General Practice Research
The General Practice team at Western Sydney University has developed a research strategy guiding our involvement in an extensive range of research activities. We work with collaborators in the Western Sydney area and beyond, across the domains listed below.
Research Values and Strategic Directions
A. Community Engaged
1. Our research is driven by the needs and hopes of the communities where it is based, as defined by those communities.
B. Collaborative
1. Our research participants are partners, not subjects, in our projects. We seek to build a research capacity within primary health care sector and also amongst communities.
2. We collaborate with other researchers to further develop our mutual strengths and promote synergies and economy of efforts.
C. Health Inequities (Social Justice)
1. Our research focuses on areas of need. We work particularly with underserved communities.
D. Outcome focussed
1. Our research informs best practice and thereby improves health and educational outcomes.
2. We continue to build the capacity of the Department of General Practice to engage effectively in research.
General Practice Research Activity
Projects marked with an asterisk (*) involve opportunities for research by MD or PhD students.
Clinical Research
Department of General Practice Leading
- Randomised controlled trial of antimicrobial treatment versus watchful waiting for acute otitis media in low risk Aboriginal children (opens in a new window) (NHMRC Project Grant, contact Jenny Reath)
- A multi-centre randomised controlled trial to compare nasal balloon auto-inflation versus no nasal balloon auto-inflation for otitis media with effusion in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children (INFLATE Trial) (opens in a new window) (Contact: Penny Abbott)
- Promoting continuity of care through understanding what influences patients with chronic disease to visit multiple General Practitioners (Contact: Penny Abbott)
- Oral Health in General Practice: reported presentations, practitioner confidence, knowledge, current practice and training needs (Contact: Jenny Reath)
- Models of GP-Surgeon shared care for colorectal cancer survivors (opens in a new window) (Contact: Lawrence Tan) See more(opens in a new window)
Department of General Practice Partnering
- Patient-centred eHealth approach to improving outcomes for gout sufferers (Contact: Jenny Reath)
- Operation Braveheart: a study on cardiac surgery and perioperative care in children (Contact: Lawrence Tan)
- Gout Treat to Target (opens in a new window) (Contact: Jenny Reath)
- Developing perinatal oral health guidelines for dentists and prenatal care providers in Australia (Contact: Jenny Reath)
Community/ Public Health Research
Department of General Practice Leading
- Understanding the barriers and facilitators of research into sexual and reproductive health issues in heterosexual migrant and refugee men in Australia – a qualitative study (Contact: Penny Abbott)
- Asthma assessment and management: what are the challenges, facilitators and the strategies to assist general practitioners and practice nurses working in Western Sydney? (Contact Penny Abbott)
- Knowledge And Attitudes Towards Cervical Cancer Screening In Female Assyrian Refugees In Western Sydney (Contact: Jenny Reath)
- Nepean Blue Mountains Primary Health Network Cancer Screening Evaluation (opens in a new window) (Contact: Steve Trankle)
- Identifying culturally appropriate approaches to prevention and management of diabetes for people from Samoan backgrounds in primary care (opens in a new window) (Contact: Penny Abbott)
- Airds access to mental health services project (opens in a new window) (Contact: Penny Abbott)
Department of General Practice Partnering
- The Pasifika Preventing Diabetes Programme (Contact: Jenny Reath)
- Strengthening access to best evidence based care for people with palliative care needs in Australian prisons: a national co-design and capacity building project. (Australian Government, Department of Health: Public Health and Chronic Disease Grant Program National Palliative Care Projects. Project led by UTS (Contact: Penny Abbott)
- Stakeholder Views on Primary Care Interventions to Assist Aboriginal People After Incarceration. Project led by UoW (Contact Penny Abbott)
- Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder prevention and coordination of support for urban Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. Led by UQ (Contact Penny Abbott)
- Antecedents of Renal Disease in Aboriginal Children and young adults study – ARDAC. (opens in a new window) Led by Flinders University. (Contact Penny Abbott)
Health Services Research
Department of General Practice Leading
- Afterhours Telehealth in Residential Aged Care Facilities in Nepean Blue Mountains (Contact: Steve Trankle)
- Quality, Equity and Systems Transformation in Primary Health Care (opens in a new window) (Contact: Phyllis Lau)
- Understanding Patient Centred Medical Home (PCMH) transitions in Western Sydney (opens in a new window) (Contact: Jenny Reath)
- General Practitioners and health care for women released from custody (opens in a new window) (Contact: Penny Abbott)
- General Practitioners and health care for CALD women in custody (opens in a new window) (Contact: Penny Abbott)
- The Western Sydney Integrated Care Program (WSICP): Qualitative Evaluation (opens in a new window) (Contact: Steve Trankle)
- GPs at the Deep End (PDF, 756.09 KB)(opens in a new window) (Contact: Jenny Reath)
- The experience of Primary Health Networks during the 2021 COVID-19 outbreak - challenges and learnings (PDF, 276 KB) (opens in a new window) (Contact: Phyllis Lau)
- SWSPHN Partner Evaluation of the My Care Partners Medical Neighbourhood Model (Contact Jenny Reath)
Department of General Practice Partnering
- Childhood disability and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health. Disadvantaged: harnessing elements of resilience and establishing information for systems change. (opens in a new window) Led by UTS. (WSU Contact: Penny Abbott)
Education Research
Department of General Practice Leading
- What are the challenges and opportunities for learning for medical students in General Practices situated in linguistically diverse communities? (opens in a new window) (Contact: Lawrence Tan)
- Factors influencing the motivation of medical students to work in urban areas of disadvantage after graduation (Contact: Jenny Reath)
- Evaluation of Evidence Based Journal Club/s in Western Sydney (Contact: Miriam Brooks)
- General Practice Mentorship Program for Western Sydney University Medical Students (Contact: Miriam Brooks)
- Developing a model for a sustainable teaching program for medical students undertaking clinical placements in Justice Health. (opens in a new window) (Contact: Penny Abbott)
- Medical students undertaking primary care placements within Justice Health - What are their experiences? (opens in a new window) (Contact: Penny Abbott)