Centre for Health Services Research Winter Research projects
COM-IC: Core Outcome Measures for Improving (dementia) Care: consumer engagement and codesign evaluation
Hours of engagement | 29 |
Location | Herston: Health Sciences Building |
Project description | This project activity is a part of evaluating the COM-IC project, which developed a set of core outcome measures for improving dementia care using codesigned stakeholder consultation. We are evaluating the effectiveness of methods used to codesign with and engage stakeholders, based on analysis of the dynamic learning needs assessment (longitudinal survey that collected feedback from the research team at multiple time-points over 2 years). Objectives of the project include analysis of longitudinal survey to evaluate efficacy of codesign and participatory action methodology. Identify barriers and enablers for stakeholder engagement using codesign to inform future research plans/project scoping. Develop suggestions to improve codesign and stakeholder engagement in future research. Methods: Longitudinal survey analysis |
Expected outcomes and deliverables | There are several benefits to the University of Queensland and the individual winter scholar, including: Publishable research: Analysis of data collected over the course of the project assists with the dissemination of research findings and increases the visibility of UQs research outputs. Skill development in longitudinal data analysis and consumer engagement Academic contribution: scholar will be part of the publication team for evaluation of codesign and participatory action research methods to engage stakeholders. Practical insights: Scholars will have the opportunity to experience real-world applications of research and be part of the research process funded by high level grants. |
Suitable for | Public Health, Health Promotion, Data analysts, behavioural researchers, psychologists |
Primary Supervisor | Danelle Kenny |
Instructions to applicants | The supervisor MUST be contacted by students prior to submission of an application. |
Digital Advancement for Skilled Healthcare Professionals (DASH)
Hours of engagement | 36 |
Location | Herston: Health Sciences Building |
Project description | Digital health systems such as electronic medical records are integral to the daily work of clinicians and provides a critical base for a learning healthcare system; a system that leverages big data, artificial intelligence, robotics and precision medicine to improve the wellbeing of current and future populations. The impact of digital health systems on health and wellbeing hinges on the acceptance, appropriate use and management of our healthcare workforce. As a 2025 Winter Scholar, you will be provided with expert mentorship by Dr Lee Woods at UQ's Queensland Digital Health Centre (QDHeC). Situated within the newly established QDHeC headquarters in UQ's Health Sciences Building, Herston, you will work closely with Dr Woods to build new knowledge on the clinical informatics training and education requirements essential for members of the Australian health workforce, exploring the attitudes, preferences and learning needs of multiple stakeholders including educators, students and new graduates. Of particular interest is the exploration of global best practice aimed at cultivating a digitally capable health workforce. |
Expected outcomes and deliverables | The student will be a part of an interdisciplinary, world-class research organisation with leading clinician researchers. They will have the opportunity to examine and report on the perspectives of digital health training and education for the future health workforce, and contribute to preparing a research manuscript(s) together with internal and external stakeholders. |
Suitable for | This project is open to applications from students with an enthusiastic and engaging attitude, keen to learn and take initiative. It is preferrable for the student to have a background in health and/or a keen interest in technology and data to improve health and care. Technical/coding/programming skills are NOT required. |
Primary Supervisor | |
Instructions to applicants | The supervisor CAN be contacted by students prior to submission of an application. |
Disposal practices of unused and expired medicines among the general public in low- and middle-income countries: A systematic review
Hours of engagement | 29 |
Location | Herston: Health Sciences Building |
Project description | Evidence from the literature has demonstrated inappropriate disposal and return practices of expired and unused medicines in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) [1][2][3]. The abysmal practices is a sequel of poor knowledge, attitude and practice on medicines storage and disposal, and lack of standardised and feasible disposal guidelines [1]. The consequences of inappropriate disposal practices of expired and unused medicines cannot be overemphasised. Medicines can be poisonous or harmful to humans, animals and plants when used or disposed of inappropriately. About 10% of pharmaceutical have a potential environmental risk [4]. Active substances in oral contraceptives have been shown to cause the feminisation of fish and amphibians; analgesic including diclofenac and ibuprofen are associated with genotoxicity, neurotoxicity, and oxidative stress in mollusc; antibiotics reduce the growth of environmental bacteria, algae, and aquatic plants; psychiatric drugs including fluoxetine, sertraline, oxazepam, citalopram and chlorpromazine are associated with behavioural changes and disruption of hormones in fish [5]. Several LMIC countries have established guidelines for disposal and return of expired and unused medicines in LMIC with the support from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children's Fund [1][2][6]. These guidelines have partly informed how expired and unused medicines are disposed of or returned in these settings. However, it remains unclear the feasibility and effectiveness of the established guidelines which is reflected in the disposal practices. |
