Working in the health system and as a PhD candidate at AusHSI, Ashleigh Earnshaw is at the intersection of two worlds: both the practical and the rigorous, theory-driven worlds of implementation science. Her PhD research is focused on evaluating a groundbreaking new service that provides rapid-access, intensive outpatient care for people with chronic conditions.
AusHSI PhD student Gayani Amarasinghe is passionate about making pregnancy safer and better for women and families, and advocating for equity in maternal health provision. Her research looks at designing a woman-centred care model for pregnant women with heart disease, which can put them and their babies at a higher risk of different health complications.
A global Commission published in the Lancet, which involved more than 20 experts around the world including Prof Will Parsonage, has called on the medical profession to change the way it treats coronary artery disease – the most common form of heart disease – encouraging clinicians to shift the focus towards early prevention and cure.
Researchers have developed a computer algorithm using artificial intelligence that could soon be used by doctors to diagnose heart attacks with better speed and accuracy than ever before.
In 2012 we demonstrated that a two hour accelerated diagnostic protocol could safely rule out heart attack in 1 in 5 patients presenting to hospital with warning signs. This work is now widely cited in clinical practice guidelines in Australia, New Zealand, Europe, North America, Asia. However, there are always further research questions remaining.
The Engage-CR project uses evidence mapping methodologies to describe, classify and visualise the best evidence-based practices for optimising referral to cardiac rehabilitation, enrolment in programs, and strategies to enable completion.
August 2022 is Cardiac Month at AusHSI, when we highlight the current, past and future work of our Cardiac Health Services group, who are focused on developing new knowledge to drive implementation of high value cardiovascular health services.
The AusHSI Cardiac Health Services Group attended the CSANZ and ACRA 2022 Annual Scientific Meetings, both held in August 2022 at the Gold Coast. The programs provided learning opportunities and fellowship, and featured cardiac research abstract poster viewings and mini-oral presentations.
We seek to better understand existing practices, map inequities in care and quantify the current cost of hospital care for Atrial Fibrillation using linked health service data. Working with stakeholders, we will use this core information to co-design a framework for integrated care relevant to Australian contexts.
Unfortunately, in Australia, integrated care is not routinely offered to patients. Adverse outcomes among individuals with atrial fibrillation can potentially be prevented by improving access to integrated care, leading to reduced disease burden and lower costs incurred by the health system.
