Research Projects

SA HIV/AIDS Primary Care Coordination Program (SA HIV/AIDS PCCP)
RDNS has undertaken to deliver the “SA HIV/AIDS PCCP” on behalf of SA Health. This program is designed to improve the coordination of care of people with HIV across the spectrum of need and connect those who are isolated from care or lost to follow-up to appropriate primary care throughout their life with HIV.

The Research Unit has submitted a proposal to the Human Research Ethics , Committee of SA Health, in order to be able to carry out the evaluation of this program.

NHMRC Palliative Care Dementia Project
The final draft report of the project “Identification of the palliative care needs of home-based people with end-stage dementia” has been sent to a range of local, national and international stakeholders for comment. It is anticipated that the final version of the report will be available in May 2010.


Identification of the health care needs of homeless people during extreme weather events 2010-2011
RDNS Health is pleased to collaborate in this research project with Flinders University, School of Nursing and Midwifery. This project builds on a relationship that exists between the RDNS and Flinders University. 

RDNS is the largest independent provider of community based health and carer services in South Australia.  It provides community based support for health and community care, flexible health and care services such as assessment, client care coordination, case management, and direct service delivery by nurses, allied health and support workers. Our community based health and care services extend specifically to the homeless population of Adelaide.  This research will focus on the identification of effective strategies to assist people who are homeless, particularly those with chronic health conditions to prepare and deal with the extremes of weather.

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The Integrated Mental Health and Palliative Care Task (IMhPaCT)  2010-2011
RDNS Health is pleased to collaborate in this research project with South Adelaide Palliative Care Service. The Integrated Mental Health and Palliative Care Task (IMhPaCT) aims to:
1.    Increase the utilisation of palliative care services by people with a life-limiting illness and mental health co-morbidity.

2.    Improve the quality of palliative care for people with a Severe Persistent Mental Illness (SPMI) and those who develop mental health issues as a response to their diagnosis of a life-limiting illness.

3.    Improve the access to Senior Consultant Psychiatry to patients living in metropolitan, regional, rural and peri-urban areas.

4.    Increase the confidence of Palliative Care staff (both specialist and generalist) in the identification and management of mental illness, including the content of the recently revised South Australian Mental Health Act.

5.    Increase the confidence of Mental Health staff in participating in the care of individuals with a life-limiting illness and mental health co-morbidity.

6.    Enhance the opportunities for people with a mental Illness to be cared for in a familiar environment, such as their home or at the site of their choice.

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Trial and Error in Chronic Illness self care 2010-2012
RDNS Health is pleased to collaborate in this research project with the University of South Australian and SA Health.
The aim of this systematic mixed methods study is to provide a different understanding of self-care that will inform health professionals and policy makers of the best strategies to support targeted groups of people with chronic conditions to effectively manage their health status.  The study will be undertaken in three stages.

Stage 1 – The aim in this stage is to develop a ‘profile’ of targeted groups utilising the population datasets available from the North West Adelaide Health Study [NWAHS]. 
Stage 2 – The aim in stage 2 is to conduct semi-structured interviews with participants from the targeted groups and discuss with these participants:
Stage 3 – In Stage 3 we aim to provide national utility of our project through a national epidemiological population-based survey of people with chronic conditions informed by and analysis of findings from

Our project outputs will:

• Generate new knowledge about how to promote and maintain good health;
• Provide a clearer understanding about how to influence the social, health and functional outcomes for people living life with chronic conditions including their health care usage and health care costs;
• Provide clearer understandings to inform the role of health professionals seeking to support people with chronic conditions;
• Feed into, and influence future health policy, through our dissemination of recommendations;
• Feed into, and inform the education and/or professional development of persons who work with people living life with chronic conditions and the person themselves through our dissemination of recommendations.