Professor David Currow, from Flinders University, said his research should form a best-practice model for communication between health workers.

The systems in place for general practice, nurses, hospitals and social workers to discuss patient care are 'patchy' at present, though international models show some good examples of care.

The research will cover the whole spectrum of health and social care problems in our communities, from aged care to people with chronic illnesses.

"If it's useful for health professionals to be talking to each other, when is the best time and how do we do that? We believe this review will show the benefits of this approach are far greater than we are aware," he said.

Professor David Currow's research is one of three South Australian projects to be funded.

Flinders University Professor John Wakerman will investigate models of rural and remote health care that have been used in the past, to try and establish a pattern of successful endeavours in an attempt to replicate them in the future.

"Since the first National Rural Health Strategy in 1994, there has been a decade of rural and remote health service innovation and reform in Austrailia. The problem in rural and remote primary health care service development is not lack of innovation, but failure to properly evaluate and gleaning the lessons from this change and generalise them," he said

University of Adelaide Associate Professor Alan Crockett will investigate models of organisation and financing of health care for mild and moderate chronic lung disease.

"The primary reason for looking at it is if we can change the policy about managing mild disease maybe we can reduce the burden o
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Contact: Amanda Morgan
61-261-255-575
Research Australia
8-Sep-2005