Current Projects

Grant Round: Rapid Applied Research Translation Grant 2023

Chief Investigator and organisation: Dr Greg Weeks, Barwon Health

Associate investigators and organisations: Assoc Prof Dr Kevin Mc Namara, Deakin University, Deakin Rural Health; Dr Rachel Shanks, Barwon Health; Dr Cameron Osborne, Barwon Health; Julie Taylor/Sarah Fuller, Barwon Health; James Polmear, Barwon Health; Dr Diana Bortoletto, Barwon Health, Consumer Representative to be nominated; Hannah Beks, Deakin Rural Health; Elizabeth Manias, Deakin University; Lisa Spence, South West Healthcare; Dr David Kong, Grampians Health, Deakin University.

Overview of project:

Patients undergoing surgery require an accurate medication history to identify high-risk medicines, prevent medication error and safely plan for care.

A medication history is established from various sources, including information obtained from patients, carers, general practitioners, community pharmacies, previous admissions and nursing homes. Australian and international studies demonstrate pharmacists working within clinics seeing patients before surgery improves the accuracy of medication histories and subsequently the hospital medication orders compared to standard care where doctors complete the process. Our own research has shown a significant reduction in medication errors when a pharmacist not only completes the medication history, but also charts hospital medications in agreement with the doctor. We have a credentialing program for pharmacists undertaking charting roles in general medicine and oncology. We have also provided credentialing for regional pharmacists.

This proposed pharmacy service, inclusive of pharmacist-charting role, will be established and evaluated in two phases.

1. The Barwon Health model. Initial service to two high risk anaesthetic clinics before further expansion into areas of need including short stay surgery where medication review prior to surgery may be lacking. Credentialing will be specific for this role.
2. Translation of an appropriate model to regional hospitals at an agreed time. e.g. South West Healthcare Warrnambool and Grampians Health.

Grant Round: STaRR Emerging Researcher Grant

Chief Investigator and organisation: Jessica McDonald, Barwon Health

Associate investigators and organisations: Dr Olivia King, Barwon Health; Peter Schoch, Barwon Health, Deakin University

Overview of project:

This research seeks to investigate the impact of an initial discipline-specific phone assessment on community health physiotherapy waiting times, clinical outcomes, and client satisfaction.

Community health physiotherapy plays an integral role in the management of clients with chronic health conditions to help maintain their function, independence and quality of life, and minimise decline and hospitalisation. Services have high demands resulting in significant waiting lists and long waiting times for initial appointments.

Community health services need to be as efficient as possible at identifying and implementing the right care, at the right time, for each client; in order to minimise further delays in client management. There are opportunities to deliver on these needs by implementing and analysing a new intake, triage and initial consultation system for community health physiotherapy.

Grant Round: STaRR Emerging Researcher Grant

Chief Investigator and organisation: Laura McCredie, Grampians Health

Associate investigators and organisations: Aleesha Sayner, Grampians Health; Margaret Cottle, Grampians Health; Leonie Lewis, Grampians Health

Overview of project:

Historically, patients discharged from hospital following stroke have accessed community-based physiotherapy services on a one-to-one basis. This has resulted in lengthy wait times to engage in appropriate assessment and rehabilitation, and potential declines whilst awaiting a physiotherapy assessment.

The literature indicates that group circuit-based classes for stroke survivors improves walking speed, quality of life and community participation. Additionally, patients have reported value in the mutual support that group training can offer, enhancing motivation to engage in rehabilitation. 

The aims of this project are to: 1) Evaluate the outcomes of a community-based group rehabilitation program for people who have received treatment for stroke at Grampians Health; 2) Explore patient experiences with participation in a group circuit class.

It is anticipated that findings from this study will provide novel insight to implementation and translation of knowledge into regional Australian settings and generate pathways to optimise service provision and access to care.

Grant Round: STaRR Emerging Researcher Grant

Chief Investigator and organisation: April Chui, Barwon Health

Associate investigators and organisations: Fiona Brennan, Barwon Health; Declan Hennessy, Federation University; Sarah Huntly, Barwon Health; Joshua Hutley, Barwon Health; Breanna McPhee, Barwon Health; Nicola Lloyd, Barwon Health; Michaela Buchanan, Barwon Health

Overview of project:

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in Australia Around 90% of people in the Barwon Southwest region receive surgery or their breast cancer. 

