RACGP GP Research Project Noticeboard


Page last updated 17 February 2025

Participate in a research project

The RACGP supports GPs undertaking research that contributes to the knowledge base of the profession.If you are interested in participating in a research project or survey conducted by a member, please view the list of projects below.  Queries should be directed to the named contact person.

Submit a project

Please note: Projects advertised on this Noticeboard are not endorsed by the RACGP. Potential participants are encouraged to seek independent advice regarding the suitability of their participation in any research project.  Unless otherwise stated, the research projects listed here are not conducted by the RACGP, and the RACGP does not support or endorse the results of the research.  The project has been approved for inclusion on the website, however unless otherwise stated, this does not constitute ethics approval, endorsement or assessment of the quality of the project, survey or any publication arising from the project.

Research Projects

This research project aims to explore GP’s perceptions of dementia care in general practice. In particular, it focuses on the challenges around dementia diagnosis, and how acceptable new approaches to diagnosis would be in primary care. As part of the research, we will conduct a brief survey and an optional one-on-one interview with GPs in which we ask about current diagnosis methods and any perceived barriers and drivers to new tests for dementia.

Geographic location the project wishes to recruit from: Australia-wide

Link to survey: https://redcap.unimelb.edu.au/surveys/?s=C7NRJJ3NTFKLLY4R

Investigators: Dr Cath Kaylor-Hughes (project supervisor), Dr Dhamidhu Eratne, Dr Amy Coe, Professor Jane Gunn, Dr Christa Dang, Dr Nikka Milani, Cate Hallett

GP investigator: Professor Jane Gunn

Time involvement of participants: Survey: 10-15 minutes Interview: 1 hour

Compensation offered: $100 gift card for interview participation reimbursement

If CPD hours applicable, the CPD type: 1.5 hours (1 hour reviewing performance, 0.5 educational activities)

Contact person and details: Nikka Milani nikka.milani@unimelb.edu.au

Brief Description of participants or practices: Currently practising general practitioners within Australia are eligible to participate.

Commencement date of the project: 15/02/2025

Closing date for recruitment: 2/06/2025

To understand current Australian prescribing practices for PTSD, and clinicians’ perspectives on the challenges to optimal pharmacological management, we are conducting a national, cross-sectional online survey directed at clinicians involved in the management of PTSD. We are interested in your perspectives on prescribing for PTSD, and the strategies you adopt to manage psychotropic polypharmacy.

Geographic location the project wishes to recruit from: Australia-wide

Investigators: Dr Rebecca Mellor (Gallipoli Medical Research) Dr Sanket Raut (Gallipoli Medical Research) Dr Andrew Khoo (Toowong Private Hospital) Dr Kieran McCarthy (GO2Health)

Contact details: Dr Rebecca Mellor, MellorR@gallipoliresearch.org.au www.gallipoliresearch.com.au

Brief Description of participants sought: We are seeking specialist clinicians (GPs, psychiatrists) who are responsible for the management of patients with PTSD in your practice, including prescription of medication. You must be currently registered with AHPRA. To protect your privacy, this survey is anonymous.

The below link will direct you to the survey information (for a more detailed description) and consent form prior to commencing the survey: https://bit.ly/41EzClZ

Commencement date of the project: 9/12/2024

Closing date for recruitment: 30/05/2025

Time involvement of participants: The anonymous online survey will take approximately 15 to 20 minutes to complete

GP Investigator: Dr Kieran McCarthy

Our team is developing a set of Australian 'living' guidelines for the management of adults with shoulder pain in primary care. In order to identify the topics of most importance to end-users of this guideline, we are inviting general practitioners to nominate questions that should be addressed in a guideline for the management of shoulder pain in primary care. A second survey round will ask participants to rank the aggregated results of the first survey in order of priority.

