Current Research Studies

Have you called an ambulance in the last 5 years for chronic pain?

You may be eligible to participate in research examining the patient experience of chronic pain management by paramedics.

To be eligible:
• Be aged over 18
• Live in Australia
• Have a chronic pain diagnosis
• Called ambulance in last 5 years for chronic pain related complaint

Participation involves:
• One 30-minute interview with a research-student/ paramedic

Benefits:
• Help to improve the management of future chronic pain patients in ambulance settings

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
https://monash.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3PKcNEMsGLpiQjs
Alternatively, contact Lucinda Marinelli via email
[email protected] student.monash.edu

What is the study about?

The aim of the project is to identify possible social cognitive factors that are associated with non-adherence to prescription opioid therapy in a chronic pain sample. Individuals 18 years or older with self-reported chronic pain will be asked complete a relatively short online questionnaire (20-30 minutes). It is expected that the findings will be used to identify possible modifiable factors that could be targeted as part of new psychological treatments.

For their time in completing the study, participants will go into the draw to win 1 of 2 $100 gift cards. At the end of the survey, participants will be invited to provide their first name, email address and/or phone number to enter the draw.

Who can participate?

• 18 years and older
• Live in Australia
• Have a current self-reported diagnosis of chronic pain OR
• are currently using prescription opioid medication

Study Safe:

HABS LNR confirms that this project meets the requirements of the National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research (2007, current revision).

Approval Number: 2022/HE000825

Eligibility:

If you have a current self-reported diagnosis of chronic pain or are currently using prescription opioid medication you are eligible to participate in this study.

survey link: https://redcap.link/UQpainsurvey

For further questions please do not hesitate to contact Dr Rachel Elphinstone ([email protected]).

UQ Pain Management Survey Flyer

What is the study about?
We would like to find out more about what independence means to people with rheumatoid arthritis in relation to periods in which disease activity is as good as gone.

Our previous work found that independence was one of the aspects rated as important for patients to consider themselves in a period of their disease activity being as good as gone.

However, we don’t currently have a way of measuring independence. We would like to understand what would be important to include in such a measure to help improve measuring absence of disease activity in a way that is meaningful to patients.

To do this we would like to understand all the different ways patients think about independence in relation to disease activity being as good as gone. We’re also interested in whether ‘Independence’ is the right word.

The study is suitable for people who:

• Are aged 18 or older
• Have rheumatoid arthritis (RA)
• Have experienced at least one period of disease activity being as good as gone since being diagnosed with RA
• Have internet access and access to or willing to download Zoom
• Are willing to attend an online focus group
• Able to speak and read English sufficiently to provide informed consent and take part in a focus group

 Study safety

This study has been approved by University of the West of England Health & Applied Sciences Faculty Ethics Committee and the Central Adelaide Local Health Network Human Research Ethics Committee.

Am I eligible?
If you have rheumatoid arthritis and have experienced at least one period of your disease activity being as good as gone, please read the participant information sheet for further information and to leave your contact details: http://go.uwe.ac.uk/Independence

 Contact us: If you have any questions please contact Dr Caroline Flurey via email: [email protected]

Participants needed:

people with knee arthritis considering keyhole surgery

 RECRUITING NOW !

Do you have knee arthritis and are considering arthroscopy (also known as a keyhole, cleanout or knee scope procedure)?

Would you like to receive information about osteoarthritis that may help you make better decisions about the care you receive?

If so, you may be eligible to participate in the DECIDE study conducted by Monash University and Cabrini Health. In the DECIDE study, you will be provided with information about osteoarthritis and asked to complete online surveys.

You may eligible if you are:

• 45 years or older
• Diagnosed with knee osteoarthritis
• Considering knee arthroscopy (keyhole surgery)

DECIDE study participants will go into the draw to win a $500 gift voucher. Follow this link to read more and participate in this study: www.decidestudy.com

Alternatively, you can contact the study team using the details below.

