Advancing Physiotherapy Management Of Chronic Pain By Improving Implementation Of Evidence-based Practice
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$115,883.00
Summary
Chronic musculoskeletal pain is major and concerning public health burden and physiotherapists provide a vital and influential role in managing this problem. High level research has demonstrated effective approaches to managing chronic pain yet there appears to be barriers to implementing such strategies clinically. This project aims to explore these barriers with physiotherapists, devise an intervention to overcome them, and test the feasibility and acceptability of the intervention.
Polypharmacy In The Heart Failure Patient: Are All Prescribed Drug Classes Required?
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$134,110.00
Summary
This project investigates the issue of polypharmacy is heart failure. Polypharmacy is the use of four or more prescription medications, and heart failure patients take six on average. This project investigates the evidence for safe withdrawal of medications failure that have not been shown to prolong life in heart, doctor and patient attitudes to withdrawing medications, and then runs a series of three clinical trials, each withdrawing a different medication in heart failure patients and closely ....This project investigates the issue of polypharmacy is heart failure. Polypharmacy is the use of four or more prescription medications, and heart failure patients take six on average. This project investigates the evidence for safe withdrawal of medications failure that have not been shown to prolong life in heart, doctor and patient attitudes to withdrawing medications, and then runs a series of three clinical trials, each withdrawing a different medication in heart failure patients and closely monitors the effects.Read moreRead less
A Prospective Study Of The Aetiology, Associations, Clinical Features And Outcomes Of Community-acquired Pneumonia In Children And Adults In Tropical Australia
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$106,937.00
Summary
Pneumonia is common in Australia and often requires hospital admission. The germs that cause pneumonia in tropical Australia are less well known than southern Australia and likely to be different. This study will identify which germs cause pneumonia in people in tropical Australia and will identify which people become more unwell. I aim to identify the best antibiotics to use, the differences between children and adults, Indigenous and non-Indigenous people and people living in different areas.
Patients with a first seizure (FS) presenting to EDs receive widely varied and often non-evidenced based care. This can result in future hospital admissions for seizures, injuries, and deaths. Researchers will undertake a literature review and analysis of current management of FS patients. It will be determined if delayed assessments are associated with poorer outcomes and higher treatment costs. We will create a tool to help predict chance of seizure recurrence following a FS.
Towards Better Management Of Obstructive Sleep Apnoea In Chronic Tetraplegia
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$71,636.00
Summary
Approximately 50% of people with tetraplegia have obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA); a condition where their throat closes during sleep. OSA is known to make living with tetraplegia much more difficult. This project aims to develop a way to screen for OSA in tetraplegia without a full sleep study (an expensive and often inaccessible test) and to understand the issues faced by clinicians in managing OSA in this group of patients so that strategies can be designed to improve diagnosis and treatment.
The First Randomised Placebo Controlled Trial Of Paracetamol For Acute Low Back Pain
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$73,852.00
Summary
Low back pain is a considerable burden for individuals and society. While clinical guidelines recommend simple treatments such as paracetamol for new low back pain, most people receive costly and potentially harmful treatments. This may be due to limited direct evidence supporting the recommended treatments. A placebo controlled clinical trial of 1650 patients with recent onset low back pain will be conducted to determine the effect that paracetamol has on improving the time to recovery.
An Evaluation Of The Impact Of A Chlamydia Testing Intervention On General Practitioner Knowledge, Attitudes And Chlamydia Testing Rates
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$84,800.00
Summary
Chlamydia trachomatis is a significant public health burden. Annual chlamydia testing is recommended for young people attending Australian general practice, and is required to reduce chlamydia prevalence, but testing rates remain low. This research will evaluate the impact of a chlamydia testing intervention on Australian general practitioners’ chlamydia testing rates, knowledge and attitudes. Findings will provide evidence to support future chlamydia control programs in Australia.
Increasing The Use Of Intervention Research Evidence In Acquired Brain Injury Rehabilitation
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$107,204.00
Summary
Acquired brain injury (ABI) is a major public health issue in Australia, being the leading cause of disability. There is a benefit in clinicians implementing the best available evidence in order to attain best possible outcome after ABI. However, there are persistent gaps between research and clinical practice. This project will synthesise the existing clinical practice guidelines and understand barriers to practicing evidence-based rehabilitation so as to propose a new model of rehabilitation.
Stakeholder Involvement To Set Priorities For Health Communication And Participation Research
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$93,846.00
Summary
Health communication and participation (e.g. doctor-patient communication, information sharing) are critical to safe, quality health care. This PhD aims to identify research priorities of Australian patients, carers, clinicians and policymakers in this area. Once priorities are set, new research will commence to answer these priorities. This PhD will inform research and policy and strengthen the evidence for strategies to improve the health care experiences of Australian patients and carers.