Background Currently, there is a strong ‘Food is Medicine’ movement evolving, calling for healthy foods or meals to be prescribed by doctors to prevent or treat diet-sensitive conditions, like they already do with drugs. Outcomes from early studies, in which doctors prescribe healthy foods, termed ‘produce prescriptions’, have suggested comparable health benefits to prescription medications. In addition to improving health outcomes, these programs also reduce health inequity by focusing on communities experiencing food insecurity. Unhealthy diet is one of the major drivers of type 2 diabetes that costs Australian healthcare tens of billions of dollars each year and occurring most frequently among the most disadvantaged communities. Our completed pilot study in Australia demonstrated considerable potential benefit of produce prescription for those with type 2 diabetes, and high acceptability among program participants. However, gold-standard randomised trial data are needed to define clinica

Background Evidence-based medicine is informed by randomised control trials (RCT) and systematic reviews. Outcomes chosen in these research methods are important in determining if interventions are effective and safe. Research outcomes chosen based on previous research or stakeholder opinions tend to be inconsistent across studies. This variability and lack in consistency makes it difficult to pool data to inform healthcare practice and policy. Core outcome sets (COS) are consensus-derived, standardised sets of outcomes that should be minimally measured in trials on a specific health condition or disease. Using COS enhances the ability to identify meaningful comparisons across research and examine the benefits or harms of interventions. However, COS usage still varies widely across areas of healthcare research. Only 2% of reviewed late-phase clinical trials published 2019-2020 reported using a COS, and just 65% of trialists surveyed in 2021 were familiar with COS. Understanding the current awareness

BackgroundUncontrolled high blood pressure (BP) or hypertension is the leading cause of death in Australia. However, only one-third of Australians with hypertension achieve optimal BP control. The key barrier is treatment inertia - hesitancy of health-care providers to initiate or intensify treatment after high BP readings. This is frequently driven by uncertainty around “true” BP due to problematic assessment of office BP readings, high variability of BP and a low number of BP measurements taken in primary care to guide decision-making.High blood pressure is a major risk factor for stroke, cardiovascular disease and chronic kidney disease and presents a considerable health burden. One in three Australians suffer from high blood pressure and only 32% have effectively controlled blood pressure.If all Australians currently living with high blood pressure were properly treated, as many as 83,000 lives could be saved resulting in a $91.6 billion return. However, GPs are hesitant to start or intensify blood pr

This project is a co-produced study of the experiences of people with chronic kidney disease and multiple other long-term conditions when navigating the health and care system. It stems from a series of discussions among a group of patients, brought together through kidney patient networks, and academic researchers, to identify their priorities in patient-driven kidney research. Through their own lived experience, the group members recognised the significant challenges that patients face when navigating the intricacies of the health and social care system to receive appropriate holistic care. This can, in turn, negatively influence their wellbeing and quality of life. The group concluded that this was a priority theme for research, with this project seeking to identify opportunities for improvement, through patient education and empowerment, or systems changes.   Aim: The project has four core objectives: To collect, review and understand the experiences of people living with chronic

Background Chronic kidney disease (CKD) affects over 800 million people globally and is projected to be the 5th  most common cause of death by 2040. CKD progresses to kidney failure, increases the risk of early death, heart disease, and leads to a poorer quality of life. Current treatments do not entirely remove the risk of kidney failure in people with CKD.  To improve the outcomes of people with CKD, it is crucial to find the best treatments that can slow CKD progression. Aim CAPTIVATE aims to find the best treatment, or combination of treatments, that slow the progression of CKD so that fewer people develop kidney failure.  CAPTIVATE is the first platform trial in CKD and will identify the best treatments for CKD more quickly than with traditional trial designs, thus saving time and money. Research Methodology CAPTIVATE is a multi-centre, phase III, adaptive, platform, randomised controlled trial. It uses a design that can answer many treatment-related questions within a

Background Multimorbidity, defined as the coexistence of two or more chronic conditions, including mental health conditions and infectious diseases of long duration, is an emerging problem with a rising trend in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). With the rapid epidemiological transition occurring in India, multimorbidity has become a significant challenge. However, there is a lack of reliable estimates regarding the patterns of multimorbidity. Without identifying patients at an increased risk of developing specific combinations result in worse outcomes, it is difficult to plan programs or allocate resources for managing multimorbidity effectively. Therefore, it is essential to generate reliable information on multimorbidity profiles. The study will focus on reviewing analytical methods and available data sources. In India, it is crucial to understand the process of producing reliable evidence and ensure appropriate benchmarking and validation of multimorbidity profiles for the population. Furt