Geographic location the project wishes to recruit from: Australia-wide

Investigators: Dr Romi Haas, Dr Danielle Berkovic, Prof Ilana Ackerman, A/Prof Samuel Whittle, Prof Richard Page, Prof Mark Morgan, Prof Rachelle Buchbinder

Contact details: Dr Romi Haas romi.haas@monash.edu

Survey link: https://monashred.au1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9z4l09oet7L6Zqm

Brief Description of participants sought: Currently practising general practitioners within Australia are eligible to participate. In addition, we are also inviting people with lived experience of shoulder pain, shoulder researchers, physiotherapists, rheumatologists and orthopaedic surgeons with experience managing people with shoulder pain to take part in the survey.

Commencement date of the project: 6/12/2024

Closing date for recruitment: 28/02/2025

Time involvement of participants: 5-10 minutes for each survey round

GP Investigator: Professor Mark Morgan

Our study compares two ways of prescribing an opioid medicine for people with back pain, either normal care, or including other pain relief options in addition to the opioid. We are not sure which way works best for the patient. This study involves a cluster randomised controlled trial, using medication use and pain as outcomes. You are invited to participate in this study as a general practitioner who treats people in the community presenting with back pain.

Geographic location the project wishes to recruit from: Australia-wide

Investigators: Dr Christina Abdel Shaheed, Professor Chris Maher, Professor Andrew McLachlan, Professor Fiona Blyth, Associate Professor Patrick Kelly, Associate Professor Fiona Stanaway, Dr Rachel Thompson, Philip Clare (The University of Sydney) Professor Louisa Degenhardt, Dr Thomas Lung (UNSW) Professor Rowena Ivers (UOW)

Contact details: Dr. Christina Abdel Shaheed Institute for Musculoskeletal Health. Level 10, North King George V Building, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital (C39) T: 02 8627 6236 christina.abdelshaheed@sydney.edu.au

Inclusion: Participating practices must be eligible to prescribe opioids. You are asked to screen and enrol between 12-15 eligible participants who have presented to you with low back pain where opioids are appropriate.

The patient cannot:
Have contra-indications to opioid medicines, be less than 18 years of age, being for cancer or receiving palliative treatment. The patient must be a holder of an Australian Medicare card (see PIS for full exclusions)

Commencement date of the project: 21/11/2024

Closing date for recruitment: 4/10/2025

Time involvement of participants: For GPs, this includes time to undertake 30-60 minute training package, 6 monthly practice visit, and approximately half an hour for each patient recruited.

Compensation offered: $1000 for GP for each patient recruited

Availability of CPD points: Self logging

Clinical trial registration: ACTRN12622001505796

Sciatica is a debilitating condition. The DREAM trial is a randomised, superiority, parallel-group, placebo-controlled, triple-blinded trial investigating the efficacy and safety of duloxetine in participants with chronic sciatica of at least 3 months duration and will include patients seen in general practices, specialist outpatient clinics, hospital emergency departments or from hospital in-patient wards.

Geographic location the project wishes to recruit from: Australia-wide

Investigators: Doctor Giovanni Ferreira, Professor Christopher Maher, Professor Christine Lin (University of Sydney), Professor Laurent Billot The George Institute for Global Health, Professor Richard Day (UNSW), Professor Rowena Ivers UOW (GP), Professor Martin Underwood Warwick University, UK, Professor Andrew McLachlan University of Sydney (Sydney School of Pharmacy), Doctor Bethan Richards Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Professor Nanna Finnerup Aarhus University, Denmark

Contact details: dream_trial@sydney.edu.au. Level 10N, King George V Building Royal Prince Alfred Hospital (C39) PO Box M179, Missenden Road NSW 2050 AUSTRALIA T: +61 2 8627 6447

Inclusions criteria: Adults (18 years old and above) with radiating pain into one leg in a dermatomal distribution, for at least 3 months of moderate intensity pain, an adequate understanding of English

Exclusion criteria: Known or suspected specific pathologies in the spine, malignancy, spinal surgery or other interventional procedure in the preceding 6 months/ scheduled, pregnant, breastfeeding. (see PIS for full exclusions list)

Commencement date of the project: 21/11/2024

Closing date for recruitment: 30/06/2027

Time involvement of participants: Baseline survey, 10-minute survey will completed online or by phone 6 times over the next year (at week 4, 8, 12, 16, 26 and 52). Daily SMS asking participants to record a pain score, time to take study medication for up to 14 weeks.