Research shows that exercise before and after surgery, can lead to improved recovery and wellbeing after the operation. Doing rehabilitation before surgery is called “Prehabilitation” and typically involves exercise, mental health support, receiving support to improve diet, breathing techniques and help to stop smoking.

In particular, “Prehabilitation” in breast cancer offers an opportunity to improve fitness, reduce long term issues with shoulder movement, arm strength and pain.

Barwon Health has an existing service to provide Prehabilitation to breast cancer patients. We are conducting a survey of patients and a survey of clinicians to better understand what the barriers and facilitators to participating in Prehabilitation are. This has the goal of better shaping our service so that more people can access Prehabilitation and achieve greater wellbeing.

Grant Round: STaRR Emerging Researcher Grant

Chief Investigator and organisation: Jessica Wynn, Barwon Health

Associate investigators and organisations: Richard Grills, Barwon Health; Lydia Johns Putra, Grampians Health; Kathryn McLeod, Barwon Health

Overview of project:

Overactive bladder is a condition that affects the urinary system, causing a frequent and sudden urge to urinate and potential urine leakage. This condition significantly impacts the quality of life for many individuals and often requires the expertise of a urologist for management. Should symptoms persist, the urologist may introduce  surgical options.

These can include the sacral nerve stimulator, also referred to as a “bladder pacemaker”, or Botox injections targeting the bladder muscles.

Although both options can effectively alleviate symptoms of an overactive bladder, certain patients may have unique circumstances that make the bladder pacemaker a more suitable choice for them. Understanding why some individuals choose to have Botox injections instead of the recommended bladder pacemaker is important. By exploring their decision-making process, we hope to gain insights into their decision-making process.

Grant Round: STaRR Emerging Researcher Grant

Chief Investigator and organisation: Nicole O’Shea, Grampians Health

Associate investigators and organisations: Aleesha Sayner, Grampians Health; Rhys Duncan, Grampians Health; Aaron Fitzpatrick, Grampians Health; Danielle Fletcher, Grampians Health; Jocelyn Tab, Grampians Health

Overview of project:

Drugs of Dependence (DD) such as morphine are a medication category that are prone to misuse and/or intentional diversion due to their additive and elicit nature. Legally, hospitals, are required to ensure DD are stored securely and accounted for. 

Tracking the administration of liquid formulations of DD for oral administration (liquid DD) can be very difficult to quantify as they cannot be accurately measured by tracking the volume remaining in the bottle (due to differing fluid thickness, spills etc).

Recently, several wards at Grampians Health-Ballarat have trialled weighing liquid ODs at each transaction to improve accountability and accuracy of quantifying the balance remaining. The trial was successful and reduced the number of unaccounted discrepancies between observed and expected volume remaining in the bottle and is now routine practice in these areas.

This project aims to rapidly scale up this intervention to another site, Grampians Health Stawell. This project involves a consumer engaged process with staff contributing to their education package, staff training, updating governance documents, provision of reliable and uniform scales and updating the DD registers where appropriate.

Grant Round: Mental Health Research Grant 2022

Chief Investigator and organisation: Assoc Prof Genevieve Pepin, Deakin University

Associate investigators and organisations: Assoc Prof Melissa O’Shea, Deakin University; Dr Danielle Hitch, Deakin University, Western Health; Dr Tari Bowling, Deakin University; Ms Claire McKay, National Centre for Farmer Health, Dr Jo Macdonald, National Centre for Farmer Health; Ms Hollie Laver, Barwon Health; Dr Jo Centra, Barwon Health; Dr Kate McCloskey, Barwon Health; Dr Lawrence Gray, Barwon Health; Ms Emily Hamilton, Barwon Health; Dr Rachel Tindall, Barwon Health; Ms Renae Carolin, Deakin University, Barwon Health

Overview of project:

The COVID-19 pandemic saw a significant increase in young people developing eating disorders globally, with a corresponding increase in demand for inpatient Eating Disorder Services (EDS) in the Barwon region.

In response, Barwon Health (BH) initiated the development and implementation of a Hospital in the Home (HITH) service, treating young eating disorder patients requiring inpatient care. The research project will be underpinned by co-design principles and processes to evaluate this new service, contributing to the Listening and Learning Mental Healthcare System developed by the Change to Improve Mental Health (CHIME) Translational Research Partnership between Deakin University and Barwon Health. In line with co-design principles, this project will include consumers of services, their carers, and clinicians who have first-hand experiences of eating disorders and eating disorders service delivery.

