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
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.
Statistical Methods To Assist The Control Of Communicable Diseases, And Their Application
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$211,527.00
Summary
A range of programs, such as vaccination schedules and intervention in outbreaks, is in place to reduce our burden of illness from infectious diseases. This project aims to develop new methods, based on models and associated statistical analyses, to help ensure that our control programs are based on the best available evidence. There are five specific themes: 1. Developed methods for predicting major outbreaks of diseases and appy them to Australian data on measles, pertussis and Ross River viru ....A range of programs, such as vaccination schedules and intervention in outbreaks, is in place to reduce our burden of illness from infectious diseases. This project aims to develop new methods, based on models and associated statistical analyses, to help ensure that our control programs are based on the best available evidence. There are five specific themes: 1. Developed methods for predicting major outbreaks of diseases and appy them to Australian data on measles, pertussis and Ross River virus. The new methods will enable timely intervention to reduce the population risk from these diseases, and to guide the proposed elimination of measles from Australia. 2. The current concept of vaccine efficacy, which is central to the epidemiological assessment of vaccines, performs poorly when the vaccine provides only partial protection, when immunity wanes over time and when infected vaccinees have a lower infectivity. A concept of vaccine efficacy will be developed that overcomes these weaknesses. This concept will find widespread use in epidemiology. 3. Data available from 80 outbreak investigations of transmissible diseases will be analysed to assess the relative effectiveness of various intervention steps. 4. A comprehensive model, and associated computer software, will be developed as a tool for assessing the relative merits of different vaccination schedules. It will be applied to address Australian policy issues for vaccination against pertussis, chickenpox and rubella. 5. The method of backprojection for estimating trends in HIV infection and predicting AIDS incidence will be enhanced to incorporate newly available data in which HIV and AIDS diagnoses are linked. This will enable a precise assessment of infection incidence among heterosexuals and other exposure categories with relatively few cases, to ensure that HIV does not spread more widely.Read moreRead less