Associate Professor Gustavo Machado
USYD Robinson Fellow
Sydney School of Public Health
Sydney Local Health District
Associate Professor Gustavo Machado is an NHMRC Investigator (EL2) and Robinson Fellow at the Institute for Musculoskeletal Health, Sydney Local Health District and the School of Public Health, University of Sydney. He has published extensively on topics related to back pain, musculoskeketal pain, physiotherapy, emergency and pre-hospital care, and public health.
The work he has led is published in top ranking general medical (eg BMJ) and specialist journals (eg Lancet Rheumatology). His papers have been cited over >5200 times (h-index=32), published with editorials, summarised in leading journals (eg NEJM), featured in major media (eg The New York Times), changed guideline recommendations (eg NICE), and awarded prizes and awards, including the 2019 NSW Health Award for Value Based Health Care, the 2022 ANZMUSC Trial of the Year Award, and the 2023 Research Australia Health Services Research Award.
He sits on the Board of the Faculty of Medicine and Health, is a core member of the Emergency Care Institute Research Advisory Committee, member of the RPA Virtual Hospital Research Steering Committee, and former member of the Sydney Local Health District Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC). He is also a member of the Health Services Research Association for Australia and New Zealand and was a founding member of the Early-Mid Career Research Committees from the School of Public Health and the Faculty of Medicine and Health.
Associate Professor Machado's research focuses on improving the care of people with musculoskeletal pain in the pre-hospital and emergency department settings. His research program investigates the effectiveness of various interventions for musculoskeletal pain, including medicines, physiotherapy, exercise therapy, and psychological interventions. He has also studied the prevalence, prognosis and impact of musculoskeletal pain in different populations, such as people from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds.
His work involves conduting large-scale clinical trials, observational studies, and systematic reviews to address important knowledge gaps about management of back pain and other musculoskeletal conditions. A/Prof Machado has a special interest in implementation and health services research, working closely with large health service providers such as Sydney Local Health District and NSW Ambulance Service. He has also developed new hospital-based business intelligence platforms with eHealth NSW linking large administrative health datasets to study patterns and trends in healthcare, which won the NPS Medicinewise Award for Excellence in eHealth Resources.
He has published over 100 articles in peer-reviewed journals, including in BMJ, Lancet Rheum, Cochrane and BJSM, and has presented his research at several national and international conferences such as at the Back Pain Forum and World Physiotherapy Congress. He is highly regarded in his field (ranked #17 for back pain globally; Expertscape) and has received several awards and over $19.5 million in research funding in the last 7 years (including from NHMRC and MRFF as CIA) in recognition of his contributions to musculoskeletal health research.
Associate Professor Machado's teaching interests include physiotherapy, clinical epidemiology, biostatistics, and research methods. He has received the Dean’s Citation Award for Learning & Teaching from the Faculty of Health Sciences, The University of Sydney as a recognition of his teaching excellence for undergraduate and postgraduate physiotherapy students. He has also supervised physiotherapy students on clinical research placements.
He has supervised or mentored 16 research students and postdocs. A/Prof Machado's students have been awarded scholarships, best conference presentation prizes, best publication awards, and have published several papers as first authors. All his former research students have obtained prestigious academic positions. In 2023-24, his PhD students nominated him for the SUPRA Supervisor of the Year Award and the Good Mentor Award, which recognises and reward excellence in higher degree research supervision at The University of Sydney.
ADAPT-ED: My team and I have shown that oxycodone (a strong opioid) is given to 50% of patients with back pain in Australian EDs. However, this drug is known to increase ED length of stay, admission rates, and the risk of developing opioid dependence, overdose, and even death. This trial aims to test the effectiveness of 4 non-opioid interventions against the most used opioid medicine (oxycodone) for managing back pain in Australian EDs. This is a multi-arm multi-stage, non-inferiority, randomised controlled trial at the three EDs of Sydney Local Health District. Adult patients who present to the ED with moderate/severe back pain (pain score, 4–10) will be included. Primary outcome is pain intensity (0–10 scale) measured at ED triage (baseline), ED discharge (primary timepoint), daily for 7 days, then at 6 weeks. Funded by MRFF ($3.2M).
