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COMPLETED RESEARCH PROJECTS 2000-2011

1. Ross River Virus

A Ph.D fellowship named "The South West Cities and Shires Ross River Disease

Research Fellowship" funded by donations from 14 Cities and Shires of the South

West was established at the University of Western Australia in 2002. All other

research costs for Phase 1 were met by the Western Australian Health Department

and the University of Western Australia. Mr C Gordon commenced his three-year

research fellowship in March 2002. The Scholar’s supervisors for the Ph.D degree

were: Dr Cheryl Johansen, Dr David Smith, Prof Geoffrey Shellam and Dr Annette

Broome.

The participating Cities and Shires were: Augusta-Margaret River, Bunbury,

Busselton, Bridgetown-Greenbushes, Collie, Capel, Dardanup, Donnybrook-

Balingup, Harvey, Manjimup, Mandurah, Murray, Rockingham and Waroona.

The research was conducted over 4 years and completed in 2004 at cost of

$250,000.

The research identified new methods for prediction of epidemics and provided

new information on the optimal time and extent of spraying mosquito breeding

ground to prevent or contain epidemics. The findings provided evidence

supporting the expense of spraying wetlands for up to five kilometers from

human habitation.

REPORT: A formal report was provided to participating Local Governments in the

South west.

2. Underwater diving injury The Foundation supported a survey conducted

by a Masters student from the University of Western Australia. The survey was

conducted over a 12 month period and completed in 2004 at a cost of $1,000.

The survey was a demographic study defining training, experience and

equipment. The findings resulted in recommendations for improved training.

3. Enhancing cancer care research was conducted in partnership with

Murdoch University and the Western Australian Health Department.

The research was funded by community donations including a major donation by

Pat and Bill Catalano.

Commenced in 2006 and completed in 2007 at a cost of $80,000, the research

identified seriously impaired delivery of therapy and aftercare services for a

number of patients not accessing the services of the then new regional cancer

coordinator nurses, thus fully supporting that initiative of the Health Department

of WA.

PUBLICATION: Cancer Nursing, Vol. 32, No. 6, 2009.

4. Health of an aging workforce research was conducted in partnership

with Murdoch University, Worsley Alumina and Bemax Cable Sands. The Val

Lishman Health Research Foundation Inc. initiated the project, coordinated the

collaboration and provided seed funding of $5,500 for the preparation of the

proposal and pilot studies. Industry contributions were valued at over $200,000

plus a grant from the Australian Research Council of $375,000. The research

was conducted over three years and completed in 2008 with a formal report to

each participating industry completed in 2009.

5. Open Disclosure is an alternative to the familiar adversarial legalistic

approach to adverse events during health care which requires professionals to

make no comment or admission to the patient on pain of losing legal and

insurance support. Open disclosure by contrast actually requires a full and

frank discussion between the health professional and patient about what went

wrong, why it happened and what is being done to prevent it happening again.

In particular this system permits immediate investigation and correction of

institutional failures and avoids a culture of denial.

The Foundation provided seed funding of $10,000 to an Edith Cowan Universityled

collaboration with health, insurance and legal organizations to understand

barriers to introduction of Open disclosure to Western Australia.

Professor Alfred Allan, Professor of Psychology at the School of Psychology and

Social Science, Edith Cowan University, established a cross industry committee.

Following two years of research a formal report was provided to the West

Australian Health Department. Open Disclosure has now been adopted as

State-wide government policy.

PUBLICATION: International Journal for Quality in Health Care 2010;

pp. 1–6

10.1093/intqhc/mzq001 The health implications of apologizing

after an adverse event ALFRED ALLAN AND DIANNE MCKILLOP School of

Psychology and Social Science, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, Australia

6. SW Suicide Prevention Capacity Research: While the rate of suicide in

the SW is not above the State or National average, it is unacceptably high. Many

nations have a lower rate.

Initiated in 2008, after two years of research Professor English of Edith Cowan

University reported in 2011 on his major SW suicide prevention study. This is the

first attempt in Western Australia to understand suicide prevention services across

a regional community.

