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Sax Institute

Monthly e-newsletter. April 2016

EVIDENCE MATTERS
01
Meet our latest HARC scholars
Dr Kim Sutherland (pictured above) from the Bureau of Health Information is one of four future healthcare leaders who are set to embark on diverse research projects aimed at improving health services delivery and outcomes, after being awarded 2016 HARC (Hospital Alliance for Research Collaboration) scholarships. Their subject matter ranges from measuring and reporting on unwarranted clinical variation, to ensuring authentic Aboriginal voices are represented in the health system.

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02
research, reports & publications

Bringing innovative thinkers together to tackle major health challenges 

Our latest annual report tells the story of how we worked across the health system in 2014-15 to address major challenges such as removing barriers to using research, tapping the potential of Big Data for better use in health and beyond, and looking outside the health system to recognise the drivers of health and ill-health.

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03
Research reports & Publications

Public Health Research & Practice: latest issue on environmental health

Our latest issue of the journal looks at environmental hazards affecting health and includes a systematic review showing e-cigarette vapour can contain harmful chemicals with known adverse health effects and may pose a passive smoking risk, particularly for vulnerable groups such as children and pregnant women. A perspective piece from Professors Bruce Armstrong and Tim Driscoll explores what we really know about the "third wave" of mesothelioma from asbestos-exposure.

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04
News & opinion

SURE enables secure analysis of data on children in out-of-home care

A NSW Family and Community Services-funded longitudinal study tracking the wellbeing of children in out-of-home care is among the latest datasets to become available to researchers via the Sax Institute’s remote acess data laboratory, SURE (Secure Unified Research Environment). The study is the only large-scale prospective longitudinal study of children and young people in out-of-home care in Australia.

 

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05
spotlight on expertise

Behind the scenes with a knowledge broker

What does a Knowledge Broker do? One of the Sax Institute's most experienced knowledge brokers, Professor Fiona Blyth (pictured, left), explains the art of stepping into the shoes of a wide range of agencies as they seek the latest research evidence to inform future policies and programs. Professor Blyth will soon conduct her 50th knowledge brokering session for our Evidence Check program, which produces reviews on topics as wide-ranging as the safety of primary care and orthotics workforce planning.

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06
Research reports & publications

Four new Evidence Check reviews now online

Four new reviews of published evidence on a range of policy questions have just been added to our growing Evidence Check library. The latest reviews include: The effect of the urban form on wellbeing; Evidence review for NSW STI strategy; and Healthcare performance reporting bodies.

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07
News & Opinion

The 45 and Up Study: supporting integrated care

Central Coast Local Health District is drawing on the 45 and Up Study to help identify key factors that might indicate increased risk of hospitalisation, as part of its integrated care strategy. Dr Peter Lewis, Director of the Central Coast Public Health Unit, is working with our Analysis for Policy program to use the Study to inform how best to identify those patients in the community before they are admitted to hospital.

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08
research, reports and publications

What's new in hospital and health services research?

Our latest HARC e-Bulletin focuses on research into the common problem of variations in care across health services and systems. One study shows that patients’ management varies across Australia’s specialised burns units, and another reveals that half of patients at risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) do not receive appropriate preventive care in Australian hospitals.

We also look at research into patient behaviour, including new findings that suggest "difficult" patients are more likely to be misdiagnosed.

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