Research Archive

PHCRED supported research projects

• Determine the health outcomes of eating disorder patients who have received dietetic treatment over the past five years at Tamworth Rural Referral Hospital
  Sally Moy

  As an experienced Dietitian, Sally has worked in a number of rural settings. During the past 12 months she has been based at Tamworth Rural Referral Hospital and has developed a keen interest in the treatment of patients with eating disorders. Sally is undertaking a literature review to determine if there are any best practice models of care for treating eating disorder patients in rural areas. The aim of this research is to determine the health outcomes of eating disorder patients (such as those with anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, EDNOS or binge eating disorder) who have received dietetic treatment at Tamworth Rural Referral Hospital. The research will involve a retrospective review of medical records over the past five years to determine health outcomes compared to the best practice goals, as identified in the literature. Data collected will include: age of patients, length of treatment, referral source, presentations to hospital and consultations with other health professionals. Outcome measures may include: weight, BMI and other health measures. From this research Sally hopes to find out if patients treated by the dietetics department at Tamworth Rural Referral Hospital for an eating disorder have positive health outcomes consistent with best practice. It is hypothesised that patients who are involved in a multi-disciplinary approach to treatment will have more positive health outcomes.

• What are rural psychologists’ perceptions of their professional identity?
  Sherylyn Crisp

  Sherylyn is a Psychologist working part time at North West Slopes (NSW) Division of General Practice with Life Solutions North West, providing psychological services to Tamworth and an outreach service to Walcha. While undertaking her RPD Fellowship Sherylyn will be conducting research into the impending changes to Australian Psychology accreditation and the potential impact for psychologists working in primary health care within rural and remote areas. The aim of her research is to explore rural psychologists’ perceptions of the future changes to psychology and to develop further understanding of how this may affect primary health care provision. Sherylyn will conduct a qualitative study using semi-structured interviews of Psychologists working in rural and remote primary health care positions within the Hunter New England area.

• Smoking in pregnant Indigenous and ethnic women and smoking cessation interventions: a literature review
  Dr Precious Lusumbami

  Dr Precious Lusumbami, a Registrar in Obstetrics and Gynaecology (O&G), has recently transferred from Tamworth Rural Referral Hospital to Armidale. Originally from Zimbabwe, Precious completed her medical training before moving to England in 2002, and then to Australia in 2007. Precious is consulting the literature to develop an up-to-date review of smoking cessation programs that are appropriate and effective to use with pregnant Indigenous women. Precious intends to undertake O&G training next year which will include a requirement to carry out research. As she wants to practise in regional Australia, working with Aboriginal women, Precious will expects her RDP training will help her understanding of the cultural issues in the Aboriginal community.

• Occupational Violence in General Practice: A Cross Sectional Study of GPs and General Practice Staff
  Jenny May, Parker Magin

  The study aims to establish the prevalence of occupational violence and aggression suffered by support staff (non-GP staff such as receptionists, practice managers, practice nurses, and dieticians, podiatrists and other primary health care professionals) in Australian General Practice. It will also aim to establish the characteristics, demographic features, precipitants and sequelae of this violence and aggression and to compare the occupational violence experiences of GP support with those of GPs. There are no Australian studies of violence affecting the wider practice or other members of the GP team . The study will provide evidence to better inform these policies.

• Breastfeeding rates and duration Tamworth area
  Robin Skewes

  The health benefits to infants and mothers of exclusive breastfeeding to six months are well established with the promotion of breastfeeding an action area in the prevention of obesity in children. However, whilst breastfeeding is a natural function it is also a learned technique that sometimes requires effort and assistance to establish and maintain with some mothers needing timely appropriate support, advice and assistance in order to sustain breastfeeding. Anecdotal evidence suggests that for many rural women, such support and assistance is not available resulting in cessation of breastfeeding. This project seeks to discover rural mothers’ reasons for weaning within the first 3 months postpartum. Local population data will hopefully assist in tailoring services to better provide the support needed to increase breastfeeding duration within the community.

• Experience of Parenting a Non Indigenous Premature Infant in a Rural Area
  Luke Wakely, Rod Cooper, Kym Rae

  The aim of this research is to explore in-depth the lived experiences of non-Indigenous parents of premature infants born within the Tamworth region. It is hoped that, by gaining a better understanding of the experience of caring for a premature infant in a rural area service delivery may be able to more closely respond to the needs of rural families. PHCRIS Infonet newsletter

• Are there Barriers to Accessing Antenatal and Child and Family Health Services for Aboriginal Families in the Tamworth area?
  Jo Blake, Kym Rae, Gaye Green, Renae Draws

  This research aims to establish what barriers there are for Aboriginal women and non-Aboriginal women with Aboriginal babies in accessing antenatal and Child and Family Health Care. The aim of this project is to establish what the current feelings and ideas Aboriginal families have about appropriate Antenatal care and Child and Family Health services in Tamworth. PHCRIS Infonet newsletter

• A balance training exercise program for community-dwelling rural older people: An RCT to assess feasibility and effect on falls risk
  Ms Karyn Blackman, Associate Professor Darren Rivett, Professor Peter Jones, Dr Catherine Sherrington

  A randomised control trial is being conducted to determine whether participation in a supervised weekly group exercise program with ancillary home exercises reduces falls risk in elderly persons living in rural communities.