SHaPED: Patients presenting for emergency care for low back pain receive far more imaging, opioid medications, and hospital admissions than would be predicted based on the numbers of patients presenting with severe, urgent spinal pathology and clinical practice guidelines. SHaPED was a stepped-wedge, cluster-randomised trial evaluating implementation of an evidence-based model of care for low back pain management in four Australian emergency departments (EDs), involving 269 clinicians. Each ED had a four-week intervention phase preceded by 13 months of usual care and followed by at least three months of post-intervention follow-up. The intervention included five steps: educational sessions, educational materials, easier access to non-opioid treatments in the ED, fast-track referrals for outpatient services such as physiotherapy, and audit-and-feedback. Of the healthcare utilisation outcomes for the 4,625 encounters, an absolute decrease was seen for opioid medication use while patients were being seen in the ED (from 62.8% to 50.5% of low back pain presentations). There were no significant changes in receipt of lumbar imaging and hospitalisation rates. Even with reduced use of opioid medications during ED encounters, patient-reported outcomes in the post-intervention periods were non-inferior to the pre-intervention periods, including pain, physical functioning, satisfaction with care, and overall quality of life. Funded by SHP and NSW ACI ($110k).
RESHAP-ED: Patients with musculoskeletal conditions often seek care in emergency departments (ED). The problem is that the time required for the ED staff to manage these patients places a great deal of pressure on the ED staff, who are primarily trained and resourced to manage high acuity patients. Primary-contact-physiotherapists could play a greater role in supporting the ED team in the management of patients presenting to the ED with musculoskeletal conditions. The RESHAP-ED trial is a multicentre, pragmatic, open-label, two-arm, parallel randomised controlled trial with nested process and economic evaluation. The trial will investigate whether a primary-contact physiotherapy service when compared to usual care (primary-contact by physicians or nurse practitioners) reduces time spent in ED. 620 patients with simple musculoskeletal conditions will be recruited from seven EDs in New South Wales, Australia. The primary effectiveness outcome is the ED length of stay. Secondary outcomes will include patient-reported outcomes, adverse events, and healthcare costs. The adjusted mean difference in ED length of stay and 95% confidence interval will be calculated using linear regression adjusted for hospital using a random effect model. Funded by MRFF ($2.8M).
BACK@HOME: About 1/3 of low back pain presentations to the emergency department (ED) are subsequently admitted to hospital. Many of these hospitalisations are potentially avoidable and can increase the risk of adverse events such as hospital-acquired infections and falls. This is a hybrid effectiveness-implementation type-I feasibility study. The primary aim of BACK@HOME is to assess the effectiveness of a virtual hospital model of care to reduce length of admission in people presenting to ED with low back pain. A secondary aim is to evaluate the acceptability and feasibility of the virtual hospital and our implementation strategy. We will also investigate patient-reported outcomes (non-inferiority) and cost-effectiveness. To evaluate effectiveness, we plan to conduct an interrupted time series study at three metropolitan hospitals in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The implementation strategy includes clinician education using multimedia resources, staff champions, and an ‘audit and feedback’ process. Implementation will be evaluated over 12-months, and compared to a 48-month pre-implementation period, using monthly time-series trends in average length of hospital stay as the primary outcome. Linear segmented regression will identify changes in level and slope of fitted lines, indicating immediate effects of the intervention, as well as effect over time. Funded by HCF Research Foundation ($315k).
LINK-ED: Health data systems in Australia are fragmented with health information stored in disconnected data silos. This is highly detrimental to understanding the appropriateness of care patients receive as they move between primary, secondary, and tertiary care services. For instance, there is a dearth of evidence on the use of pain medicines in the community setting following paramedic, emergency department (ED) or hospital care of low back pain. Our previous research has shown preliminary evidence that 1/3 of patients with low back pain are still using opioid medicines at one month after ED discharge. However, this analysis was based on a small sample (n=110) from one local health district in NSW, thus there is still an important knowledge gap on the role of prehospital and hospital care of low back pain on long-term opioid use in the community. LINK-ED is a health-record data linkage study that aims to develop a single platform to integrate prehospital and hospital datasets on low back pain. The project will link the following administrative health datasets: NSW Ambulance Data Collection, NSW Emergency Department Data Collection, NSW Admitted Patient Data Collection, NSW RBDM Death Registrations, NSW Cause of Death Unit Record File (COD- URF), Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme Data Collection, and Medicare Benefits Schedule Data Collection. Funded by USYD ($75k).
