Genetic Identity Testing and the Family: the articulation between biotechnology and family relationships, politics and policy. Genetic identity testing cuts to the very nature of the family itself. For the first time in human history, it is possible to identify paternity - and misattributed paternity - with reasonable certainty. Parentage testing has become a vehicle for the fathers? rights movement, and is influencing the management of child support policy. Governments are currently developing ....Genetic Identity Testing and the Family: the articulation between biotechnology and family relationships, politics and policy. Genetic identity testing cuts to the very nature of the family itself. For the first time in human history, it is possible to identify paternity - and misattributed paternity - with reasonable certainty. Parentage testing has become a vehicle for the fathers? rights movement, and is influencing the management of child support policy. Governments are currently developing broad policy frameworks on this issue. Yet there is almost no social research on parentage testing. This study will provide scope for Australian leadership in an area of study that will become progressively more important with the rapid development of DNA chip technology. Read moreRead less
COMMUNITY BASED COALITIONS FOR HEALTH, SAFETY AND WELLBEING: DEVELOPMENT OF A BEST PRACTICE MODEL. In recent years, governmental and non-governmental organisations have developed coalitions of professionals and community groups to advance health, safety and wellbeing. These coalitions in the fields of prevention, public health, community psychology and community development have to be evaluated and refined in order to maximize their potential. As a result, our project has two main aims: (1) To d ....COMMUNITY BASED COALITIONS FOR HEALTH, SAFETY AND WELLBEING: DEVELOPMENT OF A BEST PRACTICE MODEL. In recent years, governmental and non-governmental organisations have developed coalitions of professionals and community groups to advance health, safety and wellbeing. These coalitions in the fields of prevention, public health, community psychology and community development have to be evaluated and refined in order to maximize their potential. As a result, our project has two main aims: (1) To develop a framework for the evaluation of community-based coalitions for health, safety, and wellbeing, and (2) To develop a best-practice model for the effective creation and functioning of community-based coalitions for health, safety, and wellbeing.Read moreRead less
After the questions: outcomes of routine screening for domestic violence in NSW Health services. Recent research indicates that domestic violence is the leading contributor to death, disability and illness in women aged 15-44 in Australia and leads to health costs of $314 m annually (VicHealth 2004, Access Economics 2004). Routine screening is a low cost measure aimed at prevention and early intervention for domestic violence, which has been successfully introduced for women entering antenatal, ....After the questions: outcomes of routine screening for domestic violence in NSW Health services. Recent research indicates that domestic violence is the leading contributor to death, disability and illness in women aged 15-44 in Australia and leads to health costs of $314 m annually (VicHealth 2004, Access Economics 2004). Routine screening is a low cost measure aimed at prevention and early intervention for domestic violence, which has been successfully introduced for women entering antenatal, early childhood, mental health and drug and alcohol services operated by NSW Health. The research will be the first study of its size to consider the outcomes of routine screening for domestic violence in public health settings in the Australian context.Read moreRead less
Reducing health inequities and social exclusion: improved theory, understanding and policies. This research will provide knowledge to help understanding of why some groups are less healthy and less included in the mainstream of society than others. Research evidence indicates that reducing differences in health status & making more citizens included in the activities of society has overall health benefits & is good for economic development. The program will provide Australian and other governmen ....Reducing health inequities and social exclusion: improved theory, understanding and policies. This research will provide knowledge to help understanding of why some groups are less healthy and less included in the mainstream of society than others. Research evidence indicates that reducing differences in health status & making more citizens included in the activities of society has overall health benefits & is good for economic development. The program will provide Australian and other governments with much improved evidence about what works, what does not work in terms of improving population health and so enable better decisions about which public programs to invest in. Thus the research conducted under this program will inform ways in which Australian and overseas populations can achieve long and more productive livesRead moreRead less
An action research project to strengthen inter-professional learning and practice across the ACT health system. There are 14 beneficial reasons why this project is vital to the fabric of our nation. These include: the economic benefits of a more efficient health-care system; the social benefits of more responsive and resilient workplaces; the research benefits of better knowledge about how professionals can work together effectively; the consumer benefits of improved patient care; health sector ....An action research project to strengthen inter-professional learning and practice across the ACT health system. There are 14 beneficial reasons why this project is vital to the fabric of our nation. These include: the economic benefits of a more efficient health-care system; the social benefits of more responsive and resilient workplaces; the research benefits of better knowledge about how professionals can work together effectively; the consumer benefits of improved patient care; health sector benefits in assisting health reforms to be more effective; and education sector benefits in understanding how professionals from different disciplines can learn together more collaboratively. The benefits are transferable to other industries and professional groups, as well as to Australia's international partners.Read moreRead less
