To complain or not to complain-That is the question! Does under-representation of rural complaints compromise quality of rural healthcare? Pro-rata, rural residents make fewer formal complaints about health care services than do metropolitan residents. This research investigates the reasons why, and the implications for quality improvement of rural health services. The research will also identify the most appropriate ways of engaging rural consumer participation in monitoring the quality of t ....To complain or not to complain-That is the question! Does under-representation of rural complaints compromise quality of rural healthcare? Pro-rata, rural residents make fewer formal complaints about health care services than do metropolitan residents. This research investigates the reasons why, and the implications for quality improvement of rural health services. The research will also identify the most appropriate ways of engaging rural consumer participation in monitoring the quality of their health services. Based on improved indicators, the Health Services Commission and health providers will have access to a better evidence base for maximising the quality of health care and services available in rural areas.Read moreRead less
Special Research Initiatives - Grant ID: SR0354823
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$10,000.00
Summary
National network for the study of cognitive processes and treatment across the phases of schizophrenia. Schizophrenia is associated with great costs to the community and individual. Controlled studies have demonstrated Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) is efficacious in treating symptoms of schizophrenia. Studies of cognitive processes have also advanced understanding of psychotic phenomena. This initiative affords the opportunity to
1) Improve treatment efficacy by developing, testing and appl ....National network for the study of cognitive processes and treatment across the phases of schizophrenia. Schizophrenia is associated with great costs to the community and individual. Controlled studies have demonstrated Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) is efficacious in treating symptoms of schizophrenia. Studies of cognitive processes have also advanced understanding of psychotic phenomena. This initiative affords the opportunity to
1) Improve treatment efficacy by developing, testing and applying theoretically-driven models of psychotic symptoms.
2) Disseminate the findings of research on CBT for psychotic disorders in clinical settings by (a) training the work-force, and (b) facilitating CBT delivery in routine practice.
3) Apply CBT in various settings with a variety of psychotic populations to test its effectiveness in routine clinical settings.
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The Development And Evaluation Of Management Strategies Designed To Address Poly-morbidity In Older People: Implications
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,150,705.00
Summary
Medicines are used to prevent or manage the symptoms of chronic disease, and thus their appropriate use impacts significantly on the quality of life of the elderly. Poly-morbidity, multiple chronic health problems affecting the one individual, is a common and increasing issue in our ageing population. In Australia, 60% of 65 year olds have 2 or more chronic conditions, while 80% of 85 year olds have 4 or more chronic conditions. As a result, medicine use is almost universal in the older populati ....Medicines are used to prevent or manage the symptoms of chronic disease, and thus their appropriate use impacts significantly on the quality of life of the elderly. Poly-morbidity, multiple chronic health problems affecting the one individual, is a common and increasing issue in our ageing population. In Australia, 60% of 65 year olds have 2 or more chronic conditions, while 80% of 85 year olds have 4 or more chronic conditions. As a result, medicine use is almost universal in the older population and it is common for older patients to take multiple medications concurrently. There are no studies which report on current patterns of care and their outcomes in these patients. The use of individual disease-specific management guidelines may be problematic for those with poly-morbidity. Disease specific treatment guidelines often fail to take into account complexities that arise when patients suffer from more than one chronic disease particularly when it is common for one treatment to be both beneficial and harmful in the same person. In addition, the evidence for medicine-based treatment often comes from studies on younger people. Consequently, older patients with lower tolerance are at a greater risk of adverse drug reactions and are admitted to hospital as a result of such reactions at a disproportionately high rate. The aim of this study is to establish a methodology, by examination of two health databases, for developing guidelines to achieve the best possible outcomes for older Australians with common combinations of chronic conditions. This research will provide a better understanding of the consequences of current patterns of care for older people with multiple chronic conditions, and enable the development of improved approaches to care. We will demonstrate the methodology using selected commonly occurring combinations of chronic conditions in older Australians. More realistic guidelines generated by undertaking this analysis in these major population databases will reduce the extent to which the elderly are placed at risk of adverse drug reactions, and better enable health care practitioners, in consultation with their elderly patients, to ensure the best possible health and quality of life outcomes for many older Australian patients who suffer from two or more chronic conditions.Read moreRead less
Implementing teleauscultation for remote user health services in Australia: A case study with economic evaluation. By reducing the requirement for patients to travel to major centres for assessment, this project is expected to result in significant direct savings per individual patient. Indirect cost reductions will also result from the minimisation of travel for patients, with the potential for national savings in transport infrastructure costs, greenhouse gases emissions, and decreasing other ....Implementing teleauscultation for remote user health services in Australia: A case study with economic evaluation. By reducing the requirement for patients to travel to major centres for assessment, this project is expected to result in significant direct savings per individual patient. Indirect cost reductions will also result from the minimisation of travel for patients, with the potential for national savings in transport infrastructure costs, greenhouse gases emissions, and decreasing other undesirable consequences of either private or public transport travel for patients and/or specialist physicians. Further indirect benefits include incidental learning by staff working with patients in remote location through the remote link. Other advantages include happier patients as they will not need to leave their home and loved ones as often.Read moreRead less