- Chair, Training & Development Portfolio, Institute for Musculoskeletal Health
- Chair, BACK@HOME study Steering Committee, RPA Virtual Hospital, Sydney Local Health District
- Chair, RESHAP-ED trial Steering Committee, The University of Sydney
- Chair, ADAPT-ED trial Steering Committee, The University of Sydney
- Co-chair, Digital and Virtual Care, Sydney Musculoskeletal Health, The University of Sydney
- Member, Board of the Faculty of Medicine and Health
- Member, RPA Virtual Hospital Research Steering Committee, Sydney Local Health District
- Member, Australia & New Zealand Musculoskeletal (ANZMUSC) Clinical Trials Network
- Member, Australasian College for Emergency Medicine (ACEM) Clinical Trials Network
- Member, Health Services Research Association of Australia and New Zealand
- Member, NSW Emergency Care Institute (ECI) Research Advisory Committee
- Member, HCF Research Foundation Peer Reviewer Panel
- Member, 2023-24 NHMRC Investigator Grant Peer Reviewer Panel
- Member, 2022-23 NHMRC Ideas Grant Peer Reviewer Panel
- Member, Local Organising Committee, XIV Low Back Pain Forum, Brazil
- Former Member, Sydney Local Health District Human Research Ethics Committee (RPAH Zone)
2024EMCR Outstanding Publication Award for Lancet Rheum 2023,5:E643-E645
2024Top Downloaded Article, International Journal of Rheumatic Diseases
2024 Good Mentor Award (finalist)
2023 NHMRC Investigator Grant (EL2)
2023 SUPRA Supervisor of the Year (finalist)
2023 Research Australia Health Services Award (highly commended)
2023 Robinson Fellowship (USyd)
2022 ANZMUSC Clinical Trial of the Year Award
2021 Top 10 Article of the Year in BMJ Quality & Safety
2021 HSRAANZ New Investigator Award
2020 SEMCAN Impact Pitch Competition (finalist)
2019 FMH Award for Excellence in Outstanding Early Career Research
2019 SLHD Quality Award in Health Research & Innovation (highly commended)
2019 NSW Health Secretary's Award in Value Based Health Care (finalist)
2019 Sydney Local Health District Big Idea (finalist)
2018 Qlik Patient-centred App Innovation Award
2018 NPS Medicinewise Award for Excellence in eHealth Resources
2018 Lyn March Award for Excellence
2017 1st Prize for Best Oral Presentation at the XV International Back and Neck Pain Forum
2017 NHMRC Early Career Fellowship (ECF)
2017 Top 8 Research Studies in Annals of Internal Medicine
2016 Dean’s Citation for Learning & Teaching Award
2016 Top 20 Research Studies in American Family Physician
2015 Altmetric Top 100 Studies
2015 The BMJ’s Most Accessed Research Paper
2015 Sydney Medical School's Student Publication Award
2013 Australian Postgraduate Award
2013 International Postgraduate Research Scholarship
(University of Southern Denmark) Collaboration with Prof Jan Hartvigsen | |
(Erasmus University Medical Centre) Collaboration with Prof Bart Koes | |
(Vrije University) Collaboration with Prof Maurits van Tulder | |
(Oslo Metropolitan University) Collaboration with Prof Margreth Grotle | |
(University of Warwick) Collaboration with Prof Martin Underwood | |
(Oregon Health and Science University) Collaboration with Prof Richard Deyo |
| Project title | Research student |
|---|---|
| Reshaping the management of low back pain in the emergency department | Chathurani SIGERA |
Publications
Journals
- Alves, G., Vera, G., Maher, C., Ferreira, G., De Carvalho Machado, G., Buchbinder, R., Pinto, R., Oliveira, C. (2024). Clinical care standards for the management of low back pain: a scoping review. Rheumatology International. [More Information]
- Dos Santos, V., Oliveira, C., Sato, K., Maher, C., Vidal, R., Grande, G., Costa, L., De Carvalho Machado, G., Ferreira, G., Buchbinder, R. (2024). Clinical indicators to monitor health care in low back pain: a scoping review. International Journal for Quality in Health Care, 36(2), mzae044. [More Information]
- Vella, S., De Carvalho Machado, G. (2024). Clinimetrics: The Cumulated Ambulation Score. Journal of Physiotherapy, 70(2), 154-154. [More Information]
2024
- Alves, G., Vera, G., Maher, C., Ferreira, G., De Carvalho Machado, G., Buchbinder, R., Pinto, R., Oliveira, C. (2024). Clinical care standards for the management of low back pain: a scoping review. Rheumatology International. [More Information]
