Research
VicReN members are encouraged to participate in approved, ethical research projects designed to acknowledge and support general practice. VicReN aims to endorse projects which have been designed by a team involving general practitioners or supported by general practitioners who have an advisory capacity. Projects must be important to primary health care and wherever possible involve educating general practitioners, practice nurses and practice staff, and as such, will help build knowledge and research capacity of those participating
1) Ageing Care in General Practice Study
VicReN provides recruitment and administrative support for this cluster randomised, multi-centre trial in collaboration with the University of Newcastle, University of New South Wales and University of Adelaide. The study aims to determine how general practitioners can best diagnose and manage early dementia and distinguish it from depression and other conditions. It will also examine whether the use of a new dementia screening tool (GPCOG) and training in the RACGP "Care of Patients with Dementia in General Practice" guidelines will improve the diagnosis and management of both patients with dementia and their carers. Recruitment occurs through randomised selection only. GPs are eligible for 40 Category 1 QA&CPD points for research, 75+ Health Assessments may be undertaken on study participants where they have not been completed in the last 12 months, and at the study conclusion, control/placebo GPs will undertake the training. Pooled reports of patient assessments will be provided to each GP. For more information, please contact the study coordinator Helen McPartlan on 8344 3392 or h.mcpartlan@unimelb.edu.au.
2) Weave Study
VicReN provides recruitment and administrative support to the weave project. This NHMRC-funded trial aims to build a better picture of how GPs should care for the emotional well-being of women. Specifically, weave will evaluate if an intervention in general practice involving screening for intimate partner abuse and feedback to GPs, training for GPs or practice nurses and a brief counselling intervention for women increases women’s safety planning, mental health and quality of life. GPs are eligible for 40 Category 1 QA&CPD points and may nominate a nurse from their practice to be involved. Practices are reimbursed for their involvement and a report on their patients is provided at the study conclusion. Contact Lorna on 8344 3369 or l.odoherty@unimelb.edu.au for further information.
3) Exercise and Type 2 Diabetes Study
Sophie Yeo, PhD candidate from the Department of Physiology at the University of Melbourne, is conducting research to better understand the molecular bases of type 2 diabetes and the effects of exercise so as to optimise existing, and develop potentially novel, therapeutic strategies that enhance health outcomes in type 2 diabetes. She seeks assistance in identifying potential participants – these patients must have been diagnosed with diabetes and are being managed primarily by diet/weight loss, with perhaps oral hypoglycaemic agents, but ideally not with metformin or TZDs. For further information, please contact: Ms. Sophie Elizabeth Yeo, Department of Physiology, the University of Melbourne. Phone: (03) 8344 5851 Email: s.yeo3@pgrad.unimelb.edu.au.
4) Health Assessment in General Practice for Children and Young People Entering Out-of-Home Care in Victoria
Susan Webster, Divisions of General Practice Consultant, is undertaking research for her Masters degree through the Department of General Practice, the University of Melbourne. She would like to conduct an hour-long tape-recorded interview of 30 GPs about providing health assessments for children entering out-of-home care. If you are interested in participating, please contact Susan on (03) 9341 5203 or s.webster@pgrad.unimelb.edu.
5) Better Outcomes for Obese Children in General Practice: Randomised Controlled Trial of a New Shared-Care Model vs. Usual Care
This NHMRC-funded trial aims to examine an innovative shared-care approach to the management of childhood obesity, drawing together four established lines of research:
- specialist child obesity approaches that are known to be effective;
- positive aspects of our previous child obesity prevention general practice trials;
- computerised support and decision assistance in primary care; and
- the effectiveness of shared-care approaches.
Because all elements are already in place, it has a high degree of feasibility and, we believe, a high chance of success.
This trial addresses the urgent need identified in the 2003 NHMRC Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Management of Overweight and Obesity in Children and Adolescents for simple, well-designed intervention studies which can be translated into usual clinical practice. If effective, benefits would include increased general practitioner identification of childhood obesity; a shift in focus towards younger obese children (for whom treatment is more effective and secondary prevention of morbidity is still possible); and a replicable, feasible, cost-effective primary care approach to childhood overweight/obesity tailored to the Australian health care system. For more information, please contact Melinda Soós on 8344 3392 or msoos@unimelb.edu.au.
6) ACCESS: General Practices (GPs) Chlamydia Sentinel Surveillance
ACCESS will involve the establishment of six separate chlamydia sentinel surveillance networks, each providing unique information on testing uptake and prevalence of chlamydia infection in a range of priority populations; young heterosexuals, men who have sex with men, Indigenous people, pregnant women and sex workers.
Analyses of chlamydia testing and notification data have shown that increased testing would detect a greater number of infections and would reduce the morbidity associated with chlamydia infection, particularly among women. Sentinel surveillance will greatly assist in monitoring adequate testing uptake is undertaken in GP settings. GP sites will need a designated contact person to participate in collaborative meetings and as a conduit for communications between the GP site and the steering committees. GP Sites will be offered professional development (CME) points where possible. Required data will be collected during the routine clinical consultation and therefore its collection will have minimal impact on routine operations. For more information, please contact Fabian Kong on 8506 2327 or fabian.kong@burnet.edu.au.