A pilot program supporting self-administration of chemotherapy at home is among seven research projects to receive funding under the 2021 Central Coast Local Health District
(CCLHD) Caring for our Future Research Grants.
The innovative projects have been awarded grants, totalling $127,005 in funding. The grants enable CCLHD staff and students to undertake research that will deliver long-term benefits to
patients and the community.
Jacqui Jagger (Cancer Services) and Michael Swab (Pharmacy Department) are receiving a grant to pilot and evaluate a new model of care for eligible myeloma patients using selfadministration
of chemotherapy at home.
Jacqui Jagger said her research grant would help “give back a bit of control” to cancer patients.
“This grant will help us provide better support for cancer patients in a number of ways,” Jacqui said. “Firstly, by removing the need to make regular, sometimes twice a week, visits
to hospital, it gives them more time to do the things they want to do. This also helps the patient’s family, who often have to provide transport.
“Myeloma is particularly difficult in that its chronic nature means people are more often on treatment than they are not. This grant will help keep a group of patients particularly
susceptible to infections out of hospital, yet in active treatment from the comfort of their own home.
“It will also enable us to develop robust telehealth services that relieve some of the pressure on our Cancer Services teams, providing sustainable benefits to District staff and patients
alike.”
Research into mental health support for First Nations pregnant women and mothers has also received a funding boost. Melissa Stephens (Ngiyang Aboriginal Pregnancy Child & Family
Health Service) and Leanne Roberts (Women, Children and Families) have been granted funds to improve anxiety and depression screening for First Nations pregnant women and
mothers of children up to six years old. The research will develop an improved and culturally appropriate tool that allows for a comprehensive mental health assessment of pregnant
Aboriginal women and mothers.
Other recipients include:
- Jonathan Brinton and Dr Anne Purcell (Community Nursing Service) who receive funds to evaluate the impact of CCLHD Communication Nursing Service’s Specialist
Wound Centre model of care, introduced in 2019, on improving wound healing rates and patient experiences, along with economic efficiencies. - Cheryl Travers and Andrew Dixon (Public Health Unit) are awarded a grant to explore the factors that affect healthcare workers’ ability and willingness to work during
natural disasters and extreme weather events. - Dr Anna Schutz (Neurology Department) and Dr Karen Hutchinson (Australian Institute of Health Innovation, Macquarie University) receive funding to assess the
impact of a community-based multidisciplinary motor neurone disease (MND) clinic,established in February 2020 on the Central Coast, on improving quality of life and
patient outcomes in a regional setting. - Clare Linton (Podiatry Department), along with the University of Newcastle’s Professor Vivienne Chuter and Dr Sean Sadler, has been awarded a grant to help
reduce the likelihood of people with diabetes developing ulcers or requiring amputation. - Finally, Sim Galimam (Wyong Pharmacy Department) and Nicole Cerruto (Gosford Pharmacy Department) receive funds to investigate whether COVID has affected the
way patients with respiratory infections are treated empirically with antimicrobials. The research will involve a retrospective observational study comparing two
randomised cohorts of patients, one with COVID and another with influenza, and will help formulate guidelines for future antimicrobial use during respiratory illness
outbreaks like coronaviruses.
The Caring for our Future Research Grants support projects that generate preliminary data in order to attract further larger funding grants in the future, such as the Translational Research
Grants Scheme (TRGS), National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) grants or research fellowships.
Dr Katherine Bolton, Research Manager at CCLHD’s Research Office, congratulated the recipients.
“There were so many fantastic applications to choose from, but the quality of these projects really stood out in terms of the sustainable impact they will have. The research projects will
go a long way to enhancing the way we deliver care so that we can achieve the very best outcomes for our patients and the wider community.”