incorporating their values into the measurement and valuation of quality of life for economic evaluation. The new instrument will have immediate applications in quality assessment and economic ev ....A new quality of life instrument with older people for economic evaluation. This project aims to develop and validate a new preference-based quality-of-life instrument with applications in aged-care. The new instrument will be developed with older people receiving aged care services, and will focus upon incorporating their values into the measurement and valuation of quality of life for economic evaluation. The new instrument will have immediate applications in quality assessment and economic evaluation, improving the quality of life and wellbeing of older Australians, and will assist in determining the relative cost effectiveness of new and existing services.
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The effect of competition and doctor heterogeneity on prices charged by doctors. Prices charged by doctors can have important effects on health care costs, access to health care and health status. This research will examine the determinants of prices charged by doctors. The results will be important in understanding the pricing practices of doctors and their impact on health care costs.
Developing An Australian Valuation For The EQ-5D-5L Quality Of Life Instrument
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$348,357.00
Summary
In the assessment of gains resulting from a health technology, it is standard to consider both mortality and quality of life effects. This project explores how Australians value different components of quality of life. To do this, we are running an online survey called a discrete choice experiment, and analysing the data using a range of cutting-edge econometric techniques. This will allow policy-makers to better reflect people's preferences when making decisions about new technologies.
A Study Of The Impact Of Treating Electrographic Seizures In Term Or Near-term Infants With Neonatal Encephalopathy
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,365,184.00
Summary
Seizures in the newborn infant are common and may be harmful to the developing brain. They are not always recognised. This study investigates whether or not treating all seizures detected using a bedside brain activity monitor improves developmental outcome, compared to just treating seizures that doctors recognise.