The EMBRACE trial: Evaluating a new non-surgical intervention to improve outcomes after anterior cruciate ligament injury
Led by Associate Professor Stephanie Filbay from the University of Melbourne, researchers are investigating whether a novel Cross Bracing Protocol could support natural ACL healing. The upcoming EMBRACE Trial will explore its potential as a future alternative to surgical intervention.
Commenced 2025
Personalising depression treatment in Primary Care
Led by Associate Professor Chris Pearce at Outcome Health, researchers are preparing to test a digital tool designed to help GPs deliver more personalised, data‑informed treatment recommendations for depression. The upcoming study will explore how this technology could support clinical decision‑making and improve patient care.
Commenced 2025
Creating culturally safe care pathways for First Nations people attending a regional emergency department
Led by Jessica Payne at Grampians Health, researchers are preparing to co‑design a culturally safe care pathway for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in a regional emergency department. The upcoming project will explore new, community‑led approaches to improve cultural safety, trust and engagement in emergency care.
Commenced 2025
Evaluation of a digital health model of care for the management of adults with symptomatic malignant pleural effusion
Led by Associate Professor Sanjeevan Muruganandan at Northern Health, researchers are evaluating a digitally supported, home‑based model of care for adults with malignant pleural effusion. The study will explore whether telehealth, tele‑ultrasound and remote monitoring can safely reduce hospital time and improve patient experience.
Commenced 2025
Led by Associate Professor Kevin McNamara from Deakin Rural Health, School of Medicine, Deakin University, researchers are preparing to test a new peer‑support model in regional emergency departments. The ConnectED project will explore how integrating lived‑experience workers alongside clinical teams can improve patient support, staff capacity and pathways to ongoing mental healthcare.
Commenced 2025
Early detection and virtual care for diabetes prevention
Led by Associate Professor Samantha Hocking from the University of Sydney, researchers are exploring a new clinical pathway to support early detection and virtual management of prediabetes. The study will assess whether digital tools and personalised lifestyle interventions can help prevent progression to type 2 diabetes.
Commenced 2025
Led by Professor Victoria Palmer at The University of Melbourne, this project explores how young Australians experience loneliness during major life transitions. Insights will inform a co‑designed, scalable model of care to support social connection and wellbeing across primary care and community settings.
Commenced 2024
Evaluating the effectiveness of Myhealth’s proactive primary care healthcare project
Led by Dr Mohammed Hasan from Myhealth Medical Group, researchers are evaluating a new proactive primary care model designed to improve patient outcomes and support GP workload. With Macquarie University, the study will assess the model’s effectiveness, sustainability and potential to inform future primary care reform.
Commenced 2024
Long term follow-up study of chronic post-surgical pain in the ROCKET Trial
Led by Professor Philip Peyton from Austin Health and The University of Melbourne, and co‑funded by the ANZCA Foundation, researchers are assessing the chronicity and human and economic impacts of chronic post‑surgical pain to inform future prevention strategies and strengthen investment in improved pain care.
Commenced 2023
Partnering for high-value prosthesis selection and better patient outcomes (Phase Two)
Led by Professor Steven McPhail from The Queensland University of Technology. Following the successful completion of phase one, QUT and Medibank are advancing to phase two, led by established research partners, to co‑design an actionable pathway that supports stakeholders and consumers in reducing unwarranted variation in joint replacement prosthesis selection across Australia.
Commenced 2023
Evaluating virtual walk‑in family therapy
Led by Naomi Rottem (PhD Candidate, La Trobe University), this collaborative Medibank–La Trobe Industry PhD project will examine the impact of virtual walk‑in family therapy on clinical effectiveness, client experience, scalability and health service utilisation through a controlled pilot trial and qualitative evaluation.
Commenced 2023
Reducing unnecessary knee surgery in young adults
Led by Sean Kaplan (PhD Candidate, La Trobe University), this Medibank–La Trobe Industry PhD project will examine barriers and enablers to non‑surgical ACL care and develop a consumer‑informed rehabilitation intervention to increase uptake of appropriate, evidence‑based non‑surgical management in young adults.
Commenced 2023
The Australian General Practice Research Foundation - Digital Health Research Grant
The Foundation awarded two grants for digital innovations in primary care, co-funded by the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) and the Medibank Better Health Foundation.
