Health, Economic, Psychological And Social Impact Of Educating Carers Of Patients With Advanced Pulmonary Disease (APD)
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$605,452.00
Summary
Our study aims to understand the health, economic and social costs associated with caring for patients with advanced pulmonary disease (APD) and to determine health, economic and social impact of improving the skills of caregivers of patients with APD has on patients and their carers. Patients with APD are a large population at high risk of health resource use, unnecessary medication use and emergency admission to hospital or residential care facilities. Although previous research has identified ....Our study aims to understand the health, economic and social costs associated with caring for patients with advanced pulmonary disease (APD) and to determine health, economic and social impact of improving the skills of caregivers of patients with APD has on patients and their carers. Patients with APD are a large population at high risk of health resource use, unnecessary medication use and emergency admission to hospital or residential care facilities. Although previous research has identified difficulties experienced by caregivers of the elderly in general, very little research has been undertaken with carers of patients with APD. The study will compare the usual practice of educating patients with APD who commence home oxygen therapy (HOT), and their carers, against a more detailed and individually targeted education program that increases the skills of patients and carers. This study has the potential to reduce hospital-residential care readmission, reduce carer distress, improve patient outcomes, reduce adverse effects of oxygen therapy and medication use, and minimize inappropriate presentation to tertiary care emergency departments.Read moreRead less
The Indigenous Australian Malnutrition project aims to explore the burden and impact of malnutrition particularly for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients in hospital. The project includes the development and validation of the Australian Nutrition Tool (ANT) and validating the Malnutrition Screening Tool (MST) as an appropriate screening tool for Indigenous Australian patients. The project also aims to determine the prevalence of adult malnutrition and explore its burden and impact.
Using Mathematical Models Of Infection To Inform The Design And Analysis Of Epidemiologic Studies.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$387,489.00
Summary
Childhood immunisation has been enormously successful at preventing death and disease. Not all vaccines provide life-long protection, however, and booster doses may be required for older children or even adults. Deciding when and how often doses are required depends on how a particular infection is spread within families and the community both before and after vaccine use. We want to understand more about this process and its implications for the ongoing effectiveness of vaccine programs.
Gotta Be Sit Down And Worked Out Together- A Program For Carers Of Older People In Aboriginal Communities
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,742,188.00
Summary
"Gotta be sit down and worked out together" is a participatory program for carers of older people with physical and mental health problems who live in remote Aboriginal communities in the Kimberley. This project aims to assist community carers to select, develop and implement programs to address their unmet health needs, utilising a community based participatory action research approach. The program emphasises the need to foster empowerment, improve psychological well being and carer burden.
Confirming The Burden Of Disease Associated With Dementia Using New Empirically Driven Australian Based Disability Rati
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$138,084.00
Summary
The amount of burden the population experiences as a result of individual diseases influences health policy. The Australian Burden of Disease project quantifies the relative burden associated with each disease. New estimates are to be released this year will outline the magnitude of burden associated with dementia now and estimate that for the year 2023. Although the projections use the best data available, three improvements to the methodology would improve the accuracy of the dementia burden e ....The amount of burden the population experiences as a result of individual diseases influences health policy. The Australian Burden of Disease project quantifies the relative burden associated with each disease. New estimates are to be released this year will outline the magnitude of burden associated with dementia now and estimate that for the year 2023. Although the projections use the best data available, three improvements to the methodology would improve the accuracy of the dementia burden estimates. First, the dementia calculations currently use a “disability weight” metric derived from a Dutch study. This is problematic in that the weights do not reflect an Australian experience of dementia, nor do they reflect the preferences of people closely affected by the disease (e.g. carers). Second, the dementia estimates do not include cases of mild cognitive impairment (considered a precursor state of dementia). Hence the dementia estimates may not estimate the full impact of dementia in Australia. Finally, there is no evidence that the method used by the Burden of Disease study to account for the impact of disease comorbidity adequately deals with the comorbidity associated with dementia. Consequently, there is need to develop a new and comprehensive set of disability weights for dementia that are Australian-based, include all stages of dementia severity and account for comorbidity. The proposed project aims to develop a new set of empirically derived Australian-based disability weights for dementia. The project will entail three studies. The first study will generate empirically based case vignettes that describe a range of dementia case scenarios. These descriptions will then be used in rating exercises (Study 2) to develop new disability weights. The second study involves Australian health practitioners, carers and lay persons reading case vignettes and completing health valuation rating exercises to generate new disability weights for dementia. The third study uses the new disability weights to re-calculate the burden of disease estimates for dementia. The new estimates will be compared to those reported by the 2007 Australian Burden of Disease project. In knowing the accuracy of the estimates, policy makers can use the burden data for dementia with confidence when engaging in service planning for the future.Read moreRead less