The project will build on current CHIME research utilising Group Model Building (GMB) and Deakin’s Systems Thinking in Community Knowledge Exchange (STICK-E) platform in the co-design and evaluation of mental health services.

The research will:

• support evidence-based practice and drive continuous improvement in eating disorder treatments and services, reducing the need for hospital admission, length of admission and readmission rates;
• enhance patient-centred care including improving outcomes and experience of care for young people with eating disorders (hereafter referred to as ‘consumers’) and their carers;
• further develop innovative methodologies for co-design in mental healthcare services; and
• build capacity across clinical and non-clinical staff, consumers and their carers in co-design, research and evaluation.

Grant Round: STaRR Emerging Researcher Grant

Chief Investigator and organisation: Holly Lewtas, Barwon Health

Associate investigators and organisations: Michael Smith, Barwon Health; Kaia De Burgh, Barwon Health; Kerrie Smith, Barwon Health; Victoria Roberts, Monash Health; Michael Field, Western Alliance; Jacqueline Pawlak, Barwon Health

Overview of project:

This is a feasibility study to assess whether clients affected by trauma find the use of a communication tool, in the form of a pocket-sized card, acceptable and appropriate for use when attending appointments with health professionals.

This card was designed by the Barwon Health Community Health Nurses in Multi-Disciplinary Centre (CHN MDC) who support victim survivors of sexual assault and/or family violence to address their health needs, in response to reports from clients, and through direct observations from their clinical practice, of clients being triggered or traumatised when attending health appointments. 

Pre- and post-use surveys will assess both qualitative and quantitative responses about the acceptability and appropriateness of the tool, and barriers and enablers to use of the tool.

Grant Round: Rapid Applied Research Translation Grant 2023

Chief Investigator and organisation: Kate Kloot, Deakin University and Andy Giddy, Western Vic PHN

Associate investigators and organisations: Prof Karen Dwyer, Deakin University; Dr Michael Axtens, Deakin University; A/Prof Sandeep Reddy, Deakin University; Dr Ami Thies, Middle Island Medical Clinic, Warrnambool.

Overview of project:

There is a significant healthcare workforce shortage in South West Victoria, which has made it difficult for many communities to access timely healthcare. Healthcare must be tailored to the needs of the community, delivered locally, prioritise long-term conditions (such as diabetes and high blood pressure, which predominate healthcare utilisation) and improve the health and wellbeing of the community. Care should support positive health behaviours (including diet and exercise), which requires time and multi-disciplinary input. Our project facilitates such care and provides an alternative to traditional 1:1 consultations.

Shared Medical Appointments are an evidence-based approach which delivers comprehensive care, increases access, is cost-effective, is associated with better outcomes, and high patient and clinician satisfaction. Shared Medical Appointments are ideally suited for people with long-term conditions attending to “each patient’s unique medical needs individually, but in a supportive group setting where all can interact, listen and learn”. Shared Medical Appointments have been tested extensively in USA and UK with emerging evidence in Australia. There is enthusiasm amongst GPs from South West Victoria to learn and implement this model into clinical practice.

Drawing on the evidence base and experience from USA and UK and working with Middle Island Medical Clinic in Warrnambool, this project will develop a “roadmap for implementation”. This will provide a framework to easily pilot and refine this model encompassing staffing, room set-up, space, training programs and workflow development. This roadmap will be available for scaling and adaptation to other clinics and needs of their communities.

Grant Round: STaRR Emerging Researcher Grant

Chief Investigator and organisation: Maree Fraser, East Grampians Health Service

Associate investigators and organisations: Mario Santilli, East Grampians Health Service; Jaclyn Bishop, East Grampians Health Service; Ella Ottrey, East Grampians Health Service; Jane Miller, East Grampians Health Service; Ancara Thomas, East Grampians Health Service

Overview of project:

An Advance Care Directive (ACD) allows consumers to document their future health care wishes, which is then referred to if the consumer is unable to speak for themselves.

The number of consumers over 75 years of age presenting to East Grampians Health Service with an ACD is low. Factors that contribute to the low uptake of ACDs are well known, and include poor awareness in the community and a general reluctance by consumers to discuss end of life decisions with healthcare professionals at a time when they consider themselves to be well.