Compensation offered: Study participants receive the study medication free of charge. Participants receive gift voucher/s of up to $150 in total over the 1-year study period after reaching certain trial milestones.

Availability of CPD points: Self logging

Antiseizure medications (ASMs) (which include, but are not limited to, sodium valproate, carbamazepine, topiramate, pregabalin, gabapentin) are required for treatment of several conditions, including epilepsy and psychiatric conditions. We are aiming to determine practices across Australia and New Zealand around management of patients of childbearing age taking ASMs for any indication.

There is a limited knowledge base to guide clinicians who care for patients taking antiseizure medications for any indication during pregnancy. This means that optimal counselling and prescribing approaches are unclear.

We aim to capture a snapshot of current practices, as taken by different types of clinicians, caring for females and males of reproductive potential in the Australasia region. This information may be used for future guidelines and will lay a foundation for future research.

Geographic location: Australia-wide

Time involvement: 5-10 minutes

Investigators: This research is part of a PhD for Dr Alexander Berry-Noronha and is being undertaken in conjunction with Professors Tomas Kalincik, Emilio Perucca, Piero Perucca, Dr Vincent Gallichio (FRACGP) and Frank Vajda.

Contact Person: Dr Alex Berry-Noronha, aberrynoronh@student.unimelb.edu.au, or Professor Piero Perucca, piero.perucca@unimelb.edu.au

Link to survey: https://redcap.unimelb.edu.au/surveys/?s=9YL9TPRNCXX89NXA


This cluster trial will compare two ways of prescribing analgesia, including opioids, for patients with low back pain. The first offers patients pain relief options such as heat wrap in addition to opioids, and the second is usual care.

Patients with low back pain will be eligible when the study GP considers it appropriate to prescribe an opioid medicine for back pain at the study visit.

Our team hope to recruit 410 patient-participants (205 per arm) from at least 40 participating general practices in urban, and regional/remote/very remote locations across NSW.

The study team will be in regular contact with study GPs throughout the trial to provide support, discuss trial progress, conduct refresher training and any follow-up questionnaires.

Geographic location the project wishes to recruit from:
New South Wales. Noting if targets are not met within NSW, recruitment may be extended nationally.  

Principal investigator:
Dr Christina Abdel Shaheed  

Co- investigators:
Professor Chris Maher
A/Professor Rowena Ivers (GP)
Professor Andrew McLachlan
Professor Fiona Blyth
Professor Louisa Degenhardt
Dr Thomas Lung
Associate Professor Patrick Kelly
A/Professor Fiona Stanaway
Dr Rachel Thompson
 
Associate Investigators:
Dr Sharon Reid (GP)
Dr Michael Wright (GP)
Professor Bradley Martin
Rawa Osman
Carol Bennett
Jarrod McMaugh
Gabrielle Campbell
Professor Kirsten McCaffery
Dr Hazel Jenkins
Professor Simon French
Dr Stephanie Mathieson

Compensation offered:
  • $100 per patient enrolled
  • $30 for patient screening
  • $100 for training visit
  • $100 for interview (if assigned to intervention)
GP inclusion criteria:
  • Consult with patients who have LBP.
  • Has no prescribing restrictions, that is, eligible to prescribe an opioid analgesic (including schedule 8 opioid analgesics).
  • Consent to researchers gaining access to their prescribing data.
GP exclusion criteria:
  • Participating GPs at that practice has received an education visit by any organisation on judicious opioid prescribing in the previous 12 months.
*GP Clinics must have one practising GP registered with APHRA.

