Projects

The SMART partnership brought together a group of Victorian remote, rural, and community health services, with academic partners, to improve health outcomes for rural Victorian communities. The partnership saw remote, rural, and community health services coming together to lead on the health policy agenda through development of evidence-based research, and application of that research into innovative practice. Read more about the SMART on their website.

Partners and Funding Bodies:

• Swinburne University
• Heathcote Health
• Cobaw Community Health Service (Macedon Ranges)
• Rural Northwest Health
• Robinvale District Health Services
• Edenhope and District Memorial Hospital
• Kooweerup Regional Health Service
• The Kilmore & District Hospital
• Wimmera Health Care group
• West Wimmera Health Service
• Mallee Track Health & Community Services

Duration: 2016-current

Chief Investigators:

• Irene Blackberry
• Jane Farmer
• Christine Morley

The Regional Trials Network-Victoria (RTN-Vic) was established in April 2017 with a 3-year grant from the Cancer Council of Victoria (CCV) to improve patient access and recruitment to high quality cancer clinical trials at Victorian regional trial sites to bridge the gap between metropolitan and regional trial participation by 2025. In 2020, ReViTALISE was successful in an MRFF Regional, Rural and Remote Infrastructure competitive grant to continue and expand this program of research including, Geriatric Oncology Research stream which is led by Professor Irene Blackberry and Dr Christopher Steer. Other research streams led by other academic and health service partners include Nurse-led and Allied Health, Palliative and Supportive Care, Registry Trials, Indigenous Trial Access, and Immunotherapy.

Partners: ReViTALISE team

Funding Body: MRFF Regional, Rural and Remote Infrastructure

Duration: 2020-2025

Chief Investigators:

• Craig Underhill
• Irene Blackberry

This project is a collaboration between Western Victoria Primary Health Network (WVPHN) and the JRC.  WVPHN has procured a range of services under the After Hours Primary Care program for implementation during 2021-2022. The JRC is undertaking independent research and evaluation of the After Hours Primary Care program at individual funded project/project group level and at a WVPHN After Hours Primary Health Care Program level. The evaluation findings will be used to determine the overall impact of the After Hours Co-design Projects on providers, patients and the broader after hours primary health care system outcomes and sustainability.

Partners and Funding Body: Western Victoria Primary Health Network

Duration: 2020-2022

Chief Investigators:

• Tshepo Rasekaba
• Irene Blackberry

A risk score for prediction of gestational diabetes mellitus in China using routinely collected hospital data

Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM), a health condition often detected following an abnormal glucose tolerance during pregnancy, is a condition that is associated with adverse health effects for both the mother and the baby. This project aims to develop and validate the first algorithm for population-based prediction of GDM tailored for Chinese pregnant women.

Partners and Funding Body: Peking Union Medical Center Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (CAMS)

Duration: 2021-2023

Chief Investigators:

• Yin Sun
• Ma Liangkun
• George Mnatzaganian
• Irene Blackberry

Heathcote Dementia Alliance is developing innovative design of dementia care to ensure those living with dementia have access to necessary care and support while maintaining connections with home and community. Dementia Friendly Design - Where to Next

Duration: 2022-

Investigators:

• Professor Irene Blackberry
• Sandra Slatter and Simon Drysdale, Heathcote Dementia Alliance

This project utilises large dataset of over 10,000 people with type 2 diabetes from nearly 500 general practices in Australia. This project aims to determine whether the prescribing of non-insulin anti-hyperglycaemic medications in general practice is consistent with current Australian guidelines for treatment of type 2 diabetes (T2D) in people with renal impairment.

Partners: University of Melbourne, Monash University

Funding Body: Shepherd Foundation through University of Melbourne

Chief Investigators:

• Jo-Anne Manski-Nankervis
• Simon Bell
• Irene Blackberry
• Phyllis Lau
• John Furler

Velakoulis, D., Braitberg, G., Vine, R., Farrand, S., Kelso, W. et al. (Blackberry, I. as Project advisor)

Partners: North Western Mental Health, Melbourne Health, Ballarat Health, Goulburn Valley Health, Albury Wodonga Health, Dementia Australia and Huntington’s Victoria

Funding Body: Better Care Victoria

Lim, K., Hutchinson, A., Caplan, G., Hayes, B., Currow, D., Blackberry, I. and Tropea, J.

Partners: Melbourne Health, University of Melbourne Monash University and Northern Health

Funding Body: Commonwealth Dementia and Aged Care Services Fund

Logiudice, D., Flicker, L., Bessarab, D., Atkinson, D., Wenitong, M., Thompson, S., Stivens, E., Redford, K., Smith, K., and Blackberry, I. as Associate Investigator

Changes to the way that community aged care services are provided to older people may be disadvantageous to rural people. This research is being undertaken to identify the barriers and facilitators that older rural people experience when accessing, assessing, and acting on information and making choices about services. The study includes in-depth interviews with rural older people to identify priorities for better supporting older persons’ decision-making.

Funding Body: NHMRC

More information

Newsletter

Furler, J., Best, J., O’Neal, D., Speight, J., Blackberry, I., and Khunti, K.

Partners: University of Melbourne, Deakin University, Nanyang Polytechnic Singapore, and Imperial College London, Leicester University UK

Funding Body: NHMRC

Logiudice, D., Flicker, L., Bessarab, D., Atkinson, D., Wenitong, M., Thompson, S., Strivens, E., Redford, K., Smith, K. and Blackberry, I. as Associate Investigator.

Partners: University of Melbourne and University of Western Australia

Funding Body: NHMRC Boosting Dementia Research Grants

Lee, E. S., Subramaniam, M., Wong, S., Wong, M. Y., Dong, L. J., Stewart, M., Zwarenstein, M., and Blackberry, I. as Key Opinion Leader.

Partners: National Healthcare Group Polyclinics Singapore, Western University Canada

Funding Body: Singapore Ministry of Health

Farmer, J., Davis, H., da Cotta, T., Mills, K., Morley, C., Blackberry, I.

Partners: Swinburne University, Edenhope & District Memorial Hospital (EDMH), Rural NorthWest Health (RNH) and Centre for Participation (CP) (formerly Volunteering Western Victoria)

Funding Body: Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal (FRRR)

Huxley, R., Boyd, J., Lee, C., Robinson, S., Mnatzaganian, G., and Randall, S.

Evidence suggests the existence of systematic sex biases in the assessment and management of coronary heart disease. How these biases occur is unclear, since information documenting patients’ journeys throughout health and medical systems is siloed. This project will deliver an improved understanding of when, how and where it is best to intervene to improve health outcomes among women living with coronary heart disease.

Deakin University

Funding Body: NHMRC Ideas Grant (2021-2025)