A narrative review identified evidence for the use of an SMS prompt sent to general practice consumers to increase the completion of ACD completion rates. This study will seek to translate this evidence into local practice.

It will identify the factors (e.g. environmental, cultural, infrastructure) required to implement a successful SMS program through a series of workshops with key stakeholders.

Ultimately, we anticipate that when implemented, the SMS program would increase the rate of ACDs being completed, and thus being available when people are admitted to hospital. This will ensure that the health care given is better aligned with an individual’s wishes and needs.

Grant Round: Stage 2 of a completed Mental Health project – approved in 2024

Chief Investigator and organisation: Jaclyn Bishop, East Grampians Health Service

Associate investigators and organisations: Ancara Thomas, East Grampians Health Service; Maree Fraser, East Grampians Health Service; Ella Ottrey, East Grampians Health Service, Western Alliance; Danielle Hitch, Deakin University

Overview of project:

The Aged Care Royal Commission exposed problems within aged care, including inadequate staffing, lack of access to services and suboptimal care. Aged care residents have complex care needs, which may lead to behaviours which are difficult for staff to manage (e.g., regular verbal abuse). This can be particularly challenging in the rural context where residents may be related to staff or well-known community members, with limited alternative care options. More must be done to support the wellbeing of aged care staff managing residents with challenging behaviours to reduce absenteeism and foster positive workplaces.

Some resources are in place to support staff wellbeing when managing residents exhibiting challenging behaviours, like Employee Assistance Programs. However, these rely on individual staff members proactively seeking this support. It is unknown whether and how these strategies support staff wellbeing in rural aged care settings.

This project involves two phases. During the first phase, staff were interviewed to identify the factors influencing their wellbeing and strategies (e.g., education, tools, processes, environmental changes) that might promote effective recognition and prevention of escalation in challenging resident behaviours. This data, combined with existing evidence, informed the co-design of an intervention that supports staff wellbeing. The co-designed initiative includes two strategies: structured Peer Support and Wellbeing debrief sessions (Aged Care – Staff Wellbeing Optimisation Program). Together, the first phase of the project informed the design, development and implementation of an initiative (AC-SWOP) to better support the wellbeing of aged care staff caring for residents with challenging behaviours.

In this second phase, implementation and qualitative evaluation of the intervention to understand its impact on staff skills, confidence and wellbeing is to be undertaken.

We will conduct the project across four aged care sites at East Grampians Health Service (EGHS) to understand what works in different settings and why. 

Grant Round: Mental Health Research Grant 2022

Chief Investigator and organisation: Alison Buccheri, Colac Area Health

Associate investigators and organisations: Dr Michael Field, Colac Area Health, Western Alliance; Dr Laura Alston, Deakin University, Colac Area Health; A/Prof Anna Wong Shee, Deakin Rural Health, Grampians Health; Dr Kylie McKenzie, Grampians Health; Dr Olivia King, Barwon Health, Western Alliance; Dr Jaclyn Bishop, East Grampians Health Service; Dr Ella Ottrey, East Grampians Health Service, Western Alliance; Ms Melissa Kennelly, Mildura Base Public Hospital; Ms Rebecca van Wollingen Timboon & District Healthcare Service; Dr Anton Isaacs, Monash University School of Rural Health; Prof Vincent Versace, Deakin Rural Health; Dr Sara Holton, Western Health Partnership; Prof Bodil Rasmussen, Western Health Partnership; Dr Jane Jacobs, Deakin University, Ms Tamara Holmes, Deakin University, A/Prof Lara Fuller, Deakin University

Overview of project:

CReW-Ace (COVID-19 & Regional Health Staff Wellbeing – Accessibility of Supports) will build on our successful Western Alliance funded, multi-site CReW (COVID-19 & Regional Health Staff Wellbeing) study that investigated the impact of COVID-19 on the mental health and wellbeing of staff in rural health services in Victoria. CReW identified that staff wellbeing was influenced by interdependent factors including 1) the nature of the health workplace, 2) rural community relations, 3) self-care and supportive networks, and 4) public health measures and the unpredictable pandemic.

CReW-Ace is the next phase of research and will explore staff and manager perceptions of access to and provision of wellbeing supports and strategies in rural Victorian health services during the COVID-19 pandemic.

