Our research
Expertise in nursing and nutrition and dietetics
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Our researchers from the University of Sydney Susan Wakil School of Nursing and Midwifery are committed to the vital role that nurses play throughout a person’s life.
We strive to create research that improves patient experience with an impact on health policy.
NHMRC Grant for Reducing the Burden of Chronic Wounds
Dr Michelle Barakat-Johnson has been awarded $1.5 million NHMRC partnership grant to undertake a study to improve patient outcomes and reduce the hidden burden of chronic wounds.The project also includes Dr Astrid Frotjold and Professor Kate White.
This co-design project will pilot a novel model of care, Conscious Caring, to address a gap in health and social care for older adults living with dual sensory impairment (DSI). DSI refers to the presence of both vision and hearing loss, a poorly defined, chronic condition, particularly prevalent among older populations. Data estimates 1 in 4 older Australians live with DSI. If left untreated or, without appropriate support, DSI undermines the ability of older people with DSI to live independently.
Separately, vision and hearing loss have significant negative impacts on psychosocial functioning; in combination, they present complex psychosocial challenges to older adults. DSI consequences extend beyond daily function and communication, with links to depression, quality of life, dementia and social isolation . Increased care needs are met by family carers; however, limited data exists on caring experiences or strategies to support caring in this context. This project addresses this gap by supporting and integrating FC with formal community care structures.
Our experts
Funding: Australian Association of Gerontology
StepUp for Research is a research participation and engagement service, a “one-stop shop” that connects individuals with researchers conducting dementia and ageing-related studies: StepUp for Dementia Research and StepUp for Ageing Research.
Dementia studies can include improving treatment or care, being able to diagnose the disease earlier, and searching for ways to prevent it. Ageing related studies can include the health and wellbeing of older people, positive ageing, frailty, aged care services, rehabilitation and policy and societal issues.
Since its official launch in June 2019, StepUp for Dementia Research has attracted over 2,600 volunteer registrations and has supported more than 170 studies across Australia. In August 2022, StepUp for Ageing Research was launched, expanding support for ageing and age care related research.
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Our expert
Funding: Initially Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care
Queensland is increasingly and disproportionally impacted by disasters and has an aging population with a 3.9% growth rate of Seniors in Queensland compared to 1.1% of the wider population. Older people, particularly those from marginalised groups such as First Nations peoples, are one of the most at-risk groups who experience higher rates of death and injury from natural hazards. Therefore, disaster preparedness that includes pre-emptive measures, is necessary to meet the distinctive needs of First Nations and older people to avoid the 'one size fits all' that often fail to meet their needs.
This project will partner with Local Government and community leaders to enhance resilience to disasters for First Nations and Seniors through the implementation of Person-Centred Emergency Preparedness (P-CEP) (Villeneuve et al, 2020) in three Local Government Areas. The co-designed P-CEP framework and toolkit guides actions by individuals, support services and emergency personnel to collaborate, plan and communicate their emergency plans.
Our expert
Funding: Queensland Resilience and Risk Reduction Fund
The transition from hospital to home poses significant challenges for patients, with a notable risk of adverse events and rehospitalisation due to patient inadequate understanding of hospital events and unpreparedness for discharge. At discharge, patients may receive a variety of information regarding self-care, medication schedules, potential adverse effects to monitor, and points of contact for questions. However, this information is frequently delivered informally and without a structured approach that considers the patient's knowledge needs.
This prospective randomised controlled trial is to determine whether the implementation of a personalised patient directed discharge letter (PADDLE) improves patient knowledge of diagnosis, treatments and discharge plan, satisfaction with hospital care and preparedness for discharge.
Our experts
Funding: HCF Foundation
Changes in sexual function and intimacy (SFI) following the diagnosis and treatment of cancer is a widely recognised consequence of treatment for individuals diagnosed with bladder, prostate or colorectal cancer. Sexual function concerns can impact intimate relationships, and if left untreated, will worsen over time negatively impacting health-related quality of life. Despite recognition of this consequence of treatment, no systematic approach to the assessment and management of SFI exists within clinical services.
This study exploring health professionals’ perspective of barriers and facilitators to addressing SFI in the current clinical context, referral pathways, and development of clinical pathway for individuals receiving treatment for prostate, colorectal and bladder cancer is the first phase of a larger study aimed at developing, implementing, and evaluating a nurse delivered SFI after Cancer service.
Our experts
Funding: Sydney Local Health District (SLHD) Research Support Grant
Chronic diseases like heart disease and type 2 diabetes are significant challenges for adolescents today, and governments have prioritised reducing these risks. However, few strategies exist are both sustainable and equitable for all adolescents. Everyday digital technologies, like text messages offers a promising solution, providing low-cost, confidential access to preventive health services and long-term support, especially considering the widespread use of smartphones.
