HCF Research Foundation finds success with its RACGP Partnership
The HCF Research Foundation has successfully partnered with the Royal Australian College of General Practitioner’s (RACGP) since 2012 to provide annual research scholarships to the general practice researchers. The research funded by these grants aims to inform practice, improve health services, and position Australia’s healthcare system to better meet the needs of Australians, improving the health of Australians and keeping them out of hospital.
The grants have enabled important research, which otherwise might not have been funded due to a scarcity of funding for GP research, and the lack of availability of small-medium sized grants. In addition, the grants have contributed to career development and training in general practice research.
The RACGP Foundation/HCF Research Foundation Research Grants have so far provided some important outcomes and led to further research that will impact on general practice. The following report provides a summary of each funded project and the impact it has had to date.
Using GP data to calculate risk of ED presentation
Professor Christopher Pearce and his team at Outcome Health have developed a machine learning algorithm to calculate a patient’s risk of an Emergency Department (ED) presentation, based on general practice (GP) patient information and ED admissions data.
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Empowering women to make informed decisions about their breast cancer treatment
Dr Nicholas Zdenkowski and his team at Breast Cancer Trials Ltd (formerly known as Australia and New Zealand Breast Cancer Trials Group) created a decision-making tool for women who are offered pre-operative chemotherapy for early stage breast cancer. With help from the HCF Research Foundation, their research has tested the tool and shown its effectiveness in a clinical setting.
The Children’s Hospital at Westmead Appendicitis Study
Dr Mary McCaskill and her team at The Children’s Hospital at Westmead have developed a safe and effective model of care for children presenting to the emergency department (ED) with possible appendicitis.
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The inaugural ICHOM Australasian Forum
As the topic of value-based care gains momentum globally, HCF continues to play a leading role in shaping the agenda and informing the direction of this critical transformation in Australia. Central to this work is HCF’s collaboration with the Boston-based and Harvard-affiliated International Consortium for Health Outcomes Measurement (ICHOM), which entered its second year in April 2017. Together, HCF and ICHOM are working to define international standards for quality measurement and to evaluate the feasibility and impact of these standards in clinical practice.
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The Australian Prevention Partnership Centre
The Australian Prevention Partnership Centre is a national collaboration of researchers, policy makers and practitioners who are working together to identify new ways of understanding what works and what doesn’t to prevent lifestyle-related chronic health problems in Australia.
Read media release | View video
Top 5 – Improving care outcomes for Dementia patients
TOP 5 is one initiative that acknowledges the value of carer information about patients with dementia and other types of cognitive impairment in hospital settings. TOP 5 uses the recording of tips gathered from the carer for effective communication and supportive care to promote personalised care.
Download the HCF Research Foundation Impact Review prepared by UNSW Social Policy Research Unit.
How to contact us
Email: hcf_foundation@hcf.com.au
Phone: Belinda Bahram, HCF Research Foundation Administration Assistant - 02 9290 8811
