ANALYSIS OF TOBACCO INDUSTRY INTERNAL DOCUMENTS: AUSTRALIA
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$150,000.00
Summary
In 1998, the Minnesota court ordered US tobacco companies to place over 30 million pages of hitherto secret internal documents on the www. Many thousands of these explicitly concern Australian tobacco control. This project will locate, catalogue, review and disseminate the strategic national, regional and international significance of these industry documents. Since the documents have been released, three legal cases have for the first time succeeded against the industry and the tobacco industry ....In 1998, the Minnesota court ordered US tobacco companies to place over 30 million pages of hitherto secret internal documents on the www. Many thousands of these explicitly concern Australian tobacco control. This project will locate, catalogue, review and disseminate the strategic national, regional and international significance of these industry documents. Since the documents have been released, three legal cases have for the first time succeeded against the industry and the tobacco industry agreed to a $US208 billion settlemnt with the US states -- the largest settlement in legal history. Detailed critical examination of industry documents addressing issues such as product formulation, health research, advertising and marketing, and political lobbying against tobacco control, holds great promise to provide unprecedented insights into local tobacco industry ambitions, research, marketing, public relations and lobbying activities, and counter-measures against tobacco control. These insights will be invaluable to public health scientists, policy advocates, lawyers and historians both in Australia and internationally. They will also provide a large amount of news material, essential to continuing efforts at keep tobacco control as a neon public and political issue deserving action.Read moreRead less
The Safety And Effectiveness Of Hospital E-prescribing Systems: A Controlled Time Series Study
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$740,460.00
Summary
Prescribing errors represent a significant public health issue internationally. In the US over 770,000 people are harmed or die each year in hospitals as a result of adverse drug events. In Australia 2% of hospital patients experience harm or death due to medication errors. The risk of these errors is rising each year with the increased intensity of medical care, use of complex and potent drug regimens and the increasing age and severity of hospital patients. Electronic prescribing systems are b ....Prescribing errors represent a significant public health issue internationally. In the US over 770,000 people are harmed or die each year in hospitals as a result of adverse drug events. In Australia 2% of hospital patients experience harm or death due to medication errors. The risk of these errors is rising each year with the increased intensity of medical care, use of complex and potent drug regimens and the increasing age and severity of hospital patients. Electronic prescribing systems are believed to significantly reduce the number of errors which occur and reduce harm to patients as a result. No studies have demonstrated that these systems result in reducing prescribing errors that cause harm to patients. Alarmingly, anecdotal evidence from overseas suggests that use of electronic prescribing systems introduces new types of errors. This is consistent with a growing body of scientific research which suggests that individuals' decision-making may be significantly influenced by information generated by a computer, resulting in new types of errors. The aim of this project is to undertake a controlled time series study to assess the safety and effectiveness of two electronic prescribing systems to reduce prescribing errors in Australian hospitals. The study will compare error rates before and after the introduction of the systems. In addition, the study will be the first to focus on measuring new types of errors that may result from system use and to investigate how computer use influences clinicians' decision-making. This study will provide critical information about the effectiveness and safety of these systems which are being introduced into Australian hospitals. Unlike other medical interventions, which require stringent safety testing before use with patients, there are no minimum safety requirements for electronic prescribing systems. The data from this study is urgent in developing recommendations to ensure the safety of electronic prescribing systems for Australia.Read moreRead less
Targeting KRAS Mutations In Cancer Using A Novel SiRNA Delivery Technology
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$498,899.00
Summary
Mutations in a gene called KRAS are found in 20% of human cancers but are impossible to target with existing treatments. RNA interference is a promising new way to target genes previously considered undruggable, but there is no way to deliver the molecules required for RNA interference to tumours. We will evaluate the ability of a new nanotechnology based delivery system (antibody targeted minicells) to deliver RNA interference, thereby selectively targeting of KRAS in tumours while avoiding tox ....Mutations in a gene called KRAS are found in 20% of human cancers but are impossible to target with existing treatments. RNA interference is a promising new way to target genes previously considered undruggable, but there is no way to deliver the molecules required for RNA interference to tumours. We will evaluate the ability of a new nanotechnology based delivery system (antibody targeted minicells) to deliver RNA interference, thereby selectively targeting of KRAS in tumours while avoiding toxicity to normal tissue.Read moreRead less
Evaluating The Safety Of Computer Decision Support Systems In General Practice
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$300,389.00
Summary
Use of clinical software has many benefits. However it is also likely that clinical software will introduce new computer-generated errors that may harm patients. This project will evaluate the safety of software for prescribing in general practice. We will firstly examine mechanisms for errors generated by clinical software on its own, and then in the hands of typical users. The outcomes will have broad potential to guide the regulation, use and design of clinical software in general practice.
The Role Of Adipokines In Modulation Of Gastric Vagal Afferent Satiety Signals
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$624,535.00
Summary
When we feel full after a meal it is the result of a variety of different nerve signals from the gut in response to distension of the stomach and specific nutrients. These signals are disordered in obesity and may be influenced by factors released from fat stores in the body. The aim of this project is to determine how these factors interact with gastric nerve satiety signals and thus identify targets for the pharmacological treatment of obesity.