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
Prevention of vascular disease in general practice: Health Improvement and Prevention Study
This study evaluates the impact of recalling patients to general practice for a visit to assess their risk of chronic disease and to help them to lower their risk by changes to smoking, diet, alcohol consumption and physical activity behaviours as well as pharmacological management of their blood pressure and cholesterol.
Primary care Early Intervention for COPD Management
This cluster randomised trial will test new approaches to the management of COPD in primary care.
Putting Prevention into Practice – Developing a theoretical model to help understand the lifestyle risk factor management practices of primary health care clinicians (NHMRC PhD scholarship)
This PhD study used a mixed methods design to develop a theoretical model of the factors influencing the risk factor management practices of PHC clinicians, using data collected as part of the feasibility study of risk factor management in community health.
Referral pathways in colorectal cancer: general practitioners’ patterns of referral and factors that influence referral
This project will examine current patterns of referral of patients diagnosed with CRC to specialist services.
Review Lifescripts Demonstration Divisions Program
During 2007-2008, AGDHA has funded ten Divisions of General Practice to participate in the Lifescripts Demonstration Divisions project. The participating Divisions will each implement different models of Lifescripts with a minimum of five practices. This study uses a mixed method approach to develop typologies and identify factors which acted as facilitators and barriers.
