ANZCTR search results

Those living with frailty are at greater risk of adverse events when attending the Emergency Department (ED). Gold standard practice for frail older patients is a multidimensional multidisciplinary comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA). However, routine completion is difficult in the ED setting due to increasing demand, overcrowding and patient flow issues, but has shown positive outcomes when used selectively with patients at high risk of adverse events. Allied health professionals often contribute to the multidisciplinary process providing comprehensive care to ED patients, However, referrals are traditionally received after medical intervention which can cause delays in decision making and discharge. The project aims to implement an early allied health assessment for frail older adults presenting to the ED. They will provide individualised interventions to priority patients, minimising the risk of adverse events and gathering valuable information regarding social complexities and function earlier to assist discharge decision making, facilitating patient flow through the ED and improve patient outcomes and experience.

This study is part of the TRAvel VAccine Decision Aids for Decision-making (TRAVAID) Project, which is establishing a platform for the development of a suite of evidence-based travel vaccine decision aids for travel medicine. In this randomised controlled trial, we will measure the impact of a Japanese Encephalitis Vaccine Decision Aid (JEVADA) compared with standard practice (an online fact sheet) on vaccine decision-making for Japanese encephalitis in a representative cohort of Australian travellers. We hypothesise that JEVADA will reduce uncertainty about JE vaccination and help users make decisions that align with their personal values. This should lead to an increase in both the intention to get vaccinated and actual vaccine uptake before travel.

Diabetes-related foot ulceration is a debilitating condition that arises in part due to high mechanical pressures acting on the underside of the foot. Offloading treatments intend to reduce these pressures to allow wound healing, however the most effective existing offloading treatment approaches (non-removable knee-high offloading) are poorly accepted due to the negative effects the treatment has on the person and their quality of life. The research team have developed an approach to 3D print accessible and low-cost personalised metamaterial insoles with functionally graded stiffness that varies across the device. These insoles could potentially be used to enhance the effectiveness of offloading treatments – particularly, those offloading treatments that are better tolerated by individuals (removable ankle high offloading devices). This within-subjects repeated-measures crossover study in healthy participants will compare the immediate effects on plantar pressures in prefabricated offloading devices with and without personalised 3D printed metamaterial offloading insoles produced using automated design algorithms. The results of this study will provide insight to the most suitable design algorithms for functionally graded insoles as part of offloading treatment. The findings of this study on healthy participants will inform later studies with participants with Diabetes-related foot ulceration.

The ePREVENT-360 project is a pilot study funded by the 2023 RACGP Foundation and HCF Research Foundation to test the feasibility of a consumer-facing digital health program (IN2HEALTH) for preventing chronic conditions in Australian general practice. The study aims to assess the program's acceptability, engagement, sustainability and effectiveness among consumers and clinicians. By examining these factors, the research will provide insights into the program's value, barriers and facilitators, helping to refine its design for future trials. The outcomes will guide how the program could be integrated into routine care to promote better health outcomes.

This study aims to assess the acceptability of standardised early referral to palliative care services for patients with aggressive haematological malignancies. Who is it for? You may be eligible for this study if you are a male or female with haematological malignancies with poor prognosis defined as: adult patients with acute leukaemia Age > 70 years or Age < 70 years not in complete remission after two lines of prior therapy; Aggressive Lymphoma that has not responded to treatment or that has come back after treatment; Myeloma Symptomatic and age > 80 years. You may be eligible as a primary caregiver if you are nominated by participant at time of enrollment. You may be eligible as clinician in this study if you are a clinical haematologist responsible for the care of patients at the Austin Health during the study period. Study details All participants in this study will receive an early referral to a specialist palliative care service and will then be asked to attend palliative care reviews every 4 weeks over a 12 month period. Participants will also complete questionnaires throughout the 12 months to assess if there has been any change in quality of life and data will be collected from medical records to determine any changes in healthcare or outcomes. It is hoped that findings from this study will help [One sentence about how it is hoped this research will contribute to the field/how it may be used to improve health outcomes], e.g. understand whether SPC services' acceptability at managing patient's physical symptoms and helping patients and their support networks negotiate issues at the end of life.

The PAUSEMATTERS Study investigates natural pauses during childbirth, so-called physiological plateaus. This study seeks to generate high-quality data on the prevalence (how often), timing (when) and duration (how long) of physiological plateaus in healthy labour, including how such plateaus may affect the mother’s and newborn’s health. This study applies a cohort design, meaning that data is collected in a group of women, during and soon after birth. Participants in this study include women who plan a homebirth in Western Australia with the support of a midwife.

The proposed study investigates zinc's impact on lung function, IPF-related complications including pulmonary hypertension, and acute exacerbation in IPF. The findings will establish a rationale for incorporating zinc into IPF management and lay the foundation for further research into zinc status monitoring in existing IPF care protocols.

This project aims to examine the effectiveness and biological (physiological) mechanisms of an 8-week app-based mindfulness program for reducing movement symptoms and psychological distress in individuals with Parkinson's disease. We hypothesised that there will be improvements in movement symptoms and reductions in psychological distress for participants after the 8-week intervention. We also hypothesize that there will be corresponding changes in EEG activity in brain regions typically associated with emotion regulation and mindfulness ability. We also expect increases in resting-state heart rate variability, which are thought to reflect improvements in emotion regulation and previously found to be increased by mindfulness-based interventions

Our study is about helping older Australians with hearing and/or vision impairment stay in their own homes and communities as they age. We want to evaluate the impact of a hearing and vision support program that is aimed at improving quality of life, hearing and vision function, and overall well-being of home care recipients with hearing and/or vision impairment and their informal caregivers. We believe that the 3 month home-based sensory support program will help older adults with hearing and/or vision problems live better and do daily activities more easily.

Cardiac dysfunction is a common complication of cirrhosis, affecting from a third to half of patients with end stage liver disease. The reasons for its development are still unclear, and novel techniques such as metabolite profiling may illuminate new causative pathways and potentially identify targets for treating this condition. Liver transplantation provides a cure for cirrhosis, however its effect on cardiac dysfunction has also not been fully elucidated. Also, the effects of cardiac dysfunction on liver transplant outcomes in also unclear. This study, by combining metabomics and newer cardiac imaging techniques, will be able to study the reversibility of this condition after transplant and allow us to characterise the spectrum of cardiac dysfunction and its effect on liver transplant outcomes.