Chief Investigator: Dr Denise O’Connor
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 03 9508 3489

About the Study:

We are investigating eating behaviours and how they present in people who experience chronic pain.

If you decide to participate, you will complete an online survey that explores mood, pain and eating behaviours that should take approximately 20 minutes to complete in total.

 Eligibility Requirements:

• Have a diagnosis of Chronic Pain by a health professional
• Are over 18 years of age
• Are currently living in Australia

 Participant Benefits:

• Participants are eligible to go into the draw to win of three $50 Prezee e-gift cards.

 Contact:

 If you would like to participate, please click on the link below:

https://utsau.au1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_5j0RzCkSwaFrg9M

 OR for more information, please email Claudia Roche on [email protected]

This study has been approved by The University of Technology Sydney Human Research Ethics Committee [Approval No. ETH22-7179]

RESEARCH PARTICIPANTS NEEDED

Do you have any experience in taking methotrexate?

We are looking for people with rheumatoid arthritis willing to take part in a study that explores the attitudes towards methotrexate injection.

We would like to hear from you if you are:

1. 18 years and above.
2. Diagnosed with rheumatoid
3. Currently taking methotrexate or prior use of methotrexate regardless of route of administration or any planned changes to methotrexate

If you would like to participate, you would be asked to participate in an one- on-one interview or a focus group lasting about 30 minutes to one hour or about one to one and a half hours, respectively. The interview/focus group will either take place in person over the phone or using video conferencing at a time that suits you.

We will also ask you some basic information about yourself prior to the

interview or focus group study session. No tissue/sample collection will be conducted in this study.

There will be no reimbursement for your participation in this study. If you would like to learn more, please contact the investigator:

Name: Jiun Ming Tan

Email: [email protected] Telephone: (08) 8302 1169

University of South Australia

Level 5, HB Building CNR North Terrace and, Morphett St, Adelaide SA 5000

About the study

The University of Queensland researchers are looking for volunteers with ongoing ankle pain or ankle osteoarthritis to complete an online survey about their experience with their ankle pain. The aim of this study is to understand people’s experiences with their ankle osteoarthritis and what matters they think are important to consider when managing or researching ankle osteoarthritis.

Eligibility requirements:

• Have ankle pain/symptoms on the most days of the last 3 months.
• Are over 18 years of age

Participant benefits:

• Tele-rehabilitation video assessment of your ankle
• Free x-ray of your ankle
• $20 Coles-Myer gift card

 Contact

If you would like to participate, please click on the link below:

https://uniofqueensland.syd1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6YHBzFhDYbI1cFw

OR for more information, please email Sultan Alanazi on [email protected]

This study has been approved by The University of Queensland Human Research Ethics Committee [Approval No. 2019002321​]

About the study

UniSA is seeking people to complete a survey online about their understanding of physical activity and movement.

The study aims to develop new tools to understand knee pain and improve treatments, and people with or without pain are eligible to participate.

The survey takes approximately 30 minutes to complete and includes an implicit association test (IAT).

Eligibility requirements:

• Gender: All
• Aged 18+
• Never diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia
• Location: Online

 Contact

Click here [https://unisahealth.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_erpqTTAUdTWEEjs] to start the survey

or

email [email protected] for more information

This project has been approved by the University of South Australia’s Human Research Ethics Committee Ethics Protocol 204069

What is this study about?
We are conducting a research study which will assess the effectiveness of different online psychological interventions for people with Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA). This research will seek to better understand why some interventions are more effective for specific individuals than others. By developing and evaluating online versions of these interventions we also hope to increase accessibility to these interventions.

Who can take part in the study?

To be eligible for inclusion in this study, you must be an adult (aged over 18) who is currently living in Australia and has a confirmed diagnosis of RA. In addition to this, you must also have regular access to the internet and have functional written and spoken English.

