Use And Adequacy Of Diabetic Retinopathy Screening: A Whole Population Linked Data Study
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$219,382.00
Summary
Diabetes and its health complications are major public health issues presently facing Australia. Currently, around 7% of Australians have diabetes and it is estimated that 300 million people will be diabetic within 20-years. One major complication of diabetes is diabetic retinopathy, which is the most common cause of blindness in working-age adults. Although early treatment can prevent vision loss from diabetic retinopathy, often there are no visual symptoms until the condition is more advanced ....Diabetes and its health complications are major public health issues presently facing Australia. Currently, around 7% of Australians have diabetes and it is estimated that 300 million people will be diabetic within 20-years. One major complication of diabetes is diabetic retinopathy, which is the most common cause of blindness in working-age adults. Although early treatment can prevent vision loss from diabetic retinopathy, often there are no visual symptoms until the condition is more advanced and less treatable. Consequently, it is vital that people with diabetes have their eyes examined regularly. We aim to investigate the use of eye services by people with diabetes. The WA Data Linkage System provides the unique opportunity to efficiently examine the benefits of specialist eye care in diabetics within WA over a 17-year period. The study period encompasses the introduction of NHMRC guidelines for diabetic retinopathy screening in 1997. This will enable us to examine the effectiveness of these guidelines in increasing ophthalmic services use by people with diabetes. Evaluating these trends will provide important data on the effectiveness of policy and NHMRC guidelines in improving diabetic eye care, which has never been comprehensively investigated. Early intervention can prevent and delay vision loss from diabetic retinopathy, substantially reducing the personal and community burden from diabetes. The identification of poorly screened groups will enable more targeted programs to improve the use of ophthalmic series, which in turn may reduce the risk of: i) eye surgery related to diabetes, ii) injury resulting from diabetes-related vision disorder or iii) blindness. The feasibility of using linked health data to evaluate eye screening in diabetics will enable future work addressing processes of care in the prevention of other diabetic complications to be undertaken quickly and cost-effectively.Read moreRead less
A Community-based Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial In Rural Bangladesh To Evaluate The Impact Of The Use Of Iron/folic Acid Supplements Early In Pregnancy On The Risk Of Neonatal MortalityBACKGROUND An Effective Program Of Antenatal Iron/folic Ac
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,564,922.00
Summary
This community-based trial in rural Bangladesh will determine if iron/folic acid supplementation commencing in the first trimester of pregnancy significantly reduces newborn deaths, and whether this approach is cost-effective. This trial has the potential to inform international public health policy about the importance of starting antenatal iron/folic acid supplementation early to improve neonatal survival, and to help countries reach their child survival Millennium Development Goal
The Benefits And Harms Associated With Breast Cancer Screening In The Australian Context.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$80,222.00
Summary
Australia is caught in a dilemma. Breast screening is well-established however there has been fierce debate about the value of screening programmes. I will determine the frequency of benefit and harm due to breast screening programs in Australia to better understand the true extent of overdiagnosis and overtreatment. Based on this information, I will make recommendations about how breast screening should be provided in Australia in future and clearly communicate this information to the community
The WA Safety And Quality Of Surgical Care Project: Improving The Safety, Quality And Provision Of Surgical Care.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$583,500.00
Summary
The basis of this application is a three-year project which aims to improve the safety, quality and the provision of surgical care. This application constitutes the core of the WA Safety and Quality of Surgical Care Project (SQSCP), which was established in 1996 to evaluate the clinical epidemiology, health care utilisation, patient safety and health outcomes following admission to hospital for specific surgical and medical procedures in Western Australia (WA). The study will use data from the W ....The basis of this application is a three-year project which aims to improve the safety, quality and the provision of surgical care. This application constitutes the core of the WA Safety and Quality of Surgical Care Project (SQSCP), which was established in 1996 to evaluate the clinical epidemiology, health care utilisation, patient safety and health outcomes following admission to hospital for specific surgical and medical procedures in Western Australia (WA). The study will use data from the WA Data Linkage System, which brings together 