Remote patient assessment using digital stethoscope for telehealth systems in Australia. The direct saving will be about $15 600 per individual patient. Indirect cost reductions will significantly minimise travel for patients, national savings in transport infrastructure costs, greenhouse gases emissions and all the other undesirable consequences of either private or public transport travel for patients and/or specialist physicians. Other indirect benefits include incidental learning by staff w ....Remote patient assessment using digital stethoscope for telehealth systems in Australia. The direct saving will be about $15 600 per individual patient. Indirect cost reductions will significantly minimise travel for patients, national savings in transport infrastructure costs, greenhouse gases emissions and all the other undesirable consequences of either private or public transport travel for patients and/or specialist physicians. Other indirect benefits include incidental learning by staff working with patients in the remote location through the remote link. Other advantages include happier patients as they will not need to leave their home and loved ones as often. This can be translated into national benefits through reduction in anxiety and less stressful patients.Read moreRead less
Investigating the Impact of Work Design on Productive Wellbeing in Mercy Health: The Modernising Third Sector. Around the world the Third Sector (TS) of the economy is coming under pressure to modernise their management. The typical approaches to modern management being imposed overseas may not be appropriate for TS organisations and therefore they need to be critically examined, especially for their impact on employees. In Australia the TS is a large (approx. $15billion), yet low-profile set of ....Investigating the Impact of Work Design on Productive Wellbeing in Mercy Health: The Modernising Third Sector. Around the world the Third Sector (TS) of the economy is coming under pressure to modernise their management. The typical approaches to modern management being imposed overseas may not be appropriate for TS organisations and therefore they need to be critically examined, especially for their impact on employees. In Australia the TS is a large (approx. $15billion), yet low-profile set of organisations, of which the health industry is central. This project will investigate the issues that make workplaces in a TS health organisation a healthier and more productive place to work. The results could directly help improve workplaces covering more than 150,000 employees.Read moreRead less
Intellectual disability in courts and police cells. Benefit to the nation accrues because offenders with intellectual disability will be accurately identified early in their contact with the criminal justice system (CJS), and appropriate diversions from the CJS as well as rehabilitation programs can be implemented, thus producing cost-savings in all jurisdictions. The community benefits because offenders with ID can receive appropriate service provision, based on evidence provided by this study ....Intellectual disability in courts and police cells. Benefit to the nation accrues because offenders with intellectual disability will be accurately identified early in their contact with the criminal justice system (CJS), and appropriate diversions from the CJS as well as rehabilitation programs can be implemented, thus producing cost-savings in all jurisdictions. The community benefits because offenders with ID can receive appropriate service provision, based on evidence provided by this study. The individual's ties to the community will be maintained and on the community will be supported to assist the individual. Justice health systems, in staff management and training areas, will benefit. The outcomes will benefit educational programs for the judiciary, police and lawyers.Read moreRead less
Strengthening Health Workforce Migration to Australia and Canada. The project aims to define skilled migration trends in relation to the key fields (medicine, nursing and dentistry). Australia is one of very few countries with an explicit policy to import migrant health professionals. The project plans to assess if the goal of domestic self-sufficiency is likely to be met by 2025 and examine the risk of a ‘two tier’ health workforce developing (with conditionally registered migrants servicing pa ....Strengthening Health Workforce Migration to Australia and Canada. The project aims to define skilled migration trends in relation to the key fields (medicine, nursing and dentistry). Australia is one of very few countries with an explicit policy to import migrant health professionals. The project plans to assess if the goal of domestic self-sufficiency is likely to be met by 2025 and examine the risk of a ‘two tier’ health workforce developing (with conditionally registered migrants servicing patients in undersupplied sectors and sites). It then aims to propose changes to make the migration and health policy systems more effective and ethical in future compared to Canada (Australia’s key global competitor for skilled migrants), through evidence-based policy reform.Read moreRead less
Developing Evidence-Based Workforce Models for Nursing Services in Acute Care Hospitals. Nursing shortages and increasing patient demand and acuity are influencing the capacity of the health system to deliver quality nursing care. The aims of this study are to document the current activities undertaken by differing levels of nursing staff in hospitals and develop evidence-based guidelines for future service delivery. Using Work Sampling, current activities will be documented then Critical Incide ....Developing Evidence-Based Workforce Models for Nursing Services in Acute Care Hospitals. Nursing shortages and increasing patient demand and acuity are influencing the capacity of the health system to deliver quality nursing care. The aims of this study are to document the current activities undertaken by differing levels of nursing staff in hospitals and develop evidence-based guidelines for future service delivery. Using Work Sampling, current activities will be documented then Critical Incident Technique will capture key contextual data and strategies for workforce redesign. Focus groups with health professionals and an Expert Advisory Panel will further develop these strategies f and establish evidence-based policy, professional and organisational guidelines for the delivery of nursing services in hospitals.Read moreRead less
Advancing understanding of health professionals' work and communication patterns and the effectiveness of work reform initiatives. Health systems internationally need to improve productivity and the way hospital staff work together. Yet we have surprisingly poor data about these and few measurement techniques. This project will deliver new methods, information and theoretical advances to support the design and evaluation of future workforce reform initiatives.