If you are receiving treatment for RA, you must have been on a consistent treatment regime for more than one month to participate in this study. If you are taking anti-depressant medication, you must have been on a stable dose for more than 8 weeks to take part in this study.

You will not be eligible for this study, if you have:

• suicidal intent requiring emergency care
• substance abuse or dependence
• a psychotic illness
• received consistent psychotherapy within the last 6 months

What will the study involve for me?

If you decide to take part in this study, you will firstly complete a short online questionnaire to confirm your eligibility for the study. A clinical psychologist will then conduct a telephone interview with you, in order to confirm your eligibility.

As part of this study, you will be randomly assigned to either one of two different treatments or to a waitlist control condition. Both treatment groups will complete an 8-week online course. During the course you will be guided by a registered clinical psychologist who will offer telephone and email support. If you are allocated to the waitlist control, you will not be given access to either program during the study. However, at the conclusion of the study you will be given access to the program of your choice.

Study Safety
This study has been approved by the University of Sydney (2021/516) Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC).

Contact us:

To learn more about the study and see if you are eligible, please click: https://sydney.au1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_dnaZ8U87Y9I7TKK.

If you have any further queries, please contact us via email: [email protected]

What is this study about?
The SCUlpTOR trial is a research study aiming to see if stem cells injected into the knees of people with knee osteoarthritis (OA) can improve their symptoms compared with placebo. The medical opinion about stem cell therapy for treating osteoarthritis is mixed due to limited research evidence and considerable costs. So our aim is to find out whether or not stem cell injections into the knee improve symptoms and slow disease progression in people with mild to moderate knee OA. The stem cells we use originally came from a healthy donor/master cell bank and are made following standard manufacturing process to make sure they are safe and standardised.
If the study is suitable for you, you will have a 50% chance of being allocated to either group and receive:
Active group: three knee intra-articular injections of allogeneic MSCs (stem cells) performed at baseline, week 3 and 52.
Placebo group: three knee intra-articular injections of saline performed at baseline, week 3 and 52.
As a participant, you will be asked to attend seven study visits and complete online surveys regularly over 24 months.

The study is suitable for people who:
• Are aged 40 years or older and living in Australia (and have a Medicare number)
• Have knee OA and moderate pain assessed by the visual analogue pain intensity scale from 0 (no pain) to 100 (worst pain possible)
• Have internet access and an active email account
• Are willing to stop or maintain knee OA treatments (e.g. supplements, physiotherapy) for the duration of the study
• Are willing to stop or minimise the use of anti-inflammatory drugs (e.g. Aspirin, Nurofen, Ibuprofen, Mobic, Voltaren, etc.) and other analgesics (e.g. opioids), except for paracetamol (only for rescue pain relief) for the duration of the study. This includes stopping all pain medications for one week before each study assessment.
• Able to speak and read English sufficiently to understand study procedures, complete questionnaires and provide informed consent.
• Are willing and able to travel for the study required physical visits.

Study Safety
This study has been approved by the University of Sydney (2020/119) and the University of Tasmania’s (21868) Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC).

Am I eligible?
If you have knee pain due to osteoarthritis and live in Sydney or Hobart, please complete the online screening survey available at www.tinyurl.com/sculptor-trial to assess your eligibility.

Contact us:

If you have any further queries, please contact the SCUlptor team via email: [email protected]

EVER HAD LOW BACK PAIN?

We want to hear from you!

If you are over 18 years old and have or ever had low back pain, you may be able participate!

The purpose of this research is to gain insights into how to improve uncertainty management in low back pain care

For more information, please contact: [email protected].edu.au

ARE YOU A CLINICIAN WHO WORKS WITH PEOPLE WITH LOW BACK PAIN?

We want to hear from you!

We want to investigate your experiences of navigating uncertainty with patients.

The aim is to gain insights into how clinicians communicate with patients about uncertainty.

Please contact: [email protected]

This study is approved by the Human Research Ethics Committee from The University of Queensland, ethics ID: 001723.