HealthMap: directing HIV patients to better health outcomes
Dr Julian Elliot, Andrew Way and Professor Sharon Lewin
Two Monash academics have been awarded $1.5 million in funding to perform a clinical trial of a novel self management program for the long term management of HIV infection and its complications.
Professor Sharon Lewin of the Central Clinical School at Monash University and Director, Infectious Diseases Unit, Alfred Hospital together with Dr Julian Elliott, Head, Clinical Research, Infectious Diseases Unit, Alfred Hospital will receive the funding as part of an NHMRC Partnership Grant.
Professor Lewin and Dr Elliott, will develop an online platform called HealthMap, to support partnerships between health care workers and people with HIV, enabling patients to better manage their own health.
Professor Lewin said that there are currently approximately 20,000 Australians living with HIV, 6500 in Victoria.
“Managing HIV is very different in 2011 to twenty years ago. Often the virus is easy to control with anti HIV drugs but patients face a whole range of other complications related to side effects of the drugs, chronic inflammation and ageing. So we need a new model of care for managing HIV-infected patients in both hospital and community based settings,” said Professor Lewin.
Dr Elliott said that medical practitioners have known for many years that people with chronic conditions achieve better outcomes when encouraged and supported to take greater control of their own health.
“There are now increasing opportunities to use technology in these programs making them more accessible and cost effective. However, we are only just beginning to understand the best ways to design these programs and as yet there is no program available for people with HIV,” Dr Elliot said.
After a two year period in which the HealthMap platform will be developed and piloted, the trial will recruit 1300 patients through 24 clinics in New South Wales and Victoria and will run over three years. The clinical sites will be randomised, half to have immediate access to the intervention and half to receive the intervention after completion of the trial.
HealthMap partners include The Alfred Hospital, which will contribute $1 million from its research trust funds and the National Association for People Living with HIV/AIDS and Australasian Society for HIV Medicine, which together are making an in-kind contribution of over $500,000.
CEO for The Alfred, Andrew Way, said that the hospital was very pleased with this partnership.
“We are uniquely positioned to lead the way for better models of care for patients with HIV which are patient centred and focus on prevention of chronic disease. Although the trial will be performed in Victoria and New South Wales, we anticipate that the findings will be translated to many other clinical settings around the world and to other patient groups at risk of chronic disease.”
Additional research partners are the University of Melbourne, Flinders University, Deakin University, La Trobe University and Departments of Health in Victoria and NSW.