Clinical and Community Partnerships

Quality care needs qualified, experienced and specialised professionals working in multidisciplinary or interprofessional teams to deliver safe, effective and cohesive care with the person at the centre of all services.

Unfortunately, many users of health and care services may experience fragmented approaches to care in the current health and care system.

Researchers at the Caring Futures Institute are pioneering the development and delivery of novel models of care through academic partnerships in a range of clinical and community health and care settings.

As with all novel interventions, there will be challenges and barriers to the delivery of novel models of care. However, we believe that optimal care, tailored to, and in line with, patient preferences has the potential to improve clinical outcomes, patient reported outcomes and reduce the burden on the health and social care system.

Areas of focus

Cancer Care

Cardiac Care Innovation

Clinical and Community Partnerships

Healthy start to life

Inclusion and disability

Intensive care

Quality aged care

Our Research

The Caring Futures Institute has appointed clinical academics who have joint positions with Flinders University and the Local Health Networks. These clinical academics are specialised nurses, midwives and allied health professionals who are also experienced and skilled researchers. They are working in partnership with their clinical colleagues to develop and implement novel models of care delivery from a patient’s perspective. They also conduct clinical research in collaboration with clinicians aiming to improve the quality and efficiency of care delivery and related outcomes. Together our researchers are building the research capacity and capability of our health services, especially through support for nurses, midwives and allied health professionals working in research projects within their clinical services. 

Read more about our research with health services to improve quality of care

Our leading researchers in this field

Professor Jeroen Hendriks

Jeroen is a nurse and health scientist who is leading research into developing and improving models of care in our hospitals in Australia and through his international network. Jeroen aims to transform care for patients with chronic (cardiovascular) conditions through the implementation of integrated care and to promote the role of nurses and allied professionals within the multidisciplinary team in cardiac service delivery. At the same time he will investigate the effects of integrated care by conducting research. His main focus will be on the evaluation of integrated care clinics for patients with atrial fibrillation, a very prevalent cardiac arrhythmia. He has a joint appointment at Flinders University and the Central Adelaide Local Health Network.

Professor Stacey George

Stacey is an allied health researcher with a professional background in Occupational Therapy. In her partnership with the Northern Adelaide Local Health Network, Stacey and her research team are redesigning outpatient services to improve patient experiences and outcomes, and are investigating the utilisation, outcomes, and costs of seven-day allied health services. Her interests include rehabilitation programs that improve participation such as driving, building research capacity of clinicians and allied health service design.

Professor Annette Briley

Annette is one of the most experienced midwifery researchers in Australia, bringing her extensive understanding of undertaking clinical research and delivering high quality maternity care in the UK. Working with the Northern Adelaide Local Health Network, Annette is exploring how the health care professionals at the Lyell McEwin and Modbury hospitals can improve pregnancy outcomes and the short, medium and long term health of mothers and babies from some of the most socially and economically disadvantaged areas of Adelaide.

Professor Sue Gordon

Embedded within the ACH Group, Sue has a strong clinical research background as a Physiotherapist, and a clear agenda to create safe and high-quality aged care services. Sue is at the critical intersection where research needs to influence practice and where aged care clinicians and carers can influence the research needed to help them make positive changes in care.

Partner with us

We can’t reinvent care alone. We need partners across industry, government, and the general public to co-design the projects and new support mechanisms. Let’s work together to understand the building blocks of care in our society.

We can make a difference together.
Be the change.

Collaborate with us