About Preclinical Disease and Prevention
The Preclinical Disease and Prevention unit is devoted to helping people identify and address their risk of developing or managing two of Australia’s most prevalent chronic diseases — cardiovascular disease and diabetes. The research of the Preclinical Disease and Prevention unit occurs mainly in community settings with a focus on those identified as being at the highest risk for developing cardiometabolic disease or having a recurrent event or hospitalisation.
The Preclinical Disease and Prevention unit conducts clinical trial research to demonstrate the benefits of nurse-facilitated models of care which implement digital delivery of health care (“mHealth”). Integral to this work is nurse coaching and liaison with health professionals to provide personalised care and promote health behaviour change.
We collaborate with eminent cardiologists, endocrinologists, leading GP academics and Aboriginal health researchers. These partnerships, combined with the unit’s expert team of research fellows, clinical researchers, nurses and technical and administrative support staff enable the Unit to carry out innovative research for enhancing the detection and improving the management of cardiometabolic disease.
Research focus
- Clinical trials of disease management programs for primary and secondary prevention of cardiometabolic disease.
- Establishing the evidence for nurse-led models of care.
- Implementing digital delivery (mHealth) of health care.
- Risk detection and surveillance using a combination of traditional and novel risk indicators.
- Mass data analyses of primary care management of cardiometabolic risk.