In collaboration with adolescents, we developed the Health4Me program to improve physical and mental health. We are testing the program in a 6-month randomised controlled trial, comparing it to usual care. Participants receive a co-designed digital intervention that covers topics such as nutrition, physical activity, sleep, mental health, body image, and climate health. This study explores how digital health interventions can improve adolescents' health and well-being. We aim to determine whether the program is engaging, effective, and acceptable in supporting healthier lifestyles for adolescents.
Our experts
Funding: Medical Research Futures Fund Consumer Led Grant
This project, guided by the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Science, aims to test, evaluate, and disseminate a cost-effective, evidence-based digital model of care for chronic wound management. Using a sequential, multi-centre, incomplete, stepped-wedge, cluster-randomised trial design, the study will systematically assess the model's effectiveness and scalability across various settings. With an estimated 450,000 Australians affected by chronic wounds, costing the healthcare system approximately $3.5 billion annually, prompt access to specialised care is essential.
By integrating virtual consultations with wound specialists, a digital wound tracking application, and streamlined specialist access, this model aims to improve clinical outcomes and accessibility for patients. In collaboration with metropolitan and regional partners, the Agency for Clinical Innovation, eHealth NSW, the Ministry of Health, and Wounds Australia, this project strives to enhance care standards for chronic wound patients, particularly those in rural and remote areas, supporting equitable and efficient healthcare delivery.
Our experts
Funding: National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) 2023 Partnership Projects PRC1
Therapeutic advances are improving lymphoma patient outcomes, but their impact on patient-reported outcomes (PROs) such as quality of life (QoL) and symptom burden is not well known yet fundamental to shared decision-making. PROs are not routinely implemented in blood cancer care despite desired by patients and clinicians. Current lymphoma therapeutic decisions are dominated by clinical trial efficacy and toxicity rather than real-world PRO data.
This consumer-driven project will develop a PRO monitoring and implementation protocol using mixed methods, co-design and implementation approaches, structured interviews and national surveys with lymphoma patients and clinicians from across Australia. The PRO protocol will be scalable to other blood cancers and lead to improved patient outcomes.
Our experts
Funding: Gilead Australia Fellowship Research Grants Program
Cardiac rehabilitation prevents further heart attacks and hospital admissions, but participation is low and quality is highly variable. In this type-2 hybrid effectiveness-implementation cluster randomised clinical trial, we will harness the collective drive and expertise of cardiac rehabilitation clinicians in finding solutions to shared problems through a collaborative quality improvement program supported by an electronic data platform.
This 24-month project will improve uptake and adherence to cardiac rehabilitation, patient outcomes, service delivery and ensure value for money for Australians with heart disease. QUICR processes will provide a readily scalable approach to quality improvement that identifies and addresses enablers and barriers, to be implemented nationally and beyond cardiac rehabilitation.
Our experts
Funding: Medical Research Future Fund Cardiovascular Health Mission Grant
This research explores the opinions and attitudes of University of Sydney students regarding the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in academic assignments, utilizing discussions from the online platform Reddit. The study aims to gather qualitative data from student interactions to understand their views on AI's implications for learning and academic integrity.
By analysing conversations and threads on Reddit, the project seeks to identify common concerns, benefits, and ethical considerations raised by students, which will inform educational strategies and policy development at the University regarding AI usage in coursework.
Our expert
Funding: University of Sydney Strategic Education Funding
The study aim is to pilot and evaluate Teens4Dementia (T4D), an evidence-based and curriculum aligneddementia education program for Year 7 high school students. Using a non-randomised waitlist-controlled design with a mixed-methods approach, we will examine the program efficacy and implementation process in improving students’ dementia literacy and understanding of how healthy lifestyle behaviours associated with dementia risk can be introduced among teens.
Dementia is a national health priority, with its prevalence expected to double by 2050. The stigma experienced by people living with dementia is real and common. It is important to get dementia education into high schools as intervening early, prior to risk behaviours becoming entrenched, will set youth on a lifelong trajectory towards good brain health.
Website: https://www.stepupfordementiaresearch.org.au/teens4d/
Our experts
Funding: Arcare Foundation
The Health Hive aims to transform how adolescents engage in preventive health research. Instead of being passive participants, adolescents are recognised as active contributors capable of making informed decisions that impact them. Chronic diseases present a global challenge for adolescents, yet current prevention strategies are ineffective.
The Health Hive taps into adolescents’ unique creativity by developing an engagement model that allows them to contribute meaningfully to research. Through a freely accessible online education course and a large online community, adolescents will gain skills to participate in research and co-create new health knowledge to improve outcomes for their peers. Our approach builds on extensive collaboration with adolescents and uses evidence-based methods to enhance the relevance and quality of adolescent-focused research.
