Contact Details
| Organization: | General Practice |
| Position: | PHCRED SENIOR RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP |
| Email: | |
| Homepage: | http://www.gp.unimelb.edu.au/about/staff/academic_details.asp?ID=5 |
| Work: | 03 8344 4747 |
| Mobile: | 0419 393 156 |
| Fax: | 03 9347 6136 |
| Level: | 01 |
| Building: | 200 Berkeley St. |
| Campus: | Parkville |
Biography
Dr Furler is a General Practice academic who has maintained a strong research focus on the nexus between clinical general practice in the area of diabetes and chronic illness, socioeconomic disadvantage, health equity, organisation of primary care, public health and prevention approaches in general practice and health policy. He has a track record of successful competitive grant applications (outlined elsewhere in the application to the value of $3.86 million and Scholarship and Fellowship awards to the value of $585,000 since 2003). In particular he has experience in the implementation of trials of complex interventions in General Practice and the qualitative evaluation and study of chronic illness work in general practice.
Most recently Dr Furler was awarded, through a highly competitive national process, a Primary Health Care Research Evaluation and Development Postdoctoral Fellowship (2007-11). He was selected as one of two Australians to attend the Brisbane Initiative meeting in Oxford in September 2007, a program aimed at developing high quality leaders of primary health care research internationally. He will attend a second meeting of the Brisbane Initiative in September 2009. Dr Furler has established strong and productive collaborative relationships with high calibre international primary care researchers (Professor Chris Dowrick and Professor Carl May from the UK) and has ongoing contact with a number of other international researchers in the UK, USA and Canada.
He was co-convenor of the national Health Inequalities Research Collaboration Primary Health Care Research and Development Network (HIRC PHC R&D Network). This involved establishing wide (including international) networks of practitioners, researchers and policy makers with an interest in health equity in primary care, overseeing a number of literature reviews and producing reports for dissemination within the network. He has collaborated with the UNSW Centre for Primary Health Care & Equity in evaluating the role of the RACGP in addressing health inequalities and in studying the role of General Practice in contributing to a comprehensive PHC system. He was an AI on a large multi-agency NHMRC funded project testing the effectiveness of peer led models of chronic disease self management in linguistically diverse and socioeconomically disadvantaged suburbs. He has been a contributor to four APHCRI funded reviews of key aspects of Primary Health Care organisation and reform in Australia. Overall Dr Furler has 28 peer reviewed publications and 2 book chapters.
Dr Furler is a member of the editorial board of the Australian Journal of Primary Health. He co-edited a special edition of the Journal in 2004 with a focus on addressing health inequalities through primary health care. He is an executive member of the International Society for Equity in Health. He was awarded the Australian Association of Academic General Practice Travelling Fellowship and the RACGP Rex Walpole Award in 2005.
Research Expertise and International Linkages
Research Expertise
| Research Interest | Key Words | Country of Expertise |
|---|---|---|
| Health inequity, primary care, qualitative research | Diabetes, Depression | Australia |
International Linkages
| Country | Establishment | Collaboration |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | University of Liverpool | Research |
| United Kingdom | University of Newcastle Upon Tyne | Research |
| United Kingdom | University of Manchester, Institute of Science and Technology | Research |
