Western Alliance’s Sixth Annual Symposium

The Sixth Western Alliance Annual Symposium was held on October 24th 2019 at the Mercure Ballarat Hotel and Convention Centre, with eighty five delegates attending on the day.

The symposium showcased a wide range of research from across western Victoria and further afield, with twenty five oral presentations, four poster presentations, four keynote presentations, three workshops and a panel discussion. The theme of ‘lost in research translation, demystifying the approach from knowledge into action’ sparked meaningful discussion on the best approaches to developing and implementing research into practice for the benefit of our communities.

A special thanks to all those involved in the organisation of the event, and to our keynote presenters (Prof Rachelle Buchbinder, Prof Stacy Carter, Anne McKenzie AM and Dr Denise O’Connor) and workshop facilitators (Prof Alison Hutchinson, A/Prof Andrew Stranieri, and A/Prof Martin Hensher) who generously offered up their time and expertise.

Thanks also to our Western Alliance symposium partners, Federation University and Ballarat Health Services.

To view the full program booklet click on the link: Western Alliance_Symposium_Program Booklet_2019_final
Please note that photos and the morning keynotes from the day will be available soon.


The Western Alliance Sixth Annual Symposium is scheduled for October 24th 2019 at the Mercure Ballarat Hotel and Convention Centre. The symposium will focus on research translation, and in addition to showcasing our regional research through presentations, we will also be attempting to tackle the big issues through practical workshops and panel discussions!

We are very excited to announce our keynote speakers for the Symposium!

The theme for the Symposium is ‘lost in research translation, demystifying the approach from knowledge into action’, and we are lucky to have a range of national and international leaders in this field:

  • Anne McKenzie AM: Senior consumer representative for Consumers Health Forum of Australia and former Chair of Health Consumers Council WA. Community Engagement Manager at the Telethon Kids Institute. Please click here for Anne’s bio
  • Professor Stacy Carter: Director of the Australian Centre for Health Engagement, Evidence and Values (ACHEEV), University of Wollongong. Please click here for Stacy’s bio
  • Professor Rachelle Buchbinder: Rheumatologist, Director of the Monash Department of Clinical Epidemiology and NHMRC senior principle Research Fellow. Please click here for Rachelle’s bio
  • Dr Denise O’Connor: Implementation Scientist and Senior Research Fellow, Monash University, and Director of the Australasian Satellite of the Cochrane Collaboration Effective Practice and Organisation of Care (AusEPOC) Group. Please click here for Denise’s bio.

The event will again be free of charge, registration to attend is CLOSED.


WESTERN ALLIANCE SIXTH ANNUAL SYMPOSIUM PROGRAM

Thursday 24 October, 9:00 am to 4:00 pm (registration desk open from 8am)

Welcome address
Eureka Ballroom MC Professor Brendan Crotty, Interim Board Chair, Western Alliance
Tammy Gilson
Wadawurrung traditional owner

Professor Warren Payne
Executive Director, Western Alliance

Professor Christopher Hutchinson
Deputy Vice Chancellor Research, Federation University

KEYNOTE Wiser Health Care and a societal approach to low back pain
Professor Rachelle Buchbinder
Monash University, Cabrini Health

KEYNOTE Public deliberation, policy making and research practice
Professor Stacy Carter
Australian Centre for Health Engagement, Evidence and Values, University of Wollongong

KEYNOTE Care Consumer involvement in research: who, what, why and when?
Ms Anne McKenzie AM
Telethon Kids Institute

Session Chair: Professor Warren Payne
Western Alliance

Western Region Showcase – concurrent oral presentations

Session One

Clinical research innovations (Eureka Ballroom)

Session Two

Population health and health services research innovations (Conservatory Room)

