Associate Professor to assist international research program
The quality of rehabilitation care for the elderly will be assessed as part of new international comparative research program involving USQ's Associate Professor Jeffrey Soar.
Associate Professor Soar was approached to be a part of the Japanese-led international research program following his extensive work with USQ's research cluster CAAIR (Collaboration for Ageing & Aged-care Informatics Research), which has developed approaches for the adoption of assistive technology for the elderly.
'Over the past few years I have been working in the field of e-health and assistive technologies for the elderly, which is enabling people to stay in their homes for longer, delivering care in home and community settings, creating a better quality of life for them and also taking an additional strain off our hospitals,' Associate Professor Soar said.
'This included the development of the Queensland Smart Home Initiative (QSHI), which looks at installing state of the art technology into homes such as movement sensors and telehealth devices. Following the success of QSHI's first smart home at Blue Care Kenmore in 2007, the next phase involves 100 occupied smart homes spread across Queensland. A Project Manager has been appointed and project planning is underway with partners Tunstall Australasia, Queensland Health, Aged Care Queensland and the Council on the Ageing, Queensland.
'As a result of this work I was invited to be a keynote speaker at the Japan-Korea Symposium on Aged Care and Welfare earlier this year and was asked to be involved in this international project.
'It has won support from the Pfizer Health Research Foundation and has been granted access to the Japanese Ministry of Health data and will involve comparisons with Japan, the UK, USA and Australia.
'The program will also have a focus on the economic impact of rehabilitation.'
Although there are a number of countries involved in the project, Associate Professor Soar said that the Japanese were taking a particular interest in Australia's health system and elderly care.
'Despite the project not starting yet, the Japanese have shown a keen interest in our health system and have commented on how effective it is,' he said.
'It is interesting because many people in Australia are sceptical about our health care but many other countries are envious of what we have, that's not to say there are no problems or areas for improvement.'
The program will begin in 2009 with the first stage expected to be completed in 12 months.
In a further coup for USQ CAAIR has been accepted as a member of the prestigious international body CAST (Centre for Aging Services Technology).
CAST is the international body for the development, evaluation and adoption of emerging technologies that are expected to transform the ageing experience.
CAAIR will join a community of researchers from around the world, which includes Harvard, Duke, Carnegie-Mellon, MIT Yale and Trinity College Dublin.
'CAST is happy to welcome USQ as a University Member in recognition of their great research efforts in ageing and aged care informatics,' Director of CAST Dr Magd Alwan said in his congratulatory letter from Washington.
Associate Professor Soar added that the recognition would allow CAAIR to further develop some of their key projects.
'We have been receiving guidance from CAST for some time now in our research,' he said.
'Acceptance as a member will assist us in Phase Two of the Queensland Smart Home Initiative project which involves building the Asia-Pacific Foundation for Smart Ageing.'
Media Contact: Josh Ada, USQ Media, +61 7 4631 2559