AIHI awarded NHMRC Project Grant for CareTrack Aged

The Australian Institute of Health Innovation (AIHI) has been awarded a National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Project Grant for the internationally significant CareTrack Aged project to investigate what proportion of care delivered in residential aged care facilities is in line with best practice guidelines.

Professor Braithwaite, founding director of the AIHI, and chief investigator of the study, said:

Given Australia’s rapidly ageing population, keeping up with future demands and the provision of quality care in residential aged care facilities is vital.

CareTrack Aged builds on the ground breaking research done in AIHI’s earlier studies of appropriate care (i.e. care that is offered to patients in line with accepted clinical guidelines) for the general population in CareTrack Australia and for Australian children in CareTrack Kids.

CareTrack Aged will answer the question, what proportion of care experienced by older Australians in residential aged care facilities (RACF) is appropriate i.e. in line with the evidence and based on accepted guidelines?

Professor Braithwaite said, “We know that the level of evidence based care plays a critical role in people’s health and well-being and by investigating this for aged care, we will be able to identify opportunities for improvement.”

The research will look at fifteen conditions that are frequently managed in RACFs such as delirium, dementia, depression, pain management and medication management. The project will also assess the quality of life of residents in RACFs.

Professor Braithwaite commented that healthy ageing is more than just the absence of disease or infirmity. He said:

Healthy ageing is much more complex, taking into account physical, mental and social well-being.

The quality of life study will encompass concepts that relate to older peoples’ attachments such as love and friendship, security, enjoyment and control.

With an international reputation for health services and systems research, the AIHI and Professor Braithwaite are delighted to be leading a distinguished team which includes:

Professor Ian Cameron, University of Sydney

Professor Alison Kitson, University of Adelaide

Professor Richard Reed, Flinders University of South Australia

Professor Andrew Georgiou, Macquarie University

Professor Len Gray, University of Queensland

Centres related to this research:

Centre for Healthcare Resilience and Implementation Science

Centre for Health Systems and Safety Research

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