Alfred Health Partnership

Research agenda

The researchers specialise in understanding how clinical decisions are being made and the impact of those decisions on patients, families and health services. We focus on developing and implementing evidence for nursing practice to enhance the quality of care received and the safety of patients. Major programs of research are: Patient safety and quality of care, Decision support; and Knowledge translation.

Research projects

Identification and management of deteriorating patients

• Prioritising Responses Of Nurses To deteriorating patient Observations (PRONTO) National Health and Medical Research Council Partnership Project Grant.
• Listen to me, I really am sick! Understanding patient and family perspectives in triggering responses to medical emergencies. Australian Research Council Linkage Grant.
• Rapid review of the literature and draft revision of the National consensus statement: Essential elements for recognising and responding to clinical deterioration. Funded by Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care.

Preventing hospital acquired infections

• Establishing the prevalence and burden of health care associated infections in Australian hospitals. Funded by a private philanthropic donor.
• Improved detection of infections following surgery for meaningful public reporting. National Health and Medical Research Council Early Career Fellowship Grant.

Preventing hospital acquired infections

• Engaging patients in communication at transitions of care. Funded by the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care.
• Improving documentation at transitions of care for complex patients. Funded by the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care.
• Communicating with older people across transition points of care. Australian Research Council Discovery Grant.

Patient and family participation in decision making

• INTroducing A Care bundle To prevent pressure injury (the INTACT trial) NHMRC Project Grant.
• Patients' preference for participation in patient safety activities. Australian Research Council Discovery Grant.

Decision Support

• Predicting medical emergency team calls, cardiac arrest calls and re-admission after intensive care discharge: creation of a tool to identify at-risk patients.

Knowledge Translation

• De-implementation in health and care services: what works, for whom, why, and under which contexts? A Realist Synthesis. National Institute of Health Research, UK.
• Using an audit with feedback knowledge translation intervention to promote safety and quality in health care. Australian Research Council Linkage Grant
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Meet our Researchers

Our team

The centre is led by Alfred Deakin Professor Tracey Bucknall and supported by research fellows, clinicians, honorary nurse researchers and research students (honours, master's, PhD).