Research Projects
The Australian Collaboration Project for Fibromyalgia Best Practice and Education (2000-ongoing) is a national alliance of agencies working to provide Australians with current best practice information, treatment, management and access to welfare and disability services.
Since 2000, the team has worked to represent Fibromyalgia (FMS) in a variety of chronic disease management reform initiatives. These include providing a central resource centre, facilitating participation in self-management programs, monitoring health outcomes and improving information on the management of Fibromyalgia.
Project initiatives (2000 to 2019) have included:
- Improved information for providers by distributing and evaluating the Canadian Fibromyalgia General Practice Guidelines
- Promoting evidenced based multidisciplinary approaches for the management of Fibromyalgia
- Evaluating Patient Self-Management Programs, both generic and Fibromyalgia specific
- Evaluating a 3-hour Fibromyalgia introductory or add-on educational module, “Lay Person’s Guide to Living with Fibromyalgia”
- Facilitating patient support through a national call line, website, one to one, group activities and standardised educational resources
- Collaborating with Practice Nurse networks to publish practice nurse resources and facilitate training workshops
- Collaborating with Primary Care Providers to distribute online practice resources for Australian General Practice Clinics
- Providing patient support and education through telephone, social media and community groups
Current initiatives (2020 to 2022) include:
- The expansion of a specialist demonstration and research clinic
- Validating diagnostic and outcome assessments
- Promoting best practice care planning and care pathways
- Supporting research to validate the latest tests from overseas
- Improving diagnosis and early intervention to limit the condition
- Maintaining a website providing best practice information to support care for Australian primary care settings
- Identifying and facilitating educational programs
- Facilitating patient support through group, telephone and social media
- Promoting an Australian interactive database/sentinel site for Fibromyalgia