Generously funded by the Chef’s Long Table Lunch, Cristal Millennium, the

community and a Lotterywest matching grant, Professor English used the national

“Life is for everyone” (LiFE) framework as benchmark for questionnaires and

interviews with people in organizations dealing with people at high risk of suicide.

Arising from the research, major opportunities for constructive change backed by

evidence have been achieved:

· Improved availability of standardized quality information to underpin future

assessments of progress in improving prevention capacity.

· Lack of access to services, particularly in relation to adolescents and

children is in need of management attention. Where viability of service is in

doubt research to identify the cost benefit of change is recommended

· Enhancement of Professional development is urgently needed to improve

skills of non-specialist carers

· Collaboration for seamless service not active. This requires active

promotion and facilitation

· Clarification of legal responsibilities around confidentiality and duty of care,

where currently confusion is widespread

· Clarified suicide prevention roles for staff within and between agencies

· High staff turnover in Mental Health services and transient capacity of non

government organizations intermittent grants requires professional HR

management action.

REPORT: Published on www.vlfoundation.com.au. There is a full report and a

summary with added comment of the Project Advisory Committee.

7. Clinical Cancer Trials

Clinical cancer trials are conducted internationally and are the main means for

establishment of new and improved treatment regimes for cancer.

To ensure reliable and quick results, collaborative cancer trials involve many

hospitals and thousands of volunteer patients. Traditionally, these trials were

conducted by major city teaching hospitals. However, the Cancer Council of WA

identified a need to increase participation in trials in West Australia.

In 2003 the Cancer Council of Western Australia and the West Australian Clinical

Oncology Group approached the Val Lishman Health Research Foundation to

attempt to set up trials in a Regional setting in the SW of Western Australia. After

extensive accreditation processes and major community fund raising, trials

commenced in collaboration with St John of God Health Care at the South West

Health Campus in March 2004.

A Research Nurse advises potential patient volunteers, assists clinicians and

manages trial data. The nurse receives special training for each trial, with detailed

instructions and requirements generally running to hundreds of pages.

This takes time and the effort is costly.

Research Implications

The benefits of clinical cancer trials far outweigh the costs. Clinical trials in the

South West lead to:

· An increased participation in trials by Western Australia, which currently

lags behind other states

· Ensuring local medical staff are aware of recent advances and best practice

in relation to cancer treatments

· Top professional staff being attracted to medical facilities in the South

West, because only international standard hospitals may participate in trials.

· Empowering patients who wish to contribute to the fight against cancer

· Contributing to world progress in cancer treatment.

Funding

Fundraising commenced in 2002. In 2004 following a major donation by the

PIACENTINI FAMILY funds were sufficient to cover anticipated expenses for the

first years of the trials.

In June 2011 St John of God Health Care, having agreed that trials were now

considered fully established, took over full responsibility for trials management

into the future.

8. SW Breast Cancer Survivor Wellbeing.

in 2010 researchers from Edith Cowan University, the Rural Clinical School and

Curtin University, led by Dr Christopher Chalon (ECU), commenced research into

the primary factors that cause depression and anxiety among breast cancer

survivors residing in the South West.

The research is funded by community donation including major donations by

Bill and Pat Catalano

Peter and Mario Giacci.

Some 202 women participated in the survey stage of the research which was

conducted last year and a further 16 women have been interviewed to give an indepth

account of their experiences.

Analysis of data is complete. The research has revealed that factors such as

patients’ satisfaction with the health information they receive, the amount of

support they get from their friends and their concern about sexual image have all

emerged as major contributors to the psychological health and wellbeing of

survivors.

The project will provide informed recommendations to the WA department of

Health, medical providers, breast cancer nurses and community breast cancer

support organisations for enhancing survivors’ quality of life. By understanding

which factors may have the most adverse effect for a particular patient, it is hoped

that it may become possible act to prevent depression or anxiety before they

become established, for future survivors.

The research report soon be released on the www.vlfoundation.com.au website.

Collaboration with service providers is underway to develop practical interfaces

for applying the findings to routine follow-up care.



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