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Prospective Study Of Medical Emergency Team Calls To Define Issues Of End Of Life Decision Making
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$48,700.00
Summary
A Medical Emergency Team (MET) is a specialised team of doctors and nurses from the Intensive Care Unit who urgently come to patients on the general wards whose medical condition is very unstable. They have to make crucial decisions about their treatment in a very short time. The previous research in this area has been focussed on improving medical outcomes, however it is also apparent that the patients having MET calls are often seriously ill with life limiting illnesses. This study aims to exp ....A Medical Emergency Team (MET) is a specialised team of doctors and nurses from the Intensive Care Unit who urgently come to patients on the general wards whose medical condition is very unstable. They have to make crucial decisions about their treatment in a very short time. The previous research in this area has been focussed on improving medical outcomes, however it is also apparent that the patients having MET calls are often seriously ill with life limiting illnesses. This study aims to explore the broader aspects of care at this time, which are of paramount importance to patients and their families, such as various aspects of communication, particularly focusing on changing goals of care; and also the symptoms that may be causing significant distress for the patient. This project will provide information that will assist development of interventions that will both aim to improve quality of life and also communication in the setting of medical emergencies in patients with life limiting illness.Read moreRead less
Avian Influenza - National Perception Of Risks To Paramedics And Innovative Ambulance Service Population-based Models Of
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$297,909.00
Summary
This research addresses the important public health role of prehospital Emergency Medical Services (EMS) in containing and managing contagion should an influenza pandemic evolve in Australia. Paramedics are front line health staff and in the event of a pandemic will be among the first members of the community to face exposure to infection. This research will explore the attitudes and perceptions of paramedics and their families to working in epidemic conditions, provide prediction of behavioural ....This research addresses the important public health role of prehospital Emergency Medical Services (EMS) in containing and managing contagion should an influenza pandemic evolve in Australia. Paramedics are front line health staff and in the event of a pandemic will be among the first members of the community to face exposure to infection. This research will explore the attitudes and perceptions of paramedics and their families to working in epidemic conditions, provide prediction of behavioural responses to highly infectious environments, and a clear understanding of attitudes to infection control and use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). Knowledge of how to manage and support the responses of frontline health workers to an infectious disease outbreak is critical to the emergency system response. This project aims to mitigate the effects of perceived risk of infection on attitudes and behaviour of paramedics, by informing health promotion and infection-prevention messages to paramedics and their families. This research will also explore the emerging role of ambulance services as a key component of a public health surveillance system to provide an early warning of pandemic disease outbreaks and facilitate implementation of effective disease control strategies. Current triage systems, used for allocation of patients to appropriate treatment and-or quarantine, are not designed for epidemic environments, and may inadvertently facilitate disease spread and delay identification of victims requiring immediate care and-or quarantine. This project will explore the utility of a population-based triage tool to control an infectious disease outbreak by reducing patient-to-patient disease transmission. The project will facilitate expansion of current public health disease surveillance strategies and triage mechanisms for use during an epidemic, to effectively manage increased workloads within a highly infectious environment, whilst maintaining usual emergency medical services.Read moreRead less
Examining A Core Assumption Of Policy And Services For Older Indigenous Australians
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$133,387.00
Summary
In aged care service planning, the age 50 years or over is used for the Indigenous Australian population in the same way as the age 70 years is used for the non-Indigenous population. This is based on the lower life expectancy of the Indigenous population which is presumed to result in a need for aged care services at younger ages. The underlying assumption is that Australia's Indigenous population aged over 50 has the same set of age-associated conditions and care needs as the non-Indigenous po ....In aged care service planning, the age 50 years or over is used for the Indigenous Australian population in the same way as the age 70 years is used for the non-Indigenous population. This is based on the lower life expectancy of the Indigenous population which is presumed to result in a need for aged care services at younger ages. The underlying assumption is that Australia's Indigenous population aged over 50 has the same set of age-associated conditions and care needs as the non-Indigenous population aged over 70. The evidence for this assumption is not established. It is well documented that the Indigenous population has worse health outcomes across all age groups relative to non-Indigenous Australians. However, our understanding of the details of the observed pattern is far from complete. This project seeks to compare the health status of the Indigenous population aged 50 years or over to the health status of the non-Indigenous population aged 70 years or over. The project will analyse a number of data sets to inform future directions in policy and service provision. A better understanding of these issues is fundamental to informed planning and allocation of resources, to identification of areas amenable to prevention strategies and to the development of approaches to care that meet the needs of Indigenous people.Read moreRead less
Development Of A Palliative Care Service For Rural And Remote Communities
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$150,000.00
Summary
This project will develop, implement and evaluate a new model of providing palliative care to individuals in rural and remote communities that will utilise existing health and community resources to provide palliative care. As the number of patients requiring palliation in rural and remote communities is small, the service may not function at all times but come together (pop-up) as required. Evaluation of the model in three different types of rural communities will be undertaken in three states ....This project will develop, implement and evaluate a new model of providing palliative care to individuals in rural and remote communities that will utilise existing health and community resources to provide palliative care. As the number of patients requiring palliation in rural and remote communities is small, the service may not function at all times but come together (pop-up) as required. Evaluation of the model in three different types of rural communities will be undertaken in three states (New South Wales, Queensland and West Australia). Phase I will develop a framework to assist rural communities undertake a critical palliative care service review. Phase II will implement and evaluate the model, leading to recommendations for provision of best practice palliative care more generally in rural communities.Read moreRead less
A Model Of Current & Potential Palliative Care Constituency: Measuring Met & Unmet Needs
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$145,210.00
Summary
Although many health care providers believe palliative care should be offered to all Australians who need it, there is no population-based data to support this claim. This study will provide much needed population-based evidence by measuring the levels of met and unmet needs of people with active, progressive, advanced disease in the last 12 months of their lives. A model of current and potential palliative care constituency will be developed that will lead to improved access to palliative care ....Although many health care providers believe palliative care should be offered to all Australians who need it, there is no population-based data to support this claim. This study will provide much needed population-based evidence by measuring the levels of met and unmet needs of people with active, progressive, advanced disease in the last 12 months of their lives. A model of current and potential palliative care constituency will be developed that will lead to improved access to palliative care for people who do not traditionally access specialist palliative care services.Read moreRead less
Establishing The Capacity For H5N1 Challenge Of Ferrets Within Australia &optimizing Pandemic Vaccines In This Model
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$405,513.00
Summary
Australia is currently in the process of manufacturing vaccines for use in people against strains of avian influenza viruses circulating in South East Asia as part of a national preparedness program for an influenza pandemic. These particular avian flu viruses are capable of causing severe disease and death in humans as well as birds, although at present they are not highly transmissible between people. Should the avian influenza viruses mutate to gain this capability, it will be necessary to in ....Australia is currently in the process of manufacturing vaccines for use in people against strains of avian influenza viruses circulating in South East Asia as part of a national preparedness program for an influenza pandemic. These particular avian flu viruses are capable of causing severe disease and death in humans as well as birds, although at present they are not highly transmissible between people. Should the avian influenza viruses mutate to gain this capability, it will be necessary to institute widespread vaccination of the Australian population. It is not possible to test the vaccines in people for their effectiveness against avian influenza infection prior to a disease outbreak, so an animal model for the disease will be used to assist in optimizing the formulation of flu vaccines and in testing their efficacy in preventing infection or reducing the severity of disease. Ferrets are natural hosts for flu viruses, have similar responses to vaccination as people, and develop a similar disease to humans when infected with influenza. These animals will be used to assist vaccine manufacturers in providing the best type of vaccine for protection of Australians in the face of a global flu pandemic.Read moreRead less