We aim to investigate the use of digital technologies to improve the quality and delivery of healthcare services.
The broad scope of our work includes innovative practices such as mobile health, health information technology, wearable devices, telehealth and virtual care.
This trial will evaluate the effect of introducing a coordinated support system (linking hospital outpatient physiotherapy services to a public health coaching service) at discharge from low back pain treatment, compared with usual care provided at discharge.
Lead investigator: Professor Paulo Ferreira
Investigator team: Emeritus Professor Adrian Bauman, Professor Melissa Baysari, Professor Manuela Ferreira, Professor Chris Maher, Professor Rachael Morton, Associate Professor Milena Simic, Dr Anita Amorim, Dr Emma Ho, Professor Paul Hodges, Professor Chris Lonsdale, Dr Dragana Ceprnja, Dr Ornella Clavisi, Dr Alice Kongsted, Dr Qiang Li, Dr Kate Reid, Mr Mark Halliday, Mr Matthew Jennings, Ms Katherine Maka, Ms Tahlia Reynolds
Operational team: Dr Carlos Mesa Castrillon, Dr Emma Ho, Mr Julian Comis, Ms Kate Roberts, Mr James Zouch
HELP will investigate whether a media-led intervention presenting evidence-based back pain management information in General Practice waiting rooms is effective at changing patient beliefs and medical practitioner behaviours (prescriptions and referrals).
Lead investigator: Professor Manuela Ferreira
Investigator team: Emeritus Professor Adrian Bauman, Professor Melissa Baysari, Professor Paulo Ferreira, Dr Liliana Laranjo, Dr Gustavo Machado, Professor Andrew Georgiou
Operational team: Ms Carolina G. Fritsch, Mr Michael Knox, Ms Alessandra Marcelo, Mr Riyaas Mohammed, Ms Joanna Prior
NUDG-ED is a 2x2 factorial, open label, before-after, cluster randomised controlled trial that will investigate behavioural ‘nudging’ strategies to reduce use of low value care for low back pain in ED.
Lead investigator: Dr Adrian Traeger
Investigator team: Professor Kirsten Howard, Professor Chris Maher, Professor Kirsten McCaffery, Professor Rachelle Buchbinder, Professor Louise Cullen, Professor Ian Harris, Professor Jeff Linder, Professor Enrico Coiera, Mr Qiang Li
Operational team: Dr Swee Sharma, Ms Gemma Altinger
TEXT4myBACK is a randomised clinical trial assessing the efficacy and cost effectiveness of a semi-personalised text message intervention for people with acute low back pain.
Lead investigator: Professor Manuela Ferreira
Investigator team: Professor Clara Chow, Professor Paulo Ferreira, Professor Andrew McLachlan, Professor Julie Redfern, Ms Carolina G. Fritsch, Ms Joanna Prior
Operational team: Ms Carolina G. Fritsch, Ms Alessandra Marcelo, Ms Joanna Prior
This trial will evaluate the effectiveness and feasibility of implementing ‘Back@Home’, a virtual hospital model of care for patients with musculoskeletal low back pain presenting to the emergency department, in reducing length of hospital stay.
Lead investigator: Dr Gustavo Machado
Investigator team: Professor Chris Maher, Dr Danielle M Coombs, Dr Thomas Lung, Ms Alla Melman, Mr Min Jiat Teng, Professor Laurent Billot, Dr Owen Hutchings, Dr Qiang Li, Dr Mona Marabani, Dr Eileen Rogan
Empower is a randomised controlled trial of an eHealth-supported intervention comprised of a physical activity plan and progressive resistance exercise program for people living in rural Australia with chronic non-specific low back pain and/or knee osteoarthritis compared to usual care.
Lead investigator: Professor Paulo Ferreira
Investigator team: Emeritus Professor Adrian Bauman, Professor Manuela Ferreira, Associate Professor Georgina Luscombe, Associate Professor Milena Simic, Dr Carlos Mesa Castrillon, Mr Phillip R Davis, Mr Antonio Michell de Gregorio, Professor Kim Bennell, Dr Grahame Knox, Dr Ornella Clavisi, Dr Stephen Bunker, Ms Kristy Hatswell
Operational team: Dr Carlos Mesa Castrillon, Mr Antonio Michell de Gregorio
We hope the findings of this project lead to increased physical activity, decreased risk of falling and improved eating habits in older people.
The aim is to evaluate the effectiveness of two 12 month healthy ageing strategies among people who attend established, community-based groups.
The first intervention is a physical activity and fall prevention intervention, including telephone-based health coaching and written information on physical activity and falls.
The second is a nutrition intervention involving telephone-based health coaching and written information about eating habits.
The trial also aims to establish the impact of these interventions on physical activity, eating habits, weight (body mass index), goal attainment, mobility confidence, quality of life, fear of falling, risk-taking behaviour, well-being, and mood.
This project is no longer recruiting.
Lead investigator: Professor Cathie Sherrington
Investigator team: Professor Anne Tiedemann, Professor Kirsten Howard, Professor Dafna Merom, Professor Chris Rissel, Professor Stuart Smith, Associate Professor Allison Tong
For more information about this project, please contact Professor Anne Tiedemann.
This project has received ethics approval from the University of Sydney Human Research Ethics Committee.
This is a NHMRC Project Grant (2015–2018).
We hope the findings of this project lead to the development of a yoga-based exercise program to prevent falls in people aged 65 and over.
The aim of this project is to assess the effectiveness of a 40 week yoga program, compared with an advice booklet, on falls.
We will also assess the effectiveness of the program on other key indicators of healthy ageing, such as mental health, establish the cost-effectiveness of the intervention, and measure the yoga program’s potential for implementation.
Participants allocated to the yoga-based exercise group will attend 40 weeks of twice-weekly, one-hour yoga classes in established yoga studios in Sydney with experienced yoga teachers.
Participants will be asked to complete a home-based yoga program for at least two extra 20-minute sessions each week.
For more information about this project, please contact us at: sph.sagetrial@sydney.edu.au
Lead investigator: Professor Anne Tiedemann
Investigator team: Professor Cathie Sherrington, Professor Stephen Lord, Professor Kirsten Howard, Professor Emeritus Adrian Bauman, Professor Chris Rissel, Emeritus Professor Robert Cumming, Professor Roberta Shepherd, Associate Professor Patrick Kelly, Professor Kaarin Anstey, Dr Anne Grunseit, Romina Sesto
This project has received ethics approval.
The sponsor of this trial is the University of Sydney.
Funding is from the National Health and Medical Research Council.
We hope the findings of this project lead to improved physical activity levels in adults who have difficulty walking.
The aim is to evaluate the effectiveness of two physical activity interventions on adults with self-reported walking difficulty.
The participant will be allocated to one of three groups.
The first intervention includes: a tailored physical activity plan based on a face-to-face assessment with a physiotherapist; six months of phone-based health coaching; use of technology to keep you active and access to online resources.
The second intervention is a less intensive health-coaching program involving a phone consultation with a physiotherapist, monthly text messages to follow up and access to online resources.
The third group will receive no intervention for the first six months and then receive the second intervention for the second six months.
The project will be conducted over 12 months.
This project is no longer recruiting.
Lead investigator: Professor Cathie Sherrington
Investigator team: Professor Anne Tiedemann, Professor Lisa Harvey, Associate Professor Leanne Hassett, Professor Rana Hinman, Professor Maria Crotty, Professor Tammy Hoffmann, Professor Nicholas Taylor
For more information about this project, please contact Associate Professor Leanne Hassett.
This is a NHMRC Project Grant (2018–2021).