Session Chair: Ms Barbara Moll Session Chair: Fergal Grace
Mrs Catherine Williams
Barwon Health
Prehabilitation in Cancer Care – a pilot program for cancer patients at Barwon Health
Dr Jacqueline Cotton
National Centre for Farmer Health
What’s getting in the way? Enablers and barriers to workforce development in Agricultural Health and Medicine
A/Professor Mark Yates
Ballarat Innovation and Research Collaboration for Health ( BIRCH)
Changes in Antipsychotic and Benzodiazepine Prescribing Behaviour Results from the Dementia Care in Hospitals Program (DCHP)
Mr Kyle Miller
Federation University Australia
Exercise as a Treatment for Clinical Depression among Older Adults: A Network Meta-Analysis
Ms Robyn McNeil
Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (MCRI)
Thinking Ahead: Translation of research into an education, vocation and employment resource to support young people with cancer
Dr Renee Clapham
Ballarat Health Services
Nudging night-shift workers towards healthier choices – beliefs, confidence and support for making healthy dietary choices at work
Mrs Philippa Pearce
Ballarat Health Services
Implementation of an Advanced Practice Physiotherapy Vestibular Assessment Clinic within ENT Specialist Clinics
Dr Renee Clapham
Ballarat Health Services
Identifying research priorities to optimize allied health care – informed by consumers: a modified Delphi study
Mrs Megan Battersby
Barwon Health
Nutrition Prescription Chart: a multidisciplinary approach for the safe practice of charting specialised nutritional products
Ms Jessica Beattie
Deakin University
How is rural intention aligning with rural outcomes: Longitudinal tracking of Deakin University’s medical graduates’ work locations
Mrs Lea Marshall
Grampians Integrated Cancer Service
Partnering with older people with cancer in the Wimmera to understand and improve their supportive care needs
A/Professor Anna Wong Shee
Ballarat Health Services
Does research training change allied health clinicians’ knowledge and attitudes to evidence-based practice and provision of evidence-based care?
Dr Laura Alston
GLOBE, Colac Area Health
Profiling malnutrition risk among rural in-patients using the PG-SGA through a retrospective audit
A/Professor Andrew Stranieri
Federation University
Why do so few digital health innovations disrupt practice? : an iterative technological, business and clinical use-case analysis
Ms Jaclyn Bishop
Ballarat Health Services
Translating national guidelines into practice: a telehealth cardiology pharmacist clinic to enhance care for regionally based cardiac patients
Ms Jane Jacobs
Deakin University
Walkability and green-space surrounding primary schools is associated with children’s active-transport but not weight status in regional Victoria
Ms Jaclyn Bishop
Ballarat Health Services
A novel ‘bundle of care’ approach to cellulitis management in Western Victorian hospitals (CELL-IT)
A/Professor Danny Hills
Federation University
Workplace aggression experiences of Victorian nurses and midwives in non-metropolitan settings
Dr Johnathan Rawstorn
IPAN – Deakin University
Mind the Gap! Challenges translating cardiac telerehabilitation research into practice
Dr Olivia King
Barwon Health
Lost in translation, found though research innovation: Novel research methodologies to uncover the complexities of evidence-informed practice change
Mrs Bianca Worboyes
Ballarat Health Service
Can I check your understanding? Implementation of Teach-back to improve health literacy for clients engaged in community rehabilitation

Lightning poster presentations

Eureka Ballroom Meet the poster creator
Session Chair: A/Professor Anna Wong Shee
Ballarat Health Services

Concurrent Workshop Sessions

Research for Policy Impact: views from a gamekeeper turned poacher
(Eureka Ballroom)
Planning research to have an impact
(Conservatory)
Techniques for assessing how well digital health technologies translate into practice
(Victoria Room 2)
A/Professor Martin Hensher
Associate Professor of Health System Financing and Organisation,
Institute for Health Transformation and Deakin Health Economics, Deakin University
Professor Alison Hutchinson
Alfred Deakin Professor and Chair in Nursing, Deakin University and Monash Health
A/Professor Andrew Stranieri Deputy Director, Centre for Informatics and Applied Optimisation, School of Science, Information Technology & Engineering, Federation University

FINAL PLENARY SESSION – Knowledge into action
Eureka Ballroom

KEYNOTE Translating research into evidence based healthcare
Dr Denise O’Connor
Monash Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Cabrini Institute, School of Public Health and Preventative Medicine, Monash University

Panel discussion
Eureka Ballroom Session Chair: Associate Professor Mark Yates
Executive Director, Ballarat Innovation & Research Collaboration for Health (BIRCH)

Closing address
Professor Brendan Crotty
Chair, Western Alliance Board of Directors

Networking event
Billys Bar/Gallery Lounge, Mercure Ballarat Hotel and Convention Centre
Drinks and refreshments provided


Call for Abstracts 2019

The Call for Abstracts is now CLOSED.
Abstracts are invited from health professionals, researchers, rural professionals and associates from all disciplines and sectors, with a focus on rural and regional health.
The theme for this year is ‘lost in research translation, demystifying the approach from knowledge into action’, submitted abstracts should identify with this theme and also align with the Western Alliance focus areas.