| Australia | Bond University | Exchange, Research |
Qualifications, Honours, Fellowships and Other Awards
Qualifications
| Title | Institution | Date Awarded | Abbreviation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public Health | University of New South Wales | 31-Dec-1999 | |
| Bachelor of Medicine & Bachelor of Surgery | Adelaide University | 31-Dec-1981 | |
| Doctor of Philosophy | University of Melbourne | 11-Aug-2007 |
Memberships
| Membership Type | Membership Body | Description | Start Date | End Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Member | Executive Board International Society for Equity in Health | Executive Board Member | 12-Sep-2006 | 12-Sep-2008 |
Fellowships
| Fellowship | Date Awarded |
|---|---|
| Fellow of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (FRACGP) | 01-Apr-2001 |
| Fellow of the Royal College of General Practitioners (FRCGP) | 01-Apr-1994 |
Other Awards
| Award Type | Awarding Body | Comments | Date Awarded |
|---|---|---|---|
| Other (Award) | Australian Association of Academic General Practice | Travelling Fellowship | 01-Jun-2005 |
| Other (Award) | Royal Australian College of General Practitioners | Rex Walpole Travelling Fellowship | 09-Sep-2005 |
Government Research Classifications
Research Fields, Courses and Discipline Classifications
- Cardiology (incl. Cardiovascular Diseases) (CLINICAL SCIENCES) (321003)
- Endocrinology (CLINICAL SCIENCES) (321004)
- Epidemiology (PUBLIC HEALTH AND HEALTH SERVICES) (321202)
- Mental Health (PUBLIC HEALTH AND HEALTH SERVICES) (321204)
- Nutrition and Dietetics (PUBLIC HEALTH AND HEALTH SERVICES) (321205)
- Preventive Medicine (PUBLIC HEALTH AND HEALTH SERVICES) (321206)
- Primary Health Care (PUBLIC HEALTH AND HEALTH SERVICES) (321208)
- Health and Community Services (PUBLIC HEALTH AND HEALTH SERVICES) (321214)
- Health Promotion (PUBLIC HEALTH AND HEALTH SERVICES) (321216)
- Health Counselling (PUBLIC HEALTH AND HEALTH SERVICES) (321217)
- Public Health and Health Services not elsewhere classified (PUBLIC HEALTH AND HEALTH SERVICES) (321299)
- Medical and Health Sciences not elsewhere classified (OTHER MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES) (329999)
- Health Economics (APPLIED ECONOMICS) (340204)
- Social Change (SOCIOLOGY) (370107)
- Null (999999)
Socio-Economic Objective Classifications
- Endocrine organs and diseases (incl. Diabetes) (CLINICAL; ORGANS, DISEASES AND ABNORMAL CONDITIONS) (730105)
- Cardiovascular system and diseases (CLINICAL; ORGANS, DISEASES AND ABNORMAL CONDITIONS) (730106)
- Respiratory system and diseases (incl. Asthma) (CLINICAL; ORGANS, DISEASES AND ABNORMAL CONDITIONS) (730110)
- Organs, diseases & abnormal conditions not elsewhere classified (CLINICAL; ORGANS, DISEASES AND ABNORMAL CONDITIONS) (730118)
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health (PUBLIC HEALTH) (730206)
- Health related to specific ethnic groups (PUBLIC HEALTH) (730207)
- Mental health (PUBLIC HEALTH) (730211)
- Preventive medicine (PUBLIC HEALTH) (730213)
- Nutrition (PUBLIC HEALTH) (730215)
- Health status (e.g. indicators of well-being) (PUBLIC HEALTH) (730217)
- Social structure and health (PUBLIC HEALTH) (730218)
- Behaviour and health (PUBLIC HEALTH) (730219)
- Public health not elsewhere classified (PUBLIC HEALTH) (730299)
- Health education and promotion (HEALTH AND SUPPORT SERVICES) (730301)
- Nursing (HEALTH AND SUPPORT SERVICES) (730302)
- Evaluation of health outcomes (HEALTH AND SUPPORT SERVICES) (730306)
- Health policy evaluation (HEALTH AND SUPPORT SERVICES) (730307)
- Health policy economic outcomes (HEALTH AND SUPPORT SERVICES) (730308)
- Health and support services not elsewhere classified (HEALTH AND SUPPORT SERVICES) (730399)
- Higher education (HIGHER EDUCATION) (740301)
Grants and Contracts
Research Grants, Contracts and Consultancies awarded to the University of Melbourne as the administering institution (since 2003) as recorded in Themis Agreements.