- Dos Santos, V., Oliveira, C., Sato, K., Maher, C., Vidal, R., Grande, G., Costa, L., De Carvalho Machado, G., Ferreira, G., Buchbinder, R. (2024). Clinical indicators to monitor health care in low back pain: a scoping review. International Journal for Quality in Health Care, 36(2), mzae044. [More Information]
- Vella, S., De Carvalho Machado, G. (2024). Clinimetrics: The Cumulated Ambulation Score. Journal of Physiotherapy, 70(2), 154-154. [More Information]
2023
- de Luca, K., McLachlan, A., Maher, C., MacHado, G. (2023). Australian emergency department care for older adults diagnosed with low back pain of lumbar spine origin: a retrospective analysis of electronic medical record system data (2016–2019). BMC Emergency Medicine, 23(1). [More Information]
- Melman, A., Vella, S., Dodd, R., Coombs, D., Richards, B., Rogan, E., Teng, M., Maher, C., Ghinea, N., De Carvalho Machado, G. (2023). Clinicians' Perspective on Implementing Virtual Hospital Care for Low Back Pain: Qualitative Study. JMIR Rehabilitation and Assistive Technologies, 10, e47227-e47227. [More Information]
- Oliveira, C., Ferreira, G., Buchbinder, R., De Carvalho Machado, G., Maher, C. (2023). Do national health priorities align with Global Burden of Disease estimates on disease burden? An analysis of national health plans and official governmental websites. Public Health, 222, 66-74. [More Information]
2022
- Chen, Q., Sánchez Medina, C., Maher, C., Ferreira, G., Olivares Hernández, A., Valderrama Godínez, V., Fuentes Gómez, A., Vella, S., MacHado, G. (2022). Almost one in five physiotherapy trials excluded people due to lack of language proficiency: A meta-epidemiological study. Journal of Clinical Epidemiology, 152, 13-22. [More Information]
- de Santis, R., Wainstein, A., Machado, G., Santos, F., Melo, M., Drummond-Lage, A. (2022). Cancer patients admitted in the emergency department: A single-centre observational study. European Journal of Cancer Care, 31(6). [More Information]
- Coombs, D., Maher, C., Collett, M., Mathieson, S., Abdel Shaheed, C., Lin, C., De Carvalho Machado, G. (2022). Continued opioid use following an emergency department presentation for low back pain. EMA - Emergency Medicine Australasia, 34(5), 694-697. [More Information]
2021
- Traeger, A., De Carvalho Machado, G., Bath, S., Tran, M., Roper, L., Oliveira, C., Peek, A., Coombs, D., Hall, A., Tcharkhedian, E., Maher, C. (2021). Appropriateness of Imaging Decisions for Low Back Pain Presenting to the Emergency Department: A Retrospective Chart Review Study. International Journal for Quality in Health Care, 33(3), mzab103. [More Information]
- Coombs, D., De Carvalho Machado, G., Richards, B., Oliveira, C., Herbert, R., Maher, C. (2021). Clinical course of patients with low back pain following an emergency department presentation: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Emergency Medicine Journal, 38(11), 806-807. [More Information]
- Xie, C., De Carvalho Machado, G. (2021). Clinimetrics: Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE). Journal of Physiotherapy, 67(1), 66. [More Information]
2020
- Abdel Shaheed, C., De Carvalho Machado, G., Underwood, M. (2020). Drugs for chronic pain. British Journal of General Practice, 70(701), 576-577. [More Information]
- De Carvalho Machado, G., Ghinea, N., Rogan, E., Day, R., Maher, C. (2020). Emergency department care for low back pain: Should we adopt recommendations from primary care guidelines? EMA - Emergency Medicine Australasia, 32(5), 890-892. [More Information]
- Amorim, A., De Carvalho Machado, G., Maher, C. (2020). Enthusiastic claims for open-label placebo pills ignore the evidence. Pain, 161(5), 1124. [More Information]
2019
- Anderson, D., Mobbs, R., Eyles, J., Meyer, S., Machado, G., Davis, G., Harris, I., Buchbinder, R., Ferreira, M. (2019). Barriers to participation in a placebo-surgical trial for lumbar spinal stenosis. Heliyon, 5(5), 1-5. [More Information]
- Ferreira, G., Traeger, A., Machado, G., O'Keeffe, M., Maher, C. (2019). Credibility, Accuracy, and Comprehensiveness of Internet-Based Information About Low Back Pain: A Systematic Review. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 21(5), 1-9. [More Information]
