Project Title

Achieving optimal health across chronic conditions in patients and carers via translating research, integrated public health outcomes and delivery (TRIPOD)

Research Focus:

Chronic Illness and Palliative care

Funder & Dates

Australian Government Collaborative Research Network

Principal Investigator or Primary Supervisor (if PhD project)

Chantal F Ski

Co-Investigators or additional supervisors

David R Thompson, David J Castle, Simon Knowles, Susan Rossell

Research Fellow(s) or PhD Student

Catherine Brasier

Name & Institution of Collaborators

University of Melbourne, St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne

Name of External Partner Organisations

Description of Project:

Aim; Methods; Expected Outcomes

As we survive longer with age-associated disease and disability there is an imperative to identify innovative solutions for an already overburdened healthcare system. Translating Research, Integrated Public health Outcomes and Delivery (TRIPOD) is an integrated program of health services research that poses one such solution. Originally designed to support patients with mental illness the TRIPOD team have adapted their Optimal Health Program (OHP) within the broader context of chronic disease to maintain optimal patient and carer management via enhancement of self-efficacy, self-management, care coordination and quality of life. This multidisciplinary team of clinicians and academics (nurses neuro-psychologists, psychiatrists, endocrinolgists, a neurologist, and a health economist) are currently evaluating the OHP via a series of randomized controlled trials (RCT) at St Vincent’s Hospital across three of the most significant contributors to chronic disease burden: diabetes mellitus, chronic kidney disease and stroke.  We have also established a number of community stakeholders including National Stroke Foundation and Diabetes Australia. TRIPOD has taken on a pragmatic real-world focus that has incorporated cost-utility analyses for each RCT so that our findings will be readily translated into clinical guidelines and new health programs with cost-benefits.  

Associated with the project.

URLs to external pages, e.g., study webpage, reports, publications etc.

1         Pascoe MC, Thompson DR, Castle DJ, Jenkins ZM, Ski CF. Psychosocial interventions and wellbeing in individuals with diabetes mellitus: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Front Psychol 2017;8:2063 doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2017.02063

2         Pascoe MC, Thompson DR, Castle DJ, McEvedy SM, Ski CF. Psychosocial interventions for depressive and anxiety symptoms in individuals with chronic kidney disease: systematic review and meta-analysis. Front Psychol 2017;8:992. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00992

3         Ski CF, Thompson DR, Castle DJ. Trialing of an optimal health program (OHP) across chronic disease. Trials 2016;17:445

4         Brasier C, Ski CF, Thompson DR, Cameron J, O’Brien CL, Lautenschlager NT, Gonzales G, Hsueh Y, Moore G, Knowles SR, Rossell SL, Haselden R, Castle DJ. The Stroke and Carer Optimal Health Program (SCOHP) to enhance psychosocial health: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial. Trials 2016;17:446

5         O’Brien CL, Ski CF, Thompson DR, Moore G, Mancuso S, Jenkins A, Ward G, MacIsaac R, Loh M, Knowles SR, Rossell SL, Castle DJ. The Mental Health in Diabetes Service (MINDS) to enhance psychosocial health: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial. Trials 2016;17:444

6         Knowles S, Ski CF, Langham R, O’Flaherty E, Thompson DR, Rossell SL, Moore G, Castle DJ. The Dialysis Optimal Health Program (DOHP) to enhance psychosocial health: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial. Trials 2016; 17:447

7         O'Brien CL, Moore G, Rolley JX, Ski CF, Thompson DR, Lautenschlager NT, Gonzales G, Hsueh Y, Castle DJ. Exploring healthcare provider experiences of stroke carer needs: Informing development of an Optimal Health Program. Top Stroke Rehabil 2014;21:421–31

Any other relevant information