Commenced 2023
The Australian rotator cuff trial: A randomised placebo-controlled trial of surgical repair of non-acute rotator cuff tears of the shoulder
Led by Professor Ian Harris, this randomised, placebo‑controlled trial supports researchers at the Whitlam Orthopaedic Research Centre to evaluate the effectiveness, safety and value of arthroscopic rotator cuff repair compared with placebo surgery for people with non‑acute, full‑thickness rotator cuff tears
Commenced 2021
Success trial - Surgery for spinal stenosis: a randomised placebo-controlled trial
Led by Professor Manuela Ferreira from The University of Sydney, this randomised, placebo‑controlled trial will evaluate the efficacy and cost‑effectiveness of decompressive surgery for spinal canal stenosis, generating critical evidence to advance understanding and guide future clinical practice.
Commenced 2019
Evaluating the impact of the HealthLAB's training and participation on First Nations trainees
Lead Investigator: Professor Heidi Smith‑Vaughan, Menzies School of Health Research
HealthLAB is a strengths‑based program that empowers people with the knowledge and skills to reduce their risk of chronic disease, while also building the next generation of the Northern Territory health workforce by offering hands‑on trainee opportunities for First Nations youth. Through our Indigenous Health Grants Program, we partnered with the Menzies School of Health Research to evaluate the impact of HealthLAB training and participation on First Nations trainees. The project explored how the program supports confidence, skill development and pathways into future health careers.
Completed 2025
Using PROMs for quality improvement in elective surgery: an implementation study
Lead Investigator: Professor Jonathon Karnon, Flinders University
This project implemented patient-reported outcome measurement for two elective surgical conditions and assessed the relationship between a patient's activation level and their health outcomes, and which surgical techniques and models of care provide best value.
Completed 2025
Updating care guidelines for osteoarthritis in the knee and hip
Lead Investigator: Professor Kim Bennell, The University of Melbourne
Researchers updated the RACGP’s knee and hip osteoarthritis guideline. This work incorporated the latest evidence to improve access to effective non‑surgical care and support GPs in delivering best‑practice management for Australians living with osteoarthritis.
Completed 2024
Investigating out-of-pocket costs
Lead Investigator: Associate Professor Reema Harrison, Macquarie University
This project explored the association between out-of-pocket costs, healthcare quality, experience and outcomes.
Completed 2023
Partnering for high-value prosthesis selection and better patient outcomes
Lead Investigator: Professor Steven McPhail, Queensland University of Technology
Unwarranted variation in prosthesis selection could contribute to low-value care and have the potential to cause increased rates of harm. Researchers at Queensland University of Technology explored the factors that influence prosthesis selection and potential approaches for reducing unwarranted variations.
Completed 2022
Developing a model for rehabilitation in the home
Lead Investigator: Professor Ros Poulos, HammondCare and The University of New South Wales
This project developed a model of high-quality and affordable Rehabilitation in the Home (RITH) and a practical decision support tool to identify patients who can be safely managed with RITH.
Completed 2022
Sustainable, effective and safe use of virtual care technologies
Lead Investigator: Professor Ani Desai, La Trobe University
One of three rapid research projects established with La Trobe University during COVID-19, this study investigated whether virtual care technology in a patient’s home can reduce their need for presentation to a hospital emergency room.
Completed 2022
Mental and physical health impacts of working at home
Lead Investigator: Dr Jodi Oakman, La Trobe University
One of three rapid research projects established with La Trobe University during COVID-19, this project explored the impacts of working from home on various study groups.
Completed 2022
Analysis of Australian Commission of Safety and Quality in Health Care (ACSQHC) survey results on cultural safety
Lead Investigator: Margaret Banks, National Standards Program, Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care
In memoriam of Professor Margaret Kelaher. The ACSQHC project aimed to improve care and treatment for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people by better understanding training programs being delivered nationally to inform future development of standards and resources that will improve cultural safety, patient experience and safety and quality of care.
Completed 2021
Uprise
Lead Investigator: Dr Michelle Lim, Swinburne University of Technology
This project evaluated the efficacy of a computerised cognitive behavioural therapy and mindfulness program, Uprise, in Australian tertiary students as well as a holistic health and wellbeing view of student engagement.