• Optimising Skill Mix in the Primary Health Care Workforce for the Care of Older Australians: A Systematic Review
  Zwar N, Dennis S, Griffiths R, Perkins D, May J, Hasan I, Sibbald B, Caplan G, Harris M

  Australia has an ageing population resulting in demand for extensive and comprehensive care of chronic disease. This demand has required new thinking about primary health care workforce re-modelling to meet the health care needs of community dwelling older Australians. Sibbald and others have developed a model of skill-mix change to discuss workforce redesign. We conducted a systematic literature review to identify skill-mix changes needed in the primary health care workforce to successfully meet the health care needs of older Australians. Sibbald’s concept that skill-mix changes could be obtained through task substitution, enhancement, delegation and innovation formed the conceptual framework for the review.
  http://www.anu.edu.au/aphcri/Domain/Workforce/Zwar_1_final.pdf

• Out of the NICU but not home yet ... the postcode lottery of birth
  Ruth Kreamer, Kym Rae, Rod Cooper

  Many rural parents wait weeks for their premature babies (<34 weeks gestation) to gain weight prior to discharge from Hospital. This study surveyed mothers to gain insight into the experience and needs of parents living in a rural location once they had left the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) but were still waiting at Tamworth Rural Referral Hospital to bring their baby home. PHCRIS Infonet newsletter

• You've got to inject incentive - Isolated Rural Community Participants' Evaluation of a Health Awareness Program
  Melanie Press, Rod Cooper, Karin Fisher

  Recent health screening of an isolated rural community (ARIA rating 4.62) in North-Western NSW indicated that education was lacking in areas of holistic wellness - exercise, diet, stress, medication and chronic disease management. In response a Health Awareness Program (HAP) was designed specifically for the rural community's needs and mindset incorporating evidence based practice guidelines. This research project evaluated the HAP education to explore whether presentation was efficacious according to the participants. PHCRIS Infonet newsletter

• When No One Wants To Talk: Challenges and Triumphs of Research in STIs in a Rural Area
  Karin Fisher

  This paper uses a PhD research study to illustrate the practical lessons learnt from conducting research in a rural area. Undertaking research on a socially taboo health issue such as Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) required the employment of different approaches - sensitivity, persistence, and an appreciation of rurality. PHCRIS Infonet newsletter

• The voice of a rural health workforce
  Trish Thornberry

  The NSW public health system has undergone a significant reform process including the amalgamation of seventeen Area Health Services into eight. This qualitative research study focused on exploring the subjective impact of workplace change for individuals employed within rural NSW Area Health Services.

UDRH Research Projects

• The Relationship Between Pretend Play and Social Competence: A Validation Study With Rural Preschool Children
  Rod Cooper, Emily Gill

  This study specifically examined concurrent validity of the Child Initiated Pretend Play Assessment (ChIPPA) used by Occupational Therapists against a teacher rated social competence play scale, Penn Interactive Peer Play Scale (PIPPS), with preschool children living in a rural area.

• Evaluation of a Parenting Skills Program in a Rural Child Protection Setting
  Rosa Flaherty, Rod Cooper

  Emotional abuse of children is the most common cause for substantiation of abuse by child protection agencies. The aim of this pilot study was to trial and evaluate the effectiveness of a brief-intervention, 1-2-3 Magic Parenting Program with parents and carers of at risk children currently being referred by the NSW Department of Community Services to North Coast Area Health Service for PANOC counselling services.

• A systematic review of Australian primary care diabetes management programs
  Michelle Guppy, Rod Cooper, Claire Jackson

  To determine the quality and outcomes of Australian primary care diabetes programs, as compared to national evidence-based guidelines for diabetes management.

• Evaluation of a rural primary care diabetes management program
  Michelle Guppy, Rod Cooper, Claire Jackson

  To evaluate the effectiveness of a rural primary care diabetes program, and to compare it to the level of achievement of other Australian programs.

• Investigating the Effect of Continuing Education on the Accuracy of Image Interpretation by Rural Radiographers
  Peter Traise, Tony Smith

  In the context of the rural health care setting this study aimed to investigate the effect of continuing professional education on the radiographic interpretation skills of a cohort of rural radiographers. The project also aimed to add to the existing understanding of the role of rural radiographers in reporting plain radiographs.

• Fit and Free: An Exercise Program to Reduce Falls Risk in Communities of Northern NSW
  Karyn Blackman, Catherine Sherrington, Darren Rivett, Peter Jones

  Falls are common causes of injury in older people. There is now clear evidence that balance and strength training programs prevent falls in community dwelling older people. This project involved the collaborative development and evaluation of an exercise program for implementation across a rural region.

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