Consumers Health Forum of Australia - www.chf.org.au
The Clinical Trials Action Group (CTAG) was established in October 2009 to identify and progress necessary reforms to secure Australia's competitiveness in the clinical trials sector. Its report, Clinically competitive: boosting the business of clinical trials in Australia, was released in March 2011.
Following the release of the report, Consumer Health Forum (CHF) was funded by the Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research to develop a factsheet to provide consumer-friendly information about clinical trials, in response to a recommendation for improved consumer access to information on clinical trials. CHF members were engaged in focus testing and many provided input into the content and development of the factsheet.
CHF CEO, Carol Bennett formally launched the factsheet at the Joint Medicines Policy Conference on 30 August 2011 in Canberra.
The factsheet is available online, in both colour and print-friendly versions. You can access it here: https://www.chf.org.au/clinical-trials-project.php
Please feel free to distribute the link and the factsheet broadly to family, friends and consumer networks.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact
CHF Project Officer, Sarah Watt on 02 6273 5444 or s.watt@chf.org.au
An Internet-Delivered Education Program for the Management of Chronic Pain and Emotional Wellbeing (14/11/11)
Researchers from Macquarie University have developed a new internet-based education course (the Pain Course) designed to provide good information and practical skills for managing chronic pain, anxiety and depression. They have developed the course because Chronic Pain is common, but many people do not have access to good information about how to manage chronic pain and their emotional wellbeing. The aim of their research is to create a course that is practical, helpful, widely accessible and freely available to help people with Chronic Pain.
The course is supported with funding from the Motor Accidents Authority and consists of 5 online lessons available over 8 weeks. Simple summaries and tasks to help you learn the material will also be provided and a Clinical Psychologist will contact you each week to answer your questions, guide you through the course and monitor your progress. To participate in the course you must have chronic pain, but will also be experiencing symptoms of anxiety or low mood, be at least 18 years of age and living in Australia. To find out more about the course please visit www.ecentreclinic.org and contact Dr Blake Dear at the contact@ecentreclinic.org To find out more about the course click here
Chronic Illness Research Project (17/8/11)
Deakin University is conducting a study aimed at developing a questionnaire to assist in the diagnosis and assessment of treatment progression in chronic illness - specifically myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, and rheumatoid arthritis. If you have any of the following and are over 18 years of age, you might want to consider participating in the on-line questionnaire.
* Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
* Fibromyalgia
* Rheumatoid Arthritis
Click on the links below for the plain language statement with additional information about the study
About the study
Plain language statement or visit www.deakin.edu.au/psychology/research/ci/
Exercise and Pain Coping Skills for knee osteoarthritis (14/6/11)
Knee osteoarthritis can cause pain, stiffness and weakness. However, many people also report issues such as difficulty coping with pain, anxiety and low mood. Volunteering your time to this research will help us investigate the effectiveness of pain coping skills training and strengthening exercises provided by physiotherapists. You will be allocated to one of three treatment groups in Melbourne.
If you are aged over 50, have knee osteoarthritis and are interested in participating please click here.
Brain structure and function in individuals with knee osteoarthritis (13/4/11)
There is currently no cure or ideal treatment for knee osteoarthritis. People with knee osteoarthritis often experience pain, muscle weakness, joint stiffness and impaired sensation that can alter the way they walk and move.
Volunteering your time to this study will contribute to understanding the effect of knee osteoarthritis on the brain.
For information on how you can participate click here.
Motherhood Choices: A Decision aid for Women with Rheumatoid Arthritis (updated July 12, 2011)
*FINAL CHANCE TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS STUDY*
Are you a women aged between 20-45 with rheumatoid arthritis?
Are you thinking about having a child or more children?
The University of Western Sydney is conducting a study to test a newly developed Pregnancy Decision Aid (DA) resource to help women with RA make pregnancy decisions that fit in with their family and health needs and values.
Participating in this study will involve completing two surveys (online or by mail) and taking part in a brief telephone follow up.
If you are interested in being involved, or would like further information please click here.
Rheumatoid Arthritis Clinical Trial (25/1/11)
We are currently recruiting patients with active RA for participation in an international clinical trial with a new fully humanised IL-6 receptor antagonist.
The patient must have an inadequate clinical response to MTX defined as the presence of sufficient residual disease activity to meet eligibility criteria.
For more information and criteria click here.
Knee Osteoarthritis and Neuromuscular Exercise (11/10/10)
The Universtiy of Melbourne's Department of Physiotherapy require participants over the age of 50, suffering from knee joint osteoarthritis for a research project to assist in the development of more effecitve treatment programs. Participants will be allocated to either a strengthening exercise treatment group or a neuromuscular exercise treatment group. For more information on the project and participant eligibility, click on the link below.
For more information click here.
Do you have hip arthritis? (3/6/10)
The University of Melbourne's Department of Physiotherapy is seeking volunteers over the age of 50 who live in or near Melbourne, for a new research study that will evaluate the effectiveness of a physiotherapy program for people with pain from hip osteoarthritis. For an overview of the study and a complete summary, click on the links below.
Hip Osteoarthritis and Physiotherapy Study summary
Reviewed and updated November 2011
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