Completed 2021
Reducing knee injury in women’s football: Optimising the implementation of an injury risk reduction program in women’s Australian Football
Lead Investigator: Professor Kay Crossley, La Trobe University
Recipient of a National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) grant. In collaboration with various Australian and international universities (led by La Trobe University), the AFL, AFL Victoria, and various other peak bodies, this project investigated if implementing a structured warm-up routine prior to training sessions and matches for female AFL players could reduce the incidence of injury.
Completed 2025
The PROSPER Program: Providing affordable precision medicine care for breast cancer patients
Lead Investigator: Dr Dinny Graham, The Westmead Institute for Medical Research, Westmead Breast Cancer Institute and Westmead Hospital
This project developed a precision genomics assay to guide treatment for Australian women diagnosed with ER positive HER2 negative breast cancer at intermediate risk of recurrence.
Completed 2025
A problematic trilogy: Osteoarthritis, obesity and hip or knee arthroplasty
Lead Investigator: Natalie Pavlovic Ph.D. Candidate, The University of NSW
This Ph.D. scholarship researched the trilogy of osteoarthritis, obesity and the need for hip or knee arthroplasty by trialling obese osteoarthritis patients on an anti-inflammatory diet to see if this can improve symptoms.
Completed 2024
Big Talks for Little People: Children’s Mental Health Literacy Program
Lead Investigator: Breakthrough Mental Health Foundation and Flinders University.
Through our Indigenous Health Research Grants Program, we supported a proof of concept to adapt the evidence‑based Big Talks for Little People mental health literacy program for Aboriginal students. The project explored how culturally tailored content can better support the wellbeing and resilience of Aboriginal students.
Completed 2024
Optimising use and reporting of the Australian Hospital Experience Questions Set (AHPEQS) for comparing performance between hospitals
Lead Investigator: Professor Kirsten McCaffery, University of Sydney
This project identified predictors of positive patient experience using the AHPEQS and additional factors to adjust for standardised hospital-based comparisons using this outcomes measure for day-stay admissions.
Completed 2022
Menzies HealthLAB: delivering self-determined health education and preventative health for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities
Lead Investigator: Professor Heidi Smith-Vaughan, Menzies School of Health Research
For ten years, Menzies HealthLAB has taken the message about healthy lifestyles to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people in remote communities in the Nothern Territory. From this research the HealthLAB team was able to evaluate and refine its HealthLAB program and services.
Completed 2022
E-health to empower patients with musculoskeletal pain in rural Australia
Lead Investigator: Professor Paulo Ferreira, University of Sydney
This randomised-controlled trial compared the benefits of decompressive spinal surgery for lumbar spinal canal stenosis with placebo surgery.
Completed 2022
Developing and using virtual reality, augmented reality or mixed reality for the management of chronic pain
Lead Investigator: Associate Professor Rachael McDonald, Swinburne University of Technology
Researchers used existing virtual reality technologies together with the latest chronic back pain management techniques, and investigated the psychological profiles of users to determine if VR technology is an effective management tool for groups of people with chronic back pain.
Completed 2022
Rapid implementation of telehealth for cancer survivors
Lead Investigator: Dr Amy Dennett, La Trobe University
One of three rapid research projects established with La Trobe University during COVID-19, this project looked at the impact of delivering tele-rehab to cancer survivors from both the patient and provider perspective.
Completed 2021
Developing and piloting a framework to evaluate health apps to enable the promotion of a curated set of evidence-based health apps to consumers in the Australian setting
Lead Investigator: Professor Anna Peeters, Deakin University
With so many different health apps available on your smart device, how do we know which ones are good? This study designed an evaluation framework for healthcare providers and consumers to assess the quality of the health apps they use.
Completed 2021
Understanding awareness, barriers and enablers affecting rehabilitation decision to support equitable access to rehabilitation care
Lead Investigator: Professor Michael Nilsson, the University of Newcastle
In partnership with the University of Newcastle, this study aimed to understand how health professionals make decisions about referring to and offering rehabilitation, what they perceive makes it easy or hard for patients to access to the rehabilitation they need and what they think could make things better. Several key barriers that impact on rehabilitation service referral and provision by a broad cross section of healthcare professionals were identified.
Completed 2020
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