CReW-Ace will build on established partnerships from CReW to focus on how rural health services support the wellbeing needs of staff. An online survey completed by staff in eight rural Victorian health services will elicit enablers and barriers to accessing and providing wellbeing supports and strategies. The survey, informed by CReW study findings, will be co-designed with participating health services to ensure relevance and potential for rapid translational impact.

Survey findings and recommendations will be disseminated among all participating health services and will inform organisational strategies to support the wellbeing needs of the rural health workforce.

The CReW-Ace research team is highly experienced and includes leading rural health, mental health and place-based researchers with implementation expertise. This team is supported by six Western Alliance partners and five other partners across Victoria.

Grant Round: STaRR Emerging Researcher Grant

Chief Investigator and organisation: Hayley Keane, Southwest Health Care

Associate investigators and organisations: Louise Greenstock, Western Alliance; Lee Rhyne, South West Healthcare; Hannah Lee-Obst, South West Healthcare

Overview of project:

Many organisations have roles where digital technology is used minimally, but where organisational learning is increasingly being delivered by e-learning on desktop or laptop computers. This produces a disconnect between digital literacy required to undertake a work role which may be minimal in a role such as a dishwasher in a commercial kitchen vs digital literacy required to undertake compliance e-learning modules which requires digital literacy to enable access, navigation and problem solving on a desktop or laptop computer.

This research aims to understand if organisations can design, develop and deliver compliance training using digital technologies that more closely align with the digital literacy a low technology role worker uses at work or home.

Grant Round: STaRR Emerging Researcher Grant

Chief Investigator and organisation:  Eloise Simpson, Southwest Health Care

Associate investigators and organisations: Dr Rosalie Boyce, South West Healthcare, Barwon Health; Chloe Burger, Southwest Health Care; Bridie Ontronen, Southwest Health Care

Overview of project:

Diastasis of the rectus abdominis muscle (DRAM) is a common condition during pregnancy where the outermost abdominal (or “abs”) muscles separate. Following birth, there is a window of approximately 12 weeks to reduce the separation before the pregnancy hormones recede and the structures become firm again. After this, the gap between the muscles typically remain. Unresolved DRAM can weaken the abdominal muscles, cause lower back pain and make it difficult to do routine daily activities.

A pilot study showed promising results with the experimental treatment (rectus abdominis activation – or a “crunch” exercise intervention) showing statistically significantly greater closure of the gap compared to the standard clinical practice group. Tis project will expand on this finding in a randomised clinical trial. 

The potential for this study to impact physiotherapy clinical practice nationally and internationally is significant.

Grant Round: STaRR Emerging Researcher Grant

Chief Investigator and organisation: Adelene Hilbig, Barwon Health

Associate investigators and organisations: Jeremy Furyk, Barwon Health

Overview of project:

The management of children with possible serious neck injuries (SNI) affecting their spinal cord poses challenges for emergency department (ED) clinicians. Missing a SNI has devastating ramifications, including lifelong paralysis or death.

In children, several factors, including different types of neck injury, age-appropriate ability to participate in comprehensive examinations, and the small but significant risk of cancer from radiation from some imaging modalities, make assessment of possible SNI complex.

Whilst a recent study at the Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne, explored causes, investigation and management of possible SNI in children, data for rural/regional Australia does not exist. Through this project, we hope to understand, specific to rural/regional areas, common mechanisms contributing to possible SNI, and to evaluate our management of children with possible SNI in terms of clinical assessment, radiological investigation, and need for transfer to specialist centres.

An understanding of common mechanisms contributing to possible SNI in children may have implications for further research and public health in rural/regional Australia.

Grant Round: STaRR Emerging Researcher Grant

Chief Investigator and organisation: Renee Heard, Barwon Health

Associate investigators and organisations: Dr Olivia King, Barwon Health; Cara Hill, Barwon Health; Courtney Skontra, Barwon Health; Chloe Brown, Barwon Health

Overview of project:

Dysphagia refers to difficulties or discomfort in swallowing. Up to 25% of acute hospital inpatients and between 55-65% of residents in aged care experience dysphagia.

Speech pathologists and other multidisciplinary team clinicians frequently work with people who choose not to follow dysphagia recommendations and instead decide to ‘risk feed’, where a person makes an informed decision to eat and drink items that have been deemed unsafe by the treating speech pathologist and/or medical team.

