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: 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: 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: 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: 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.