Statistical Inference for Probability-Linked Longitudinal Data. The Strategic Roadmap for the Australian Government's National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy states that analysis of linked data, and particularly linked longitudinal data, has the potential to revolutionise Australian public health research. Similar benefits should flow from analysis of linked datasets in other areas, e.g. the Statistical Longitudinal Census Dataset that the Australian Bureau of Statistics intends ....Statistical Inference for Probability-Linked Longitudinal Data. The Strategic Roadmap for the Australian Government's National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy states that analysis of linked data, and particularly linked longitudinal data, has the potential to revolutionise Australian public health research. Similar benefits should flow from analysis of linked datasets in other areas, e.g. the Statistical Longitudinal Census Dataset that the Australian Bureau of Statistics intends to create by linking individual records across censuses. These benefits will be maximised by controlling the impact of linkage error when analysing these datasets. This proposal will develop the statistical theory and related methodology to solve this problem in a statistically efficient manner.Read moreRead less
Human Oöcytes for Stem Cell Research: donation and regulation in Australia. This study will contribute to the development of workable, ethical guidelines and practices for Australian research oöcyte donation. It will contribute to the protection of women's health and autonomy and the design of sound donation practices and support services. It will contribute to the national and international debate about the ethics of stem cell research, and improve the knowledge base available to regulators and ....Human Oöcytes for Stem Cell Research: donation and regulation in Australia. This study will contribute to the development of workable, ethical guidelines and practices for Australian research oöcyte donation. It will contribute to the protection of women's health and autonomy and the design of sound donation practices and support services. It will contribute to the national and international debate about the ethics of stem cell research, and improve the knowledge base available to regulators and other stakeholders to frame adequate and comprehensive regulation.Read moreRead less
Agreements as a mechanism for community participation in health policy: Understanding process and evaluating effectiveness. Improving the health of Indigenous people requires health policy that is inclusive and proactive rather than crisis driven. Formal agreements outline responsibilities and accountabilities in a shared framework that respects the rights of the parties involved. This project will evaluate the quality and effectiveness of agreements in Indigenous health by assessing their abil ....Agreements as a mechanism for community participation in health policy: Understanding process and evaluating effectiveness. Improving the health of Indigenous people requires health policy that is inclusive and proactive rather than crisis driven. Formal agreements outline responsibilities and accountabilities in a shared framework that respects the rights of the parties involved. This project will evaluate the quality and effectiveness of agreements in Indigenous health by assessing their ability to change the way governments and communities work together to improve health. The project will help ensure that future agreements reflect shared solutions for improving the health of Indigenous people in a respectful and effective way. It will also determine whether agreements work to bring community and government together to reduce inequalities in health.Read moreRead less
Using Law To Improve Population Health and the Quality of Health Care Services. There are huge gaps in our understanding of how legal rules and processes impact population health and the quality of health care services in Australia. This research program will begin to fill those gaps by addressing topical issues such as medical negligence litigation, the coroner's role in injury prevention, and the use of medical science in the courtroom. The findings will be useful to government policymakers, ....Using Law To Improve Population Health and the Quality of Health Care Services. There are huge gaps in our understanding of how legal rules and processes impact population health and the quality of health care services in Australia. This research program will begin to fill those gaps by addressing topical issues such as medical negligence litigation, the coroner's role in injury prevention, and the use of medical science in the courtroom. The findings will be useful to government policymakers, regulators, and judges, as well as professionals working in both the legal and health care fields. But most importantly, the findings will serve patients by helping to shape strategies and reforms that enable Australia's health care system to deliver services that are safer, of higher quality, fairer, and more efficient.Read moreRead less
The effectiveness of health impact assessments conducted in Australia and New Zealand. Health impact assessment (HIA) has been internationally recognised as one of a limited number of preventive interventions that can be used to enhance the health benefits of health and other sector activities - policies, programs and projects - before they are implemented. The issue of how effective HIA is in changing decision-making and implementation remains largely unresolved however. This study will exami ....The effectiveness of health impact assessments conducted in Australia and New Zealand. Health impact assessment (HIA) has been internationally recognised as one of a limited number of preventive interventions that can be used to enhance the health benefits of health and other sector activities - policies, programs and projects - before they are implemented. The issue of how effective HIA is in changing decision-making and implementation remains largely unresolved however. This study will examine the effectiveness HIAs that have been completed in Australia and New Zealand between 2005 and 2009. The findings will guide the use of HIA by the public and private sectors in Australia and internationally, and improve HIA's ability to strengthen Australia's social and economic fabric.Read moreRead less