- Ferreira, G., De Carvalho Machado, G., Abdel Shaheed, C., Lin, C., Needs, C., Edwards, J., Facer, R., Rogan, E., Richards, B., Maher, C. (2019). Management of low back pain in Australian emergency departments. BMJ Quality and Safety, 28(10), 826-834. [More Information]
2018
- Pozzobon, D., Ferreira, P., Blyth, F., De Carvalho Machado, G., Ferreira, M. (2018). Can obesity and physical activity predict outcomes of elective knee or hip surgery due to osteoarthritis? A meta-analysis of cohort studies. BMJ Open, 8(2), e017689. [More Information]
- Traeger, A., Reed, B., O'Connor, D., Hoffmann, T., De Carvalho Machado, G., Bonner, C., Maher, C., Buchbinder, R. (2018). Clinician, patient and general public beliefs about diagnostic imaging for low back pain: protocol for a qualitative evidence synthesis. BMJ Open, 8(2), e019470. [More Information]
- Liu, X., De Carvalho Machado, G., Eyles, J., Ravi, V., Hunter, D. (2018). Dietary supplements for treating osteoarthritis: a systematic review and meta-analysis. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 52(3), 167-175. [More Information]
2017
- Silva Parreira, P., Maher, C., Ferreira, M., De Carvalho Machado, G., Blyth, F., Naganathan, V., Waite, L., Seibel, M., Handelsman, D., Cumming, R. (2017). A longitudinal study of the influence of comorbidities and lifestyle factors on low back pain in older men. Pain, 158(8), 1571-1576. [More Information]
- De Carvalho Machado, G., Maher, C., Ferreira, P., Latimer, J., Koes, B., Steffens, D., Ferreira, M. (2017). Can recurrence after an acute episode of low back pain be predicted? Physical Therapy, 97(9), 889-895. [More Information]
- De Barros Pinheiro, M., De Carvalho Machado, G. (2017). Lower back pain app: an exercise programme for the management of low back pain. British Journal of Sports Medicine, Article in press.
2016
- Saragiotto, B., De Carvalho Machado, G., Ferreira, M., De Barros Pinheiro, M., Shaheed, C., Maher, C. (2016). Paracetamol for low back pain. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 6(6), 1-49. [More Information]
- De Carvalho Machado, G., Witzleb, A., Fritsch, C., Maher, C., Ferreira, P., Ferreira, M. (2016). Patients with sciatica still experience pain and disability 5 years after surgery: A systematic review with meta-analysis of cohort studies. European Journal of Pain, 20(10), 1700-1709. [More Information]
- De Carvalho Machado, G., De Barros Pinheiro, M., Lee, H., Ahmed, O., Hendrick, P., Williams, C., Kamper, S. (2016). Smartphone apps for the self-management of low back pain: A systematic review. Best Practice and Research: Clinical Rheumatology, 30(6), 1098-1109. [More Information]
2015
- Machado, G., Maher, C., Ferreira, M. (2015). Authors' reply to Adam and to Veal and Thompson. BMJ, 350, h2223. [More Information]
- De Carvalho Machado, G., Ferreira, P., Harris, I., De Barros Pinheiro, M., Koes, B., van Tulder, M., Rzewuska, M., Maher, C., Ferreira, M. (2015). Effectiveness of Surgery for Lumbar Spinal Stenosis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. PloS One, 10(3), 1-18. [More Information]
- De Carvalho Machado, G., Maher, C., Ferreira, P., De Barros Pinheiro, M., Lin, C., Day, R., McLachlan, A., Ferreira, M. (2015). Efficacy and safety of paracetamol for spinal pain and osteoarthritis: systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised placebo controlled trials. BMJ, 350, 1-13. [More Information]
2014
- De Barros Pinheiro, M., Polese, J., De Carvalho Machado, G., Scianni, A., Hirochi, T., Teixeira-Salmela, L. (2014). Balance analysis during the sit-to-stand movement of chronic hemiparetic individuals based upon their functional levels. Manual Therapy, Posturology & Rehabilitation Journal, 12(199), 260-264.
- Polese, J., De Barros Pinheiro, M., De Carvalho Machado, G., Faria, C., Hirochi, T., Teixeira-Salmela, L. (2014). Chronic Hemiparetic Subjects with Higher Physical Activity Levels Report Better Quality of Life [Hemipareticos cronicos com maiores niveis de atividade fisica reportam melhor qualidade de vida]. Revista Neurociencias, 22(2), 221-226. [More Information]
- Pinheiro, M., Polese, J., Faria, C., Machado, G., Parreira, V., Britto, R., Teixeira-Salmela, L. (2014). Inspiratory muscular weakness is most evident in chronic stroke survivors with lower walking speeds. European Journal of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine, 50(3), 301-307.
