Clinical Epidemiology Unit - Alfred

Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine

Clinical epidemiology is the application of epidemiological methods to the care of patients. It includes critical appraisal, evidence based medicine and the development of clinical guidelines. The activities of this unit include undergraduate and postgraduate teaching; short courses; advisory work; clinical services and The Cochrane Collaboration.

Head:   Professor Michael Abramson
Phone: +61 3 990 30573
Fax:      +61 3 990 30556

Staff

• Dr Geza Benke (with OEH Unit)
• Dr Martine Dennekamp MSc, PhD - Research Fellow  (with OEH Unit)
  
• Dr Dragan Ilic BSc, MSc, PhD
• Rosa Schattner BEc, MPH - Research Assistant

Doctoral students

• Marsha Ivey
• Marian Abouzeid
• Angela Lim (Victoria College of Pharmacy, Monash, Parkville, co-supervised with Dr Johnson George)
  
• Caroline Lodge (Centre for Molecular, Environmental, Genetic & Analytic Epidemiology [MEGA], Melbourne University)
  
• Don Vincendese (La Trobe University)
  

Post Doctoral Fellows

• Imo Inyang
• Chandima Siritunga

Research

Much of the department's research falls within the scope of clinical epidemiology. For example, randomised clinical trials of Vitamin E offer the prospect of preventing vascular disease and cataracts. In collaboration with the Department of Allergy, Immunology and Respiratory Medicine at the Alfred Hospital, we have established and evaluated asthma education, both for patients attending the Asthma & Allergy Clinic and also for health professionals, such as community health nurses. We are also collaborating with the Centre for Clinical Effectiveness at Monash Medical Centre.

Michael Abramson is a Chief Investigator in the Australian Centre for RF Bioeffects Research  (ACRBR), a consortium consisting of RMIT University, Swinburne University of Technology, Telstra Research Laboratories, Monash University and the Institute of Medical and Veterinary Sciences in Adelaide.

Current research:

• SABRE - Surveillance of Australian workplace Based Respiratory Events.
• EXPOSURE - Mobile Phones, Radiofrequency Exposure and the Development of Cognitive Function in Primary School Children

Collaborations:

• TAHS -Tasmanian Longitudinal Health Study
             - Childhood allergies increase the risk of adult asthma
• CSIRO - Air pollution and Chronic Respiratory Disease
• MACS - Melbourne Atopic Cohort Study
• BOLD -Burden of Lung Disease Study
• MAPCAH - (Melbourne Air Pollen Children's and Adolescent Health) Study
• ECRHS III - (European Community Respiratory Health Survey)
• Air Pollution and Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrests in Melbourne
• Cardiac Effects of Exposure to Melbourne Air Pollution Caused by 2006/2007 Bushfires in Victoria
• Causes of Chronic Obstructive Lung Diseases in Older People
• Does Living Near a Major Road Increase the Risk that a Child Will Develop Eczema?

Completed projects:

• Asthma and allergies among tea-packers
• Case crossover study of air pollution and asthma
• Does encasing bedding reduce house dust mite allergen and improve asthma in allergic asthmatics?
• Causes of chronic lung disease in middle aged and older adults
• European Community Respiratory Health Survey (ECRHS II)
• Is diet responsible for the high asthma prevalence amongst adult Australians?
• Non adherence with asthma management among adolescents.
• Breast milk n-3 fatty acids and risk of atopy in breast fed infants
• Pilot study of fungal avoidance
• Clinical trial of the Buteyko Technique for asthma
• Genetic risk factors for COPD
• Spiro-GP study -The role of SPIROmetry in the management of chronic respiratory diseases in general practice
                             - Media Release (Respirology 2011)
                             - Action needed on asthma plans
                             - Spirometry trial questions treatment guidelines
  
• MoRPhEUS - Mobile Radiofrequency Phone Exposed Users Study (ACRBR project).

Teaching

In the new 5 year curriculum, medical students learn evidence based clinical practice integrated with problem based learning. Critical appraisal commences in MED1022 Population Health and evidence searches undertaken as part of MED2042 Knowledge Management.

The Diploma of Clinical Epidemiology, which commenced in 1996, has now graduated 51 students. Graduates are able to demonstrate a sound knowledge of the principles of rational decision making in clinical practice and are able to develop small clinical research projects. One group of students have recently published a systematic review of single versus multiple dose antimicrobial prophylaxis for major surgery, which they undertook as an assignment for the meta-analysis subject. A Master of Clinical Epidemiology which includes a research project and/or additional coursework has graduated 8 students.