Practice and service improvement

The quality and safety of health care is paramount to reducing the burden of disease and disability in our community and to the delivery of value based health care.

Our programs of research focus on these prioritised action areas for the Australian population, and include development and evaluation of interventions for individuals recovering from trauma, major surgery, critical illness and mental health impairments; conservative management strategies for individuals with musculoskeletal dysfunction and sports injuries and for those with hearing impairments receiving cochlear implants and with speech and language disorders.

Groups / Projects Research Lead Dept / Centre
Advancing eye care for people with AMD through integrating clinical research and its translation Project Leader Dr Laura Downie Optometry and Vision Sciences
An integrated approach to improving the primary clinical care of patients with early stages of AMD Project Leader Dr Laura Downie Optometry and Vision Sciences
Anterior Eye, Clinical Trials and Research Translation Unit Lab Director Dr Laura Downie
Optometry and Vision Sciences
Assessing novel compounds for diagnostic retinal imaging
Cancer Nursing Research Chair in Cancer Nursing; VCCC Research and Education Lead – Cancer Nursing Professor Mei Krishnasamy
Nursing
Cardiac Rehabilitation in Stroke Survivors to Improve Survivorship (CRiSSIS) Natasha Machado
Prof Gavin Williams
Physiotherapy
Clinical Psychophysics Unit Lab Director Professor Allison McKendrick
Optometry and Vision Sciences
Communication skills: Consumer led training modules for cancer health care workers Project Leader Professor Meinir Krishnasamy Nursing
Creating a telerehabilitation plan with stroke survivors and caregivers Physiotherapy
Defining nurse practitioner sensitive outcomes in a context of multidisciplinary care Chair of Cancer Nursing Professor Mei Krishnasamy Nursing
Developing iPad home-monitoring platforms for multiple sclerosis assessment
Developing novel ocular biomarkers for drug testing and neurodegenerative disease of the CNS Optometry and Vision Sciences
Development of a tailored supportive care intervention for women living with advanced breast cancer Project Leader Professor Meinir Krishnasamy Nursing
Development of an online education resource to improve nursing care of older people with cancer Project Leader Professor Meinir Krishnasamy Nursing
Development of open source tools for vision research
Domestic and family violence and parenting: mixed method insights into impact and support needs Project Leader Professor Cathy Humphreys Social Work
Emergency and Critical Care Nursing Associate Professor Marie Gerdtz
Nursing
Evaluating the effect of an evidence-based protocol on the safety of emergency department discharge processes Project Leader Professor Marie Gerdtz Optometry and Vision Sciences
Evaluation of vascular, glial and functional deficits in diabetic eye disease Optometry and Vision Sciences
Family Links: Kinship care and family contact Dr Meredith Kiraly, MBSc PhD Social Work
Fathering Challenges: Responsible, Responsive and Reparative Fathering Project Leader Professor Cathy Humphreys Social Work
Focal Spasticity Management: Guidelines, usual care & outcomes Prof Gavin Williams
Ms Edwina Sutherland
Physiotherapy
Identification and Management of Vestibular Disorders Dr Jessica Vitkovic
Audiology and Speech Pathology
Improving clinical tests for diagnosis and management of vision loss (imaging and perimetry)
Improving contact between children in out-of-home care and their birth parents Project Leader Professor Cathy Humphreys Social Work
Improving mobility after traumatic brain injury with ballistic strength training Prof Gavin Williams
Physiotherapy
Improving Patient Management Pathways in Age-Related Macular Degeneration Optometry and Vision Sciences
An evaluation of a new intervention for improving the continuity and quality of care for people who frequently attend the emergency department Project Leader Professor Marie Gerdtz Nursing
Innovation in radiation skin Toxicity management for patients with curative head and neck cancer: The INTACT Study Chair of Cancer Nursing Professor Mei Krishnasamy Nursing
Investigating the role of intracranial pressure in glaucoma Optometry and Vision Sciences
Invisible Practices: Intervention with fathers who use violence Social Work
It takes a village: The support needs of non-familial kinship carers Dr Meredith Kiraly, MBSc PhD Social Work
Missed nursing care. An exploration of missed nursing are in cancer contexts Chair of Cancer Nursing Professor Mei Krishnasamy Nursing
Multidisciplinary care for women with metastatic breast cancer Project Leader Professor Meinir Krishnasamy Nursing
National Vision Research Institute Lab Director Professor Michael Ibbotson
Optometry and Vision Sciences
Ocular Biomarker Laboratory Lab Director Dr Christine Nguyen
Ocular Physiology Laboratory Lab Director Associate Professor Bang Bui
Optometry and Vision Sciences
Optimising the Capability of the Allied Health Workforce within Cancer Prehabilitation Project Leader Professor Lynette Joubert Social Work
PanSupport - development of an experience based co-design, supportive care app with and for people affected by pancreatic cancer Chair of Cancer Nursing Professor Mei Krishnasamay Nursing
Partnership for Innovation in Out-of-home Care Professor Marie Connolly
Social Work
Practice Research Program in Health and Mental Health Head of Research Group Professor Lynette Joubert
Head of Research Group A/Prof Ralph Hampson
Social Work
Predicting unscheduled return to the emergency department resulting in subsequent hospitalization: Informing strategies for prevention Project Leader Professor Marie Gerdtz Nursing
Promoting an improved patient experience in gynaecological cancer care Project Leader Professor Lynette Joubert Social Work
Promoting health, wellbeing and health services efficiency through a tailored navigation program for older adults with cancer (PARTNER) Chair of Cancer Nursing Professor Mei Krishnasamy Nursing
Retinal Structure and Function Laboratory Lab Director Dr Michael Pianta
Optometry and Vision Sciences
Safe resumption of high-level mobility and cardiovascular fitness following traumatic brain injury Ms Sara Aldous
Prof Gavin Williams
Physiotherapy
Screening for Prevalence of Illicit Toxins in the emergency department: Mapping pathways to care Project Leader Professor Marie Gerdtz Nursing
The ATTUNE Study: Feasibility of Patient-Reported Outcomes for Lung Cancer Chair of Cancer Nursing Professor Mei Krishnasamy Nursing
The development of a nurse-sensitive, cancer care complexity index Project Leader Professor Meinir Krishnasamy Nursing
The EXPERT Study. Defining characteristics of cancer nursing expertise Chair of Cancer Nursing Professor Mei Krishnasamy Nursing
The National Centre for Infections in Cancer Nursing
The PATRICIA Project: PAthways And Research In Collaborative Inter-Agency working Project Leader Professor Cathy Humphreys Social Work
Using our novel model of glaucoma to understand if ganglion cells can recover from injury Optometry and Vision Sciences
Using the eye as a window into Alzheimer’s disease
Vision in migraine
Visual Functions Laboratory Prof Algis Vingrys
Optometry and Vision Sciences
Understanding visual processing in aging and development
Wireless electroretinography and visual evoked potentials for central nervous system drug testing
Young and 'care‑full': The support needs of young kinship carers Dr Meredith Kiraly, MBSc PhD Social Work

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