Grants
| Title | Role | Funding Source | Scheme | Award Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Impact of socio-economic disadvantage on chronic disease management in primary care: a diabetes case study | Chief Investigator | NHMRC | Public Health Postgraduate Scholarships | 01/01/2003 |
| DIABETES IN GENERAL PRACTICE: DETERMINANTS OF CARE AND EXPERIENCES OF PATIENTS | Chief Investigator | RACGP | Cardiovascular Research Grant in General Practice | 08/09/2003 |
| PEACH STUDY-PATIENT ENGAGEMENT AND COACHING FOR HEALTH: AN INTENSIVE TREATMENT INTERVENTION FOR PATIENTS WITH TYPE 2 DIABETES IN DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITIES | Chief Investigator | NHMRC | General Practice Clinical Research Grants Program | 01/01/2005 |
| INNOVATIVE MODELS FOR COMPREHENSIVE PRIMARY HEALTH CARE DELIVERY | Chief Investigator | AUST PRIMARY HEALTH CARE RESEARCH INST | Stream 4: Research into Policy | 01/10/2005 |
| A peer led self management diabetes prevention program for Turkish and Arabic speaking communities | Chief Investigator | DIABETES AUST RESEARCH TRUST | Research Grants | 01/01/2006 |
| RE-ORGANISING CARE FOR DEPRESSION & RELATED DISORDERS IN THE AUSTRALIAN PRIMARY CARE SETTING - TASMANIAN & CROSS CULTURAL COMPONENT | Chief Investigator | AUST PRIMARY HEALTH CARE RESEARCH INST | Stream 5: Commissioned Research | 01/09/2006 |
| CONSTRUCTING CHRONIC DISEASE: BUILDING EVIDENCE AND EQUITY IN THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN POLICY, PROFESSION AND CARE | Chief Investigator | NHMRC | Training (Postdoctoral) Fellowships | 01/01/2007 |
| Investigation of the care of chronic disease in general practice (diabetes and depression) and the role of general practice in addressing health inequalities in these conditions. | Chief Investigator | DEPT OF HEALTH & AGEING | PHCRED Research Fellowships | 01/01/2007 |
| STEPPING UP: PERCEPTIONS OF INSULIN INITIATION IN GENERAL PRACTICE | Chief Investigator | RACGP | Cardiovascular Research Grant in General Practice | 01/08/2007 |
| Culturally appropriate general practice services for Aboriginal Australians | Chief Investigator | NHMRC | Project Grants | 01/01/2008 |
| Incentives and the quality of primary health care in Australia | Chief Investigator | AUST PRIMARY HEALTH CARE RESEARCH INST | Stream 13: Drivers of Successful Primary Health Care | 20/11/2008 |
| PEACH: Patient Engagement and Coaching for Health: An intensive treatment intervention for patients with type 2 diabetes | Chief Investigator | NHMRC | Project Grants | 01/01/2009 |
| INCENTIVES FOR PRIMARY HEALTH CARE TEAM SERVICE PROVISION (INCENTIVES4TEAMS | Chief Investigator | AUST PRIMARY HEALTH CARE RESEARCH INST | Stream 13: Drivers of Successful Primary Health Care | 01/01/2009 |
| INCENTIVES FOR PRIMARY HEALTH CARE TEAM SERVICE PROVISION (INCENTIVES4TEAMS) | Chief Investigator | AUST PRIMARY HEALTH CARE RESEARCH INST | Stream 13: Drivers of Successful Primary Health Care | 01/01/2009 |
| QUIT IN GENERAL PRACTICE: A CLUSTER RANDOMISED TRIAL OF ENHANCED IN-PRACTICE SUPPORT FOR SMOKING CESSATION | Chief Investigator | UNIVERSITY OF NSW | Project Grants (NHMRC) | 01/01/2009 |
| Improving Community Coordination, Access and Networks (I-CCAaN): primary care for depression, anxiety and related disorders with co-morbid chronic physical illness | Chief Investigator | BEYONDBLUE | Victorian Centre of Excellence in Depression and Related Disorders Grants | 01/03/2009 |
| Stepping Up in Diabetes: A pilot implementation and evaluation of a program to enhance the way the primary care diabetes team works with patients to manage insulin treatment. | Chief Investigator | DEPT OF HEALTH & AGEING | Chronic Disease Self-Management/Lifestyle and Risk Modification Grants | 25/06/2009 |
Contracts
| Title | Role | Funding Source | Award Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| DEPRESSION & MUSCULOSKELETAL PAIN IN PRIMARY CARE:AN EXAMINATION OF PRACTITIONER, PATIENT & SOCIO-ECONOMIC INFLUENCES ON DETECTION AND MANAGEMENT | Chief Investigator | BEYONDBLUE |
Additional Grant and Contract Information
Primary Health Care Research and Evaluation Program Mid Career Post Doctoral Fellowship, 2007RACGP Rex Walpole Travelling Fellowship, 2005
AAAGP Travelling Fellowship, 2005
Publications
Publications produced at the University of Melbourne and reported in the Annual Publications Collection and 'Research Report' since 2001. The Themis Publications module, released in November 2006, allows additional publications from previous institutions and publications from past years to be entered.