Expected outcomes and deliverables | This study objectives include: Scholars will gain skills in: |
Suitable for | This project is open to applications from students with a background in public health, health safety, and pharmacy |
Primary Supervisor | Dr Charles Okafor |
Instructions to applicants | The supervisor CAN be contacted by students prior to submission of an application. |
Economic evaluation using hospital program data
Hours of engagement | 20 |
Location | Dutton Park: Princess Alexandra Hospital, Building 33 |
Project description | Do you like working with data? Are you interested in health service costing and service sustainability? Do you want to assess innovative service models in the hospital environment and learn to evaluate advanced scope roles? Please consider this project. I am a clinical pharmacist turned health economist, and I am looking for a student who is interested in working on one of my economic evaluation projects. I have projects in pharmacy cancer care, pharmacist prescribing, telehealth, and digital health. The aim of these evaluations is to perform a robust assessment of a new service model in terms of its potential impact, economic profile, and potential sustainability within the health system. I am looking for a student who wants to learn new skills in the area of health economics, and who has an interest in one or more of the topics mentioned. |
Expected outcomes and deliverables | Results will be formatted into a report which can be converted to an abstract for a conference or a manuscript for publication. |
Suitable for | Students considering a PhD in health economics |
Primary Supervisor | |
Instructions to applicants | The supervisor CAN be contacted by students prior to submission of an application. |
Healthcare workers' trust in generative AI (TRUSTCare)
Hours of engagement | 36 |
Location | Herston: Health Sciences Building |
Project description | As a 2025 Winter Scholar at UQ's Queensland Digital Health Centre (QDHeC), you will engage in a project focused on understanding healthcare workers' trust in generative AI. Under the mentorship of Dr. Mahnaz Samadbeik, you will explore the current perceptions and attitudes of healthcare workers towards generative AI in healthcare settings. The project aims to identify key barriers preventing trust and facilitators that encourage trust in these technologies. Additionally, you will examine frameworks or models assessing the trustworthiness of generative AI from a healthcare worker perspective. This initiative is crucial for developing a comprehensive trust framework that addresses the ethical, transparency, and reliability concerns specifically associated with generative AI in healthcare. Your research will synthesise key factors influencing healthcare workers' trust in generative AI, ultimately supporting the effective adoption and management of generative AI technologies in healthcare. This initiative is essential for enhancing the wellbeing of current and future populations by addressing the challenges and fostering responsible generative AI within the healthcare workforce. |
Expected outcomes and deliverables | As a 2025 Winter Scholar at UQ's Queensland Digital Health Centre (QDHeC), the student will be part of an interdisciplinary, world-class research organization with leading researchers. They will have the opportunity to examine and report on healthcare workers' trust in generative AI, identifying key barriers and facilitators of trust. They will develop essential research skills, including literature screening, data collection, data synthesis, and evidence synthesis. They will contribute to the preparation of a research manuscript for potential publication, highlighting the key outcomes of the project. Additionally, they will produce a detailed research report summarizing their findings, deliver an oral presentation of their research findings to the QDHeC team and other stakeholders, and document the developed trust framework. This experience will enhance their research capabilities and understanding of generative AI in healthcare, preparing them for potential future roles in research within the digital health context.) |
Suitable for | This project welcomes applications from students who are enthusiastic, eager to learn, and proactive. Ideally, candidates should have a background in health sciences, digital health, computer science, or related fields, and/or a strong interest in generative AI and its healthcare applications. A background in health and a keen interest in leveraging technology and data to enhance health and care are also desirable. Technical, coding, or programming skills are NOT required. This project is particularly well-suited for students considering a future career or further studies in digital health, healthcare informatics, or AI applications in healthcare. |
