Preventing injuries and promoting health, safety and mobility for older people with age-related eye disease

The Public Health and Health Systems Research Group has a demonstrated ability to assemble multi-disciplinary teams to address priority issues in injury prevention and eye health. We help innovate and build capacity in this sector. 

Competitive advantage

• Large scale interventional trials using new research methods: 'in vehicle' monitoring for road safety, and accelerometers to investigate activity in older people at risk of falls.
• Established networks in the eye health sector and government to design studies which have the capacity to translate into policy and practice reforms.
• Expertise in community-based clinical trials of complex interventions.

Impact

This program of research will address the two major causes of injuries (falls and road traffic injuries) which increase dramatically with older age and in visually impaired populations. This work will produce specific contributions in understanding the mechanisms of injury risk and will evaluate promising solutions to these issues. This includes streamlining of cataract surgical services, targeted falls prevention and novel solutions for older driver safety.

Successful outcomes

• Research briefs from the NHMRC cohort study investigating cataract and falls risk have been tabled at the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Healthcare Clinical Guidelines for Cataract committee.
• Completed a comprehensive review of the licensing regime for older drivers in NSW. This is the foundation for further work investigating semi-autonomous vehicle technology and the driver-vehicle interface.

Capabilities and facilities

• Health systems research.
• Patient reported outcomes, economic evaluations, discrete choice modelling and co-design.
• Experience in managing and processing large datasets. 

Our partners

• NSW Health Agency for Clinical Innovation
• Transport for NSW, Centre for Road Safety
• Western Sydney Local Health District
• Southeast Sydney Local Health District
• Mid North Coast Local Health District
• Northern Sydney Local Health District
• South-West Sydney Local Health District
• Guide Dogs NSW/ACT
• Optometry AustraliaVision 2020 Australia
• Glaucoma Australia
• NeuRA
• The George Institute for Global Health