Major projects, trials and guidelines
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The Australian Epilepsy Project is the single largest MRFF Frontier funded study. The AEP aimed at improving outcomes for people living with epilepsy.
The First Seizures: Patient Reported Outcomes Measures project aims to appreciate the impact of first seizures on quality of life, work productivity and informal care needs at time of seizure.
TERRACOTTA trial is the first of its kind offering tailored interventions targeting treatable traits (TTs) in COPD in individuals at risk of exacerbations, to improve quality of life and avoid hospitalisations.
The intervention includes a multidimensional assessment by a practice nurse to characterise TTs in patients with COPD that will lead to a personalised medicine approach targeting pulmonary, extra-pulmonary and behavioural traits.
TERRACOTTA findings will inform clinical practice and facilitate continuous quality improvement in the care of patients with COPD. (Funded through GSK Investigator Sponsored Scheme).
HAPPI MIND is a cluster randomised controlled trial evaluating a novel, multi-domain nurse-led mHealth intervention that has the potential to reduce the burden and morbidity associated with dementia risk factors in middle aged adults, and reduce the incidence of future dementia.
HAPPI MIND is supported by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) through the Boosting Dementia Research Grants Scheme – Priority Round Five: Implementing Dementia Risk Reduction and Prevention Research (APP1171851).
VANISH is the first multicentre, placebo-controlled, randomised controlled trial to evaluate the efficacy and safety of a combination of varenicline with acute release forms of nicotine replacement therapy (NRT). This is also the first pragmatic trial to explore the effectiveness of this combination treatment in achieving long-term abstinence rates among inpatients in Australian hospitals.
Funded through Global Research Award for Nicotine Dependence (GRAND).
Psychotropic medications are widely prescribed to people living with dementia and in residential aged care. High and variable rates of psychotropic medication use in Australian and international residential aged care is a source of concern for consumers, clinicians and policy makers.
CMUS has led a multidisciplinary project to develop new Clinical Practice Guideline for the Appropriate Use of Psychotropic Medications in People Living with dementia and in Residential Aged Care.
Development of the Guideline was funded by the Dementia Centre for Research Collaboration (DCRC).
NeuroGEN (Neurological and Mental Health Global Epidemiology Network) is a platform for collaboration on big data related to neurodegenerative diseases and mental health conditions, operating on an international level.
The network includes academic members from several countries and jurisdictions, including Australia, Finland, Hong Kong, Korea, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Scotland, Taiwan, and the United Kingdom.
The main objective of NeuroGEN is to facilitate multinational research by providing a platform of collaboration, including joint workshops and symposia, data harmonisation support, collaborative grant applications, and student and staff exchange.
The Evidence-based Medication knowledge Brokers Residential Aged CarE (EMBRACE) study investigates the potential role of ‘knowledge brokers’ for implementing recommendations in new Guidelines for the Appropriate Use of Psychotropic Medications in People Living with Dementia and in Residential Aged Care. If demonstrated to be successful and cost-effective, knowledge brokers can be employed as to implement evidence-based recommendations to improve the safe and effective use of other medication classes in aged care.
This project is funded by the Medical Research Future Fund Dementia, Ageing and Aged Care Grant Opportunity.
The Maximising Embedded Pharmacists in AGed CAre Medication Advisory Committees (MEGA-MAC) project will evaluate an innovative system-level knowledge broker role for embedded pharmaciststo improve the quality use of medications.
MEGA-MAC will be a pharmacist-led multidisciplinary approach to implement the new ACSQHC Guiding Principles for Medication Management in Residential Aged Care. This is important because poor uptake of clinical guidelines is one of the greatest barriers to achieving the WHO Third Global Patient Safety Challenge to reduce severe avoidable medication-related harm. MEGA-MAC will aim to develop a sustainable and cost-effective model for embedded pharmacists to act as system-level knowledge brokers to implement the Commission’s 2022 Guiding Principles for Medication Management in Residential Aged Care Facilities and improve medicine safety for aged care residents.
Monash University and New South Wales Therapeutics Advisory Group have developed a series of quality indicators to measure the implementation of the Guiding Principles. These indicators, called the MEGA-MAC indicators, were developed as part of Monash University’s MEGA-MAC project.
This project is funded by the Medical Research Future Fund Quality, Safety and Effectiveness of Medicine Use by Pharmacists Grant Opportunity.
SImplification of Medications Prescribed to Long-tErm care Residents (SIMPLER) is a non-blinded, matched-pair, cluster randomised controlled trial of a single multidisciplinary intervention to simplify medication regimens.
Four Continents For Dementia (4C4D) is a collaboration between researchers and data across four continents (Australia, Asia, Europe and North America) to investigate the use and outcomes of medications for chronic comorbidities in people with dementia.
Dementia is a progressive disease that caused disability and compromise quality of life. Based on the World Health Organization’s estimate, dementia affects 540 million people globally with 10 million new cases each year.
There is no cure for dementia, therefore, treating chronic comorbidities such as cardiovascular disease or osteoporosis is important maintaining and managing health and quality of life.
The 4C4D initiative was formed to create a framework for conducting high quality, concurrent and generalisable observational studies on dementia and chronic comorbidity medication use across participating countries.
4C4D aims to investigate the use, safety and effectiveness of guideline-recommended medications for chronic comorbidities in people with dementia.
4C4D aims also to find treatment priorities for people with dementia through determining the acceptability of the benefits and harms of medicines in people with dementia.
4C4D is funded by Dementia Australia, Yulgilbar Foundation and Victorian Government.
Monash University's Centre for Medicine Use and Safety (CMUS) and Neuromedicines Discovery Centre (NDC) have led a multidisciplinary project to develop the Clinical Practice Guideline for the Appropriate Use of Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA)-Assisted Psychotherapy for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (the Guideline).
The Guideline addresses the rapidly emerging field of MDMA-assisted therapy, where clinical uncertainty exists regarding what constitutes best practice, and there are heightened risks of misinformation or disinformation among consumers.