Primary Supervisor | |
Instructions to applicants | The supervisor CAN be contacted by students prior to submission of an application. |
Quality indicators for community aged care
Hours of engagement | 32.5 |
Location | Herston: Health Sciences Building |
Project description | Over time, older people will experience declines in their physical and mental health, requiring professional support for daily activities. Most of these older people prefer to receive professional support at their own homes rather than in residential aged care facilities. To monitor and evaluate the quality of services provided to older people in the community, several outcomes have beem measured. These outcomes are considered as quality indicators of community aged care. This project aims to identify quality indicators for community aged care. |
Expected outcomes and deliverables | Quality indicators for community aged care worldwide will be identified. |
Suitable for | This project is open to students from health-related science backgrounds. Students with experience in advanced literature searches, competence in using ENDNOTE, good academic writing skills, and a strong commitment to complete the project within the allocated timeframe are preferred. |
Primary Supervisor | Dr Hanh Dao |
Instructions to applicants | The supervisor CAN be contacted by students prior to submission of an application. |
Safe in the Sunshine, an online platform media review
Hours of engagement | 20-36 |
Location | Dutton Park: Princess Alexandra Hospital, Building 33 |
Project description | The aim of this project is to review the current content on an online platform called ˜Safe in the Sunshine'. The online platform provides personalised advice to help you stay safe in the sun and check your skin for early signs of melanoma and skin cancer. Over a 4-week period, you will review the current content and work to refine and create new content for the website. |
Expected outcomes and deliverables | This project aims to update and enhance the content for the online platform, providing consumers with relevant skin cancer prevention information. These findings will provide context for further work by the Centre for Health Services Research in 2025. Your contributions will directly benefit the team at CHSR and other key stakeholders. You will gain skills in identifying, appraising, and synthesising knowledge to provide a clear and succinct review of the current literature and trends in the skin cancer prevention space, as well as insights into being part of a research team. This opportunity is an excellent precursor for those interested in science communication or skin cancer prevention. |
Suitable for | This project is an open application from students with a background in health and looking to get experience in research. |
Primary Supervisor | Professor Monika Janda Primary contact: Emma Hennessey |
Instructions to applicants | The supervisor CAN be contacted by students prior to submission of an application. |
Skin cancer prevention and sun health review
Hours of engagement | 20-36 |
Location | Dutton Park: Princess Alexandra Hospital, Building 33 |
Project description | The aim of this project is to support ongoing reviews in the skin cancer prevention space. Over a 4-week period, you will be required to review various sources of literature and work on summarising the findings. Your tasks will involve critically appraising the quality of the studies, extracting relevant data, and synthesising the information to provide a comprehensive summary. This project will enhance your skills in literature review methodologies, data analysis, and scientific writing, providing valuable experience for those interested in research and skin cancer prevention. |
Expected outcomes and deliverables | This project aims to support in the production of a report. These findings will provide context for further work by the Centre for Health Services Research in 2025. Your contributions will directly benefit the team at CHSR and other key stakeholders. You will gain skills in identifying, appraising, and synthesising knowledge to provide a clear and succinct review of the current literature. If the review discovers sufficient new evidence within the papers, it might result in a publication or presentation at a conference. Additionally, you will gain insights into being part of a research team. This opportunity is an excellent precursor for those interested in post-graduate research or looking to reinforce their research understanding. |
Suitable for | This project is an open application from students with a background in health and looking to get experience in research. |
Primary Supervisor | Professor Monika Janda Primary contact: Emma Hennessey |
Instructions to applicants | The supervisor CAN be contacted by students prior to submission of an application. |
The effects of working beyond the traditional retirement age on subjective health in later life: Evidence from Australian longitudinal data
Hours of engagement | 25-35 |