The Health Hive will shape the future of adolescent-led research, empowering young people to play a central role in improving their health outcomes for their generation.
Our experts
Funding: Medical Research Futures Fund (MRFF) Consumer Led Grant
Tooth decay and overweight/obesity in early childhood share overlapping risk factors: bottle and formula feeding behaviours, which can lead to overfeeding and exposure to sugar. If we understand parents’ values and priorities on child feeding, teeth and weight, as well as child health professionals’ practices and experiences on providing feeding and dental advice, we can support behaviour change to address risk factors for tooth decay and overweight/obesity together.
We are conducting focus groups and interviews with parents of ≤1 year old infants and child health professionals. By understanding these views, we aim to design an intervention on communicating formula and bottle feeding messages for tooth decay and unhealthy weight gain prevention.
Our experts
Funding: National Health and Medical Research Council
This project delves into the online communities where caregivers of childhood cancer survivors gather to exchange information about health, nutrition, and lifestyle. With childhood cancer survival rates exceeding 80%, caregivers often turn to digital forums to improve their children’s quality of life during and after treatment.
The study employs an ethnographic approach to analyse conversations within these communities, focusing on themes related to nutrition, activity, and complementary medicine. By understanding these interactions, the project aims to enhance evidence-based support systems and develop effective communication strategies for supportive care.
Our expert
Funding: 2024 Health Delivery - Research Activation Grant 1
This project aims to develop and test strategies to mitigate jetlag, founded on biophysical modelling of circadian rhythms. It sets out to quantify the speed of circadian adaptation of sleep, alertness, and metabolism after transmeridian travel and to maximise speed of adaptation via optimised timing of light exposure, food, and exercise in-flight and on-the-ground. Expected outcomes include powerful models for jetlag strategies, ready for application in air travel.
The project will directly inform Qantas’ operations for ultra-long haul flights and their international network more broadly. Project outcomes will benefit society and the economy through improving travellers’ alertness, sleep, and reducing the risk of fatigue-related accidents.
Our expert
Funding: Australian Research Council (ARC) and Qantas Airways
Examines the role of human factors in healthcare settings, aiming to enhance patient safety through better system design, risk management, and healthcare worker training.
This theme also centres on the development and implementation of care practices that respect and respond to the individual preferences, needs, and values of patients, ensuring that patient values guide all clinical decisions.
Sydney Local Health District is deploying the Florence platform, a new patient portal, across all its outpatient clinics. Florence has the potential to enhance patient experience through digital queue management, to minimise no-shows through enhanced communication between patient and clinics, and to improve administrative workflows prior to and upon patient arrival to clinics.
In this project, we are using an action-research approach to evaluate and optimise the Florence platform and its implementation at Sydney Dental Hospital. In particular, after roll-out at 1 dental clinic, we are investigating the impact of Florence on patient and staff experience, clinic workflow and costs (via surveys, interviews, work observations, usability testing, workshops, and analysis of clinic data). We are then applying learnings from Phase 1 to inform a second phase of implementation, which will also be evaluated.
Our experts
Funding: Digital Health Cooperative Research Centre
Overcrowding in emergency departments (EDs) inhibits the delivery of timely and safe patient care. To tackle this issue in New South Wales (NSW), Australia, the EPIC-START model of care was developed. This model of care combines validated data analytic tools with early nurse-initiated care protocols (The NSW Health ECAT protocols, previously named EPIC), the START patient admission prediction tool, and a clinical deterioration tool to enhance ED workflow, ensure timely care, and improve patient safety.
To test the impact of EPIC-START on patient and health service outcomes, an effectiveness-implementation hybrid design including a stepped–wedge cluster randomised control trial, in 29 EDs across four NSW local health districts spanning rural, regional, and metropolitan contexts is underway.
Website: Project EPIC-START
Our experts
Funding: National Health and Medical Research Council, Medical Research Future Fund
This project aims to enhance pressure injury risk screening and prevention across six wards in a health districts in NSW and QLD over 24 months.
Conducted in collaboration with the Clinical Excellence Commission and Single Digital Patient Record (SDPR) working groups and aligned with the Comprehensive Care Standards for Patient Safety, this study has four main objectives: developing a risk screening pressure injury care plan, evaluating staff adherence, measuring pressure injury incidence, and assessing staff experience. A quasi-experimental, multi-method approach will be used. Outcomes will include adherence rates, pressure injury incidence, and insights into staff satisfaction and knowledge.
This collaborative approach seeks to improve patient care and outcomes related to pressure injuries, promoting safer, more consistent care practices.
Our experts
Funding: Stryker Foundation grant