15 million records from hospital morbidity, death, cancer, midwives notification and mental health databases. Surgical procedures have been selected for review based on national priorities and after consultation with the WA Branch of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS) and other clinical Colleges. This application proposes to continue the core research activities of the SQSCP. A special focus will be on the use of minimally invasive surgical techniques including laparoscopic, endoscopic and endoluminal procedures, which have increased dramatically during the last decade. The study will also evaluate differences in the outcomes of surgical care in rural and metropolitan settings. The findings of the SQSCP will be comprehensively disseminated to surgeons, the RACS, hospital managers, health policy makers and consumers. The rationale of this project is that by providing high quality data on the epidemiology, utilisation and outcomes of surgical care, we will be able to increase the knowledge-base that will contribute to improvements in the safety, quality and provision of surgical care in Australia and internationally. The aims of the SQSCP are consistent with national health priorities and the recommendations of the Taskforce on Quality of Australian Health Care Study, the Australian Council for Safety and Quality in Health Care and the National Institute of Clinical Studies.Read moreRead less
Improving Antiretroviral Treatment (ART) Initiation For People Living With HIV In Australia: A Realistic And Feasible Approach?
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$434,722.00
Summary
Antiretroviral treatment (ART) has improved the lives of people living with HIV (PLHIV). This study will investigate barriers, incentives and reasons that influence decision making of PLHIV and clinicians regarding whether to start ART and when. The study will examine the potential public health impact of promoting ART use on the HIV epidemic. The study will make significant contributions to improvement of ART use and advances in HIV prevention.
Morbidity, Mortality And Health Service Use Among Criminal Offenders: A Western Australian Population-based Study
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$133,750.00
Summary
This study will focus on the health of criminal offenders, as a most likely marginalised and neglected section of the community, in order to identify areas of need that if addressed will possess benefits for both offenders and the general community. A research team will apply their public health, criminology and forensic psychology expertise, in partnership with the WA Police Service, to provide information on the health outcomes and health service use of adult offenders in WA. Four themes will ....This study will focus on the health of criminal offenders, as a most likely marginalised and neglected section of the community, in order to identify areas of need that if addressed will possess benefits for both offenders and the general community. A research team will apply their public health, criminology and forensic psychology expertise, in partnership with the WA Police Service, to provide information on the health outcomes and health service use of adult offenders in WA. Four themes will be explored: (1) Health Status, to estimate the prevalence of overall and cause-specific hospital-treated morbidity (2) Mortality, to estimate the prevalence of overall and cause-specific mortality, (3) Health Service Use, focussing on both the rate of primary and secondary health service use; and (4) Inequalities In Health Outcomes, firstly comparing the health outcomes of adult offenders with the general WA population, and secondly, comparing the health outcomes of adult offenders based on sanction severity and custodial setting. This investigation is one of only a few worldwide to study health among criminal offenders. Offenders are a neglected section of the Australian health system. Responding to their needs is not possible without an understanding of their health outcomes and the disparities that exist. An important public health opportunity therefore exists to investigate the health of this socially disadvantaged group. This study will provide more detailed data regarding offender-health than currently exists internationally or nationally. Results can be used by health and-or justice administrators as indicators of program and service performance, and potentially lead to improved collaboration between these sectors. The methods used for outcome evaluation can be used readily for the routine evaluation of health performance indicators for offenders.Read moreRead less
Using Linked Population-based Health-related Datasets To Optimise Cancer Care And Reduce Survival Disparities.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$850,941.00
Summary
In partnership with the Victorian Department of Health and Human Services, we will use detailed health data from various sources to assess how care is provided to people with cancer and determine why some have better survival than others. The findings will be used to change government policy and clinical practice in order to improve cancer outcomes for those who fair worse. We will establish a data bank to enable this information to be used to improve services into the future.