Risk feeding is a complex area of practice and requires a consistent multidisciplinary team approach. This is paramount to ensuring people make decisions for their own quality of life and to ensure dignity of risk.

This project aims to investigate current risk feeding practice across multiple professions and settings within Barwon Health, to inform the development of an organisational risk feeding policy and concurrent education program for clinicians across multiple disciplines.

The policy will provide a framework for risk feeding practice that can be used across the continuum of care and will be transferrable to other health services across the region to ensure consistency of practice and high quality, patient centred care.

Grant Round: Rapid Applied Research Translation Grant 2023

Chief Investigator and organisation: Cara Hill, Grampians Health

Associate investigators and organisations: A/Prof Anna Wong Shee, Deakin Rural Health, Grampians Health; Dr Michael Field, Western Alliance, Colac Area Health; Alison Buccheri, Colac Area Health; Alesha Sayner, Grampians Health; Acushla Thompson, Grampians Health; Andrea Pinch, Grampians Health; Associate Professor Kevin McNamara, Deakin Rural Health; Sylvi Tibbits, Colac Area Health; Renee Heard, Colac Area Health; Yingying He, West Wimmera Health Service; Associate Professor Anna Miles, The University of Auckland.

Overview of project:

Up to two-thirds of aged care residents have difficulties with chewing and swallowing (dysphagia) and require their food and drinks to be modified to improve their swallowing safety and reduce their risk of lung infections, malnutrition, and dehydration. Without appropriate management, dysphagia can have life threatening consequences, with choking being the second leading cause of preventable deaths in Residential Aged Care Facilities (RACFs).

Colac Area Health (CAH), located regionally in the Western District of Victoria, led research which was the first to explore the adherence, barriers and facilitators to implementing texture-modified diets in a rural RACF setting. That research identified a substantial number of errors in food/drink provision placing residents at unnecessary risk of harm. In collaboration with key stakeholders, changes to both policy and practice resulted in improved provision of appropriate meals for residents with dysphagia.

This project will evaluate the longer-term impacts of system changes at the CAH RACF and the findings will inform the upscaled implementation of best practice food/drink provision for residents with dysphagia across Grampians Health (GH) RACFs. Residents, their carers and RACF staff will assist in tailoring interventions for implementation at GH with evaluation of outcomes. This project will directly benefit more than 600 GH aged care residents and inform scaling up across Western Alliance health service partners.

Grant Round: STaRR Emerging Researcher Grant

Chief Investigator and organisation: Cara Hill, Barwon Health

Associate investigators and organisations: Beth Davidson, Barwon Health, Olivia King, Barwon Health; Rhiannon Beggs, Barwon Health; Laura Morrison, Barwon Health; Jennifer McCooey, Barwon Health; Rebecca Hart, Barwon Health; Megan Battersby, Barwon Health

Overview of project:

People with food allergies and/or dysphagia have specific meal requirements (e.g. no peanuts, texture modified food, thickened fluids) and may require ‘specified higher-level care’ which involves a specific set of strategies to ensure safety when eating and drinking. 

Between 2019 and 2020, 175 food- and nutrition-related incidents were reported at Barwon Health (BH). Researchers identified that more than 44% of these incidents were related to the incorrect food and/or drinks being provided to patients and were the result of a breakdown in communication and the documentation of diet codes.

The aim of this study is to review the accuracy of existing processes and better understand the current knowledge, confidence, behaviours and attitudes of multidisciplinary staff when implementing specific meal requirements or higher level care.

This will inform the development of interventions to ensure food and fluid requirements are communicated and implemented accurately as well as reducing the risk of patients experiencing adverse events due to incorrect provision of food/fluids.

Grant Round: STaRR Emerging Researcher Grant

Chief Investigator and organisation: Jake Romein, East Grampians Health Service

Associate investigators and organisations: Jaclyn Bishop, East Grampians Health Service; Ms Sarah Woodburn, East Grampians Health Service; Dr Scott Talpey, Federation University, Ella Ottrey, East Grampians Health Service

Overview of project:

Modified sports are variations of traditional sports that are designed to meet participants’ physical capabilities. 

This study will develop a toolkit to help local communities implement successful modified sport programs. The toolkit will be tested, evaluated and adapted to support suitability for diverse communities.

We would then aim to further disseminate the toolkit (e.g. through partnerships with health promotion organisations), thereby encouraging the uptake of modified sport programs for older adults in rural/regional communities.