2013
- Ferreira, P., Pinheiro, M., Machado, G., Ferreira, M. (2013). Is alcohol intake associated with low back pain? A systematic review o? observational studies. Manual Therapy, 18(3), 183-190. [More Information]
- Pinheiro, M., Polese, J., Machado, G., Faria, C., Hirochi, T., Teixeira-Salmela, L. (2013). The Ability to Manage Stairs for Chronic Stroke Survivors Improves with Increases in Physical Activity Levels. Journal of Novel Physiotherapies, 3(3), 1-4. [More Information]
2010
- Ferreira, M., Borges, B., Rezende, I., Carvalho, L., Soares, L., Abou Id Dabes, R., Carvalho, G., Drummond, A., Machado, G., Ferreira, P. (2010). Are neck pain scales and questionnaires compatible with the international classification of functioning, disability and health? A systematic review. Disability and Rehabilitation, 32(19), 1539-1546. [More Information]
- Ferreira, M., Machado, G., Latimer, J., Maher, C., Ferreira, P., Smeets, R. (2010). Factors defining care-seeking in low back pain - A meta-analysis of population based surveys. European Journal of Pain, 14(7), 747.e1-747.e7. [More Information]
Selected Grants
2024
- Effectiveness of CALD Assist versus professional interpreting service for the management of musculoskeletal pain in the emergency department: a pilot randomised trial., De Carvalho Machado G, Maher C, Sydney Local Health District/RPA GREEN LIGHT INSTITUTE EMERGENCY RESEARCH GRANT SCHEME
2023
- Rewarding Research 2024, De Carvalho Machado G, Faculty of Medicine and Health/FMH Rewarding Research Success
- Restructuring musculoskeletal health services to ensure equitable access to effective, affordable allied health care, Zadro J, Maher C, De Carvalho Machado G, Traeger A, Buchbinder R, Harris I, Shaw T, Harvey L, Ackerman I, Richards B, Abdel Shaheed C, Mathieson S, Swain M, Anderson D, Coombs D, Department of Health and Aged Care (Federal - administered by NHMRC)/MRFF CRI 2022 Clinician Researchers: Nurses, Midwives and Allied Health
Research Impact:
My program on musculoskeletal health contributed to new knowledge and transformed health through policy changes and implementation of new models of care.
- My research on medicines was used in 35 guidelines globally. Eg, it changed guidelines from UK NICE and the American College of Physicians, which now advise against paracetamol for back pain. My work is cited in a patent for a new medicine to treat knee/hip pain, received the BMJ’s Award for most read paper of the year, was ranked in the top 8 most impactful papers of 2016 by the American College of Physicians, and in the top 20 most likely to change practice by the Canadian Medical Association.
- My research on surgery showed spinal fusion is not as effective and safe as surgeons believe and led to an invited Cochrane review. This work informed guidelines from Danish Health Authority and German Society for Orthopaedics and the Australian Low Back Pain Clinical Care Standards. My study showing increasing rates of spinal fusion in NSW led to further investigation in the 4th Australian Atlas of Healthcare Variation and was cited to support an application for a new MBS item on spinal spacer devices.
- My research in EDs generated new knowledge on back pain care, revealing overuse of opioids and high admission rates. It also led to the adoption of my intervention as standard practice in 4 NSW EDs, impacting >12k patients in last 4 years, resulting in up to 24% less patients receiving opioids, thereby reducing harms. My intervention was adopted by Sunshine Coast, Royal Brisbane and Women’s, and Tan Tock Seng (Singapore) hospitals, and received the 2022 ANZMUSC Trial of the Year Award.
In the media
My work on medicines for back pain was featured in 186 news stories including in The New York Times, The Times UK, and ABC Health Report, reaching 350M people globally. My research on back pain in the emergency department setting was reported in 38 news stories (eg Sydney Morning Herald and 9News) reaching 11M Australians.
Some highlights are listed below:
Mar 2021 Sydney Morning Herald: A cheap heat pack to replace opioids for back pain? It may work
Apr 2020 The Back Letter: Usual care for back pain all too often the wrong care – despite 25 years of evidence-based guidelines
Aug 2019 ITNews: Sydney hospitals turn to data analytics to combat opioid crisis
May 2018 Physiotherapy inMotion: New model of care in emergency departments
Feb 2017 The Times UK: Pilates not painkillers the best cure for backache
Oct 2016 Medscape: Taking a placebo, even knowingly, may decrease chronic lower back pain
Apr 2015 The New York Times: The limits of Tylenol for pain relief