Location | Herston: Health Sciences Building |
Project description | Background: Australia, along with other developed nations, is set to experience a significant increase in the number of retirees. A significant proportion of retirees will depend on government support to support their living standards. Working past the traditional retirement age of 65 can offer more than just financial rewards. Therefore, this study aims to identify the potential health benefits of working beyond the traditional retirement age in Australia. Methods: We utilised longitudinal data from the most recent seventeen waves (6 [2006] through 22 [2022]) of the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey for this study. Our final analytic sample comprised a total of 42,499 person-year observations from 5,725 older Australians aged 66 years and above. We assessed health using three different measures: health-related quality of life (HRQoL), self-assessed health, and health satisfaction. We measured HRQoL using the physical component summary (PCS), mental component summary (MCS), and SF-6D health state utility value collected through the SF-36 questionnaire. The current labour force status of the participants was collected through a self-completion questionnaire and was categorized into three groups: retired, employed, and looking for work/home duties/non-working students/others. We used symmetric fixed-effects linear regression models to assess how intraindividual changes in labour force status were associated with intraindividual changes in health. Results: We found that approximately 11% of Australians continued working after the traditional retirement age of 65. We also found that working past 65 years was associated with higher scores on the SF-36 physical-component summary (β=1.10; Standard Error [SE]=0.21), mental-component summary (β=0.38; SE= 0.19) and short-form six-dimension utility index (β=0.013; SE=0.002) compared to the retiree counterparts. Our results further suggest that employed people assessed their health by 0.35 (β=0.35; SE=0.08) units higher than their retired counterparts. Finally, we observed that older Australians actively engaged in employment scored higher on health satisfaction (β= 0.26, SE= 0.07) compared to their peers who were retired. Subgroup analyses by age and gender further confirmed the positive association between working beyond 65 years and improved health outcomes. Conclusion: Our study provides evidence that delaying retirement can have significant health benefits. These findings suggest that encouraging Australians to work beyond the traditional retirement age of 65 can yield benefits for both individuals and the government. Extending working lives can lead to improved health outcomes for individuals and reduced financial strain on the government, contributing to a more sustainable and equitable society. Keywords: Australia, HILDA, Employment, Retirement, Health, Working past retirement age |
Expected outcomes and deliverables | The scholar will learn data management skills as well as econometric analysis experience. The scholar will produce a manuscript for publication in a top-quartile journal (Q1) under the supervision of the supervisor. |
Suitable for | This project is open to applications from students with a background in health economics, public health, or health sciences. |
Primary Supervisor | |
Instructions to applicants | The supervisor MUST be contacted by students prior to submission of an application. |
Digital phenotyping in the management of Type II diabetes
Hours of engagement | 36 |
Location | Herston: Health Sciences Building |
Project description | There is an emerging field of research looking to utilise patient phenotypes captured to enhance health and wellness based on human interactions with technology: a new and growing phenomenon known as “digital phenotype”. Digital phenotypes can expand our ability to identify and diagnose health conditions. The aim of this project is to conduct a literature review to uncover evidence of how digital phenotypes (Use of data generated from personal digital devices, software, and other connected devices to quantify health behaviours and assist disease management) can be used to manage Type 2 diabetes. A literature search of the PubMEd, Embase, CINAHL and Web of Science has yielded about 1800 journal articles that are currently being screened. Your activities during the winter program 2025 will include: 1. Reviewing screened articles and data extraction – we expect about 12-18 articles. 2. Summarising and synthesizing extracted data |
Expected outcomes and deliverables | After summarising and synthesising the data, a systematic review manuscript will be drafted for possible publication in a peer-reviewed journal. The student will be listed as a co-author on the manuscript resulting from this work for submission to a peer-reviewed journal. |
Suitable for | The project requires good analytical skills and attention to detail. In addition to enhancing those skills, the student will gain essential research skills related to systematic reviews, analysing and synthesizing research data and academic writing. |
Primary Supervisor | Dr Ronald Dendere and Dr Anish Menon Health Informatics |
Instructions to applicants | The supervisor CAN be contacted by students prior to submission of an application. |