Prevention and Management of Long Term Conditions
Description and Aims
This stream is a response to the challenge of long-term conditions to health and health care services. These conditions include diabetes, cardiovascular disease, asthma and chronic obstructive lung disease, cancer and mental illness. They commonly occur as multi-morbidities. The aim is conduct research in the community which informs improvement in health care and programs which aim to prevent and manage these conditions.
Key Current Research Areas
Prevention
The program focuses on improving interventions to address the behavioural risk factors (especially Smoking, Nutrition, Alcohol and Physical activity) as well as physiological risk factors such as obesity and cardiovascular risk in primary health care. This uses the 5As framework (ask/assess, advise, agree and assist, arrange), approaches tailored to health literacy levels and use of wearable technology and social media.
Management
This program focuses on a patient centred approach based on the Chronic Care model and includes teamwork, information and communication systems (including e-health), self-management support and community resources. This is the focus of work on diabetes, cardiovascular disease, asthma, COPD, cancer, mental illness and multi-morbidity.
Key Partners
This research is conducted in partnership with primary health networks and local health districts along with other groups including Aboriginal Health organisations.
Stream lead
Mark Harris leads the stream.
Completed
Projects
Who calls Lifeline?
Examination of the needs and views of callers to a Lifeline branch. Lifeline provides confidential advice and counselling to anonymous callers. It can only infer the needs of those counsellors and while it collects activity data has limited understanding of the needs of its clients.
Working relationships: The process of sharing care between GPs, allied health practitioners, and medical specialists in chronic disease management.
Explores the perceptions of GPs, allied health practitioners, and medical specialists regarding sharing care of patients with Type 2 diabetes and/or Ischaemic Heart Disease/hypertension