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This study aims to evaluate a new approach to provide a ‘personalised’ treatment management plan for patients with glioma that has started to grow again following treatment with radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Who is it for? You may be eligible to join this study if you are aged 18 years or older, with histological confirmed grade 2 or 3 glioma at initial diagnosis. In addition, evidence of progressive disease as defined as evidence of new contrast-enhancing tumour and/or 25% increase in the size of the T2/FLAIR area compared to prior imaging after prior treatment with radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Study details For each participant, the study will involve a taking a sample of tumour tissue during surgery and then screened for a range of biomarkers. If a suitable biomarker is found, the study team will try and match the identified biomarker with specific treatment. Blood samples and imaging assessments will also be obtained during this study. It is hoped that screening tumour tissue for specific biomarkers can inform a personalised treatment plan for patients with brain cancer and provide valuable insight to the feasibility of conducting such trials.

This study will evaluate an updated health care delivery model for patients with Cystic Fibrosis by incorporating virtual health/telehealth clinics. For patients in the telehealth arm, clinic visits may occur at home, work or at their local GP practice. This will replace in-hospital clinic visits. Patients in this arm however will need to attend at least one in-hospital clinic visit over a 12 month period. Spirometry will be performed at home using a portable spirometer. Patient satisfaction and well-being questionnaires will need to be completed at baseline, 6 and 12 months. Patients in the non-telehealth arm will need to complete similar questionnaires at baseline, 6 and 12 months. Patients in the latter arm will continue to attend in-hospital clinic visits every 3 months. Three groups of patients will be recruited for this study; a. Patients living in regional NSW b. Patients living in metropolitan NSW, 15km away from the RPA CF centre c. Patients colonised with multi-resistant bacteria

The purpose of this partnership project is to address a significant evidence-to-practice gap by implementing and evaluating a new model of care for stroke rehabilitation, using mechanobiology-based, robot-assisted weight-bearing exercise with biofeedback to improve bone health in patients following an acute stroke. Hypothesis:: Relative to standard care, the new model of care for stroke patients utilising a mechanobiology-based robot-assisted weight-bearing exercise will achieve significant and sustainable improvements in bone health consistent with that recommended by the 2017 clinical guidelines for stroke management. This project will provide the necessary comparative-effectiveness ‘proof-of-concept’ evidence for the use of robots in clinical practice to inform rehabilitation policy.

Research has shown that in addition to carbohydrate, fat and protein in foods cause a delayed rise in blood glucose. In some people with type 1 diabetes meals higher in fat and protein require extra insulin. This is a 4 day, home- based study looking at how much extra insulin to give for meals higher in fat and protein. We hypothesise that administration of an additional 60% of the meal insulin dose will reduce mean glucose excursions at 180 mins post- meal without an increase in hypoglycaemia.

Rib fractures are common injuries and can result in significant morbidity and mortality. Among the common regional anaesthetic techniques to treat rib fracture and related acute pain are thoracic epidurals and paravertebral catheters which are technically challenging and pose potentially serious harms. In recent years, the Erector Spinae Plane block has been used for our rib fracture patients at the Alfred and the aim of this study is to test whether continuous erector spinae plane catheter improves lung function in patients with more than 3 contigous rib fractures before and at various time points after implementation of ESP blockade.

Modified constraint-induced movement therapy (mCIMT) is a therapy for improving arm function after stroke. Despite strong research supporting its use, mCIMT is not routine practice for Rehabilitation in the Home (RITH) physiotherapists and occupational therapists. RITH therapists have received training, specific resources have been developed and additional clinical support have been provided to encourage mCIMT to become standard post-stroke care. Hypothesis: With adequate staff training, clinical support and development of context-specific resources, mCIMT will become usual care for appropriate patients referred to RITH with arm impairment after stroke. Research Aims: This study will seek to determine if implementation of mCIMT within an early-supported discharge rehabilitation service is feasible, acceptable and sustainable within existing resources and staffing.

This study aims to evaluate the feasibility of an intervention program to reduce depression, anxiety, stress and compassion fatigue among medical students based at the University of Tasmania’s Hobart Clinical School and junior medical officers (JMOs) based at the Royal Hobart Hospital via the development of their psychological capital and promotion of their skills and capacities for coping with inevitable work-related stressors. Using a randomised trial, we will compare the PsyCap workshop with an active control condition (psychoeducation only) and the PsyCap workshop plus a “booster session” and test the following hypotheses: Hypothesis 1: Increasing PsyCap (resilience, optimism, self-efficacy, and hope) will reduce CF and psychological distress; and Hypothesis 2: The PsyCap + booster session group will maintain the positive effect of the intervention for longer.

The objective of this study is to assess the feasibility of a Flexible Exercise Participation Program (FEPP) for people with minimal disability from multiple sclerosis. The 12-week FEPP will guide participants to independently participate in their preferred sport or exercise at a location of their choice. Exercise progression will be guided by individual energy levels and a weekly telephone coaching session with a physiotherapist. Participation in exercise or sport will be recorded in parallel with assessment of disease biomarkers, subjective vitality and high-level mobility. The aim of the study is to help increase participation in sport or exercise for people with multiple sclerosis.

This study aims to investigate the role of the neurotransmitter dopamine in the exercise-related enhancement of motor learning. The benefit of acute exercise on the retention of motor learning has been well-established, however the specific neural processes that underpin this effect remain unclear. By using Sulpiride to selectively block the action of specific dopamine receptors, we hope to better understand the role that dopamine may play in this process.

Mobile technology has been proposed as an innovative opportunity to assist in improving the management of chronic illnesses as young people transition to adult care services. The TransitionMate study is the first trial that we can identify of a generic mobile application for the self-management of a cohort of adolescents with chronic illnesses transitioning from paediatric to adult care services. It is a two centre, pragmatic, single arm, mixed methods cohort study conducted within two University Teaching Paediatric Hospitals in Sydney, Australia. We hypothesis that use of the TransitionMate mobile application will result in improved engagement and retention of adolescents with chronic illness within adult services as well as reduce deterioration in illness control and unplanned hospitalisations.e with chronic illness in their transition from paediatric to adult health care services.