The Hunter region will lead a landmark new Centre of Research Excellence (CRE) tackling the debilitating lag in implementing proven healthcare programs and policies designed to tackle the nation's most pressing chronic diseases.
Only about 14 per cent of effective health programs or policies ever reach implementation. It takes on average about 17 years for those 14 per cent of programs to be adopted and delivered routinely in practice - the delay in implementation coming at a considerable cost to patients and the health system.
The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) has awarded $3 million to the University of Newcastle to lead the 'Optimising Implementation for Chronic Disease Prevention Centre of Research Excellence'.
University of Newcastle and Hunter New England Local Health District behavioural scientist Professor Luke Wolfenden, of HMRI's* Population Health Research program, will lead the CRE.
"Half of all cancers could be prevented occurring today, if all proven, effective interventions were implemented, however, health agencies like government departments don't have the information required to implement effective interventions," Professor Wolfenden said.
This CRE will work with agencies to develop systems to identify what interventions need to be better implemented, how they currently do this, and how it could be improved. Agencies will use this to improve implementation of their initiatives.
Yesterday's NHMRC announcement included $72 million for Centres of Research Excellence across Australia, that will lead to better health outcomes for Australians. The funding will support 24 research leaders, and their teams, to undertake research and promote and improve translation of research outcomes into health policy and practice.
* HMRI is a partnership between the University of Newcastle, Hunter New England Health and the community.