Patient inclusion criteria:
  • Adults (≥18 years)
  • Low back pain of any duration at the time of presentation
  • Has been prescribed an opioid analgesic for LBP by the participating GP.
  • Sufficient understanding of English to complete questionnaires, or translation available.
  • Holds an Australian Medicare card number (for data linkage purposes).
  • Willingness to give written informed consent to participate in the trial and grant researchers access to their Medicare/Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme and other trial-related data.
Patient exclusion criteria:
  • Children (<18 years)
  • Engaged in an opioid tapering regimen at the time of enrolment into the study i.e., have already begun to reduce their opioid medicine within the past month
  • Be actively treated for cancer or receiving palliative treatment.
Commencement date of the project:
April 2022

Closing date for recruitment:
March 2026

Time involvement:
GPs: Till recruitment target is met (12-15 patient-participants). If participating in an interview GPs will be followed up for up to 16 weeks after target is met.
Patient Participant: One year period.

Availability of CPD points:
Yet to be determined.

Contact details:
If you are interested in participating, please email the Project manager or Clinical Trials Assistant.

Lisa Vizza | Project Manager | lisa.vizza@sydney.edu.au
Sarah Diprose | Clinical Trials Assistant | sarah.diprose@sydney.edu.au
Rowena Ivers| Co-Investigator and General Practictioner| rivers@uow.edu.au

The START trial is a NHMRC-funded community-based clinical trial that will evaluate the comparative effects of the Sodium Glucose Co-Transporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitor dapagliflozin compared to metformin, on annual decline in eGFR, when used as first-line therapy in people with type 2 diabetes.

The intervention will be evaluated by a pragmatic, multi-centre, double-blind, randomised trial involving at least 60 primary health care practices across NSW, VIC and QLD. The sample size of 994 participants (497 intervention and 497 control groups) will detect a difference in eGRF slope between dapagliflozin and metformin over a 24-month period. Changes in urine albumin creatinine ratio, serum creatinine, HbA1c, fasting blood glucose, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, body weight, quality of life and anxiety and depression will be monitored.

Geographic location the project wishes to recruit from (State/Area):

Sydney and surrounds, Melbourne and surrounds, Brisbane and surrounds, regional NSW, VIC, QLD

Name of investigators/Contact person.

Lead Investigator: Professor Bruce Neal, The George Institute for Global Health, Sydney, Australia
Principal Investigator: Associate Professor Clare Arnott, The George Institute for Global Health, Australia
Principal Investigator: Professor Sophia Zoungas, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
GP Principal Investigator: Professor Tim Usherwood, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
GP Investigator(s): Professor Tim Usherwood and Dr Gary Deed
 

Contact details:

Dr Lauren Houston, The George Institute for Global Health, Sydney, Australia.
Telephone: +61 2 8052 4343
Email: START-trial@georgeinstitute.org.au

Brief Description of participants/practices sought (inclusion and exclusion criteria, or a hyperlink to this):

GP Practices based in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and their surrounds who can assist START trial staff to identify potentially eligible participants from their GP Practice who meet the following eligibility criteria:

Inclusion criteria:
  • Diagnosis of type 2 diabetes;
  • Aged ≥18 years;
  • Body mass index > 18.5 kg/m2;
  • Drug naïve, or managed with metformin monotherapy and willing to be randomised;
  • eGFR ≥45 ml/min/1.73m2; and
  • Signed informed consent.
Exclusion criteria:
  • Immediate need for rapid intensification of glucose lowering therapy due to marked hyperglycaemia;
  • There is a definite indication for, or contraindication to, either metformin or SGLT2 inhibitor;
  • Established coronary artery disease or heart failure; or
  • Pregnant or breast-feeding.
Commencement date of the project: 20 June 2022 Closing date for recruitment: 30 June 2025, depending on the rate of recruitment. Time involvement of GPs and/or practice staff, and/or patients:

The role of your GP practice in the START Trial is minimal. The GP practice/GPs main trial responsibilities include assisting START trial staff to identify potential participants and to confirm their patients are suitable to participate in the START trial. Trial participants will attend follow-up visits every 16-20 weeks: four face-to-face and five telephone or video conference visits over a period of approximately 2 years.

Compensation offered:

$150 per randomised participant to support administrative costs at GP Practice.

Availability of CPD points:

GPs can self-record their participation in START as a GP Co-Investigator under a Professional Leadership Activity and claim CPD hours.

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