Project Team

The project team, comprising 10 chief investigators, 6 associate investigators and 11 partner investigators, bring a collective expertise in translating research evidence into health policy and practice to enhance cardiac rehabilitation services and more importantly, better self-care and quality of life for consumers.

Together, the team aims to standardise, expand, and modernise cardiac rehabilitation delivery enhancing access and empowering consumers in rural and remote communities in South Australia.

The team has the overall project governance responsibility and meets biannually to ensure the timely achievements of key deliverables within the allocated project budget.

Chief Investigators

Associate Investigators

Project Partners

iCCnet SA will be the site where the study is conducted and the leader in delivering virtual cardiology. In addition, it will provide support to the CHAP Project through:

• partnership and collaboration in the design and development of all education materials, toolkits and training resources
• partnership, collaboration and professional advice on the implementation of standardised training targeted at clinicians to improve participation and completion of cardiac rehabilitation by consumers
• partnership, collaboration and professional advice on overcoming barriers to physician endorsement
• partnership, collaboration and design of an integrated and coordinated e-referral system
• partnership, collaboration and professional advice on the measurement of outcomes and quality through standardised objective data collection
• contribution to developing a high-quality service delivered by accredited providers, achieving key performance indicators and patient satisfaction
• partnership and collaboration in the design of a GP hybrid model of care for the delivery of cardiac rehabilitation
• partnership and collaboration in the design of a GP business case that ensures the sustainability of the CHAP model of care, access to data and outcomes
• contribution to reports and publications
• attend and report at project team and governance committee meetings

SA Health will provide one-year funding for a project officer to design and implement a safety and quality accreditation for all rural and remote cardiac rehabilitation and secondary prevention services. The project officer will:

• develop a clinical audit system (CHAP Credentialing Program) which can be adopted nationally for the evaluation of the national quality indicators and patient satisfaction of cardiac rehabilitation and secondary prevention services. The audit will evaluate the standard of service and provider
• develop of evidence-based resources, manuals and education modules for quality and safe, patient-centred cardiac rehabilitation and secondary prevention 
• Implement standardised evidence-based resources and education modules for clinicians to improve the participation and completion of cardiac rehabilitation by consumers
• measure outcomes and quality through standardised high-quality objective data collection
• involve consumer participation in all objectives
• attend and report at project subgroup meetings and at project team meetings

AstraZeneca will sponsor a postdoctoral pharmacist to:

• develop education modules for use by consumers in the various modes of delivery of the CHAP model of care
• assist with the evidence-based pharmacotherapy initiatives via iCCnet
• develop clinical audit tools to evaluate prescription and adherence to evidence-based ACS pharmacotherapy by clinicians and consumers
• implement of quality indicators for targeted outcomes for prescription and adherence to evidence-based ACS pharmacotherapy by clinicians and consumers
• develop further education modules for use by clinicians in response to the audit outcomes to improve prescribing of evidence-based medicine in cardiovascular disease using a 4 step BMJ translation approach
• prepare reports and publications for all of the above outcomes
• support the translation outcomes through the development of health advice, guidelines an evidence-based educational outputs targeted at clinicians to improve evidence-based prescription of pharmacotherapy and medication adherence 
• attend and report at project team and subgroup meetings

The Heart Foundation’s contribution will support the translation of the CHAP model into practice through:

• development of a strategy for engagement with including providing education to GP and other clinicians to overcome barriers to endorsement and encourage cardiac rehabilitation referral
• support the dissemination of research outcomes by developing a joint communication strategy with key partner organisations
• provide advice for the development of training modules for practice nurses to implement evidence-based cardiac risk management in primary care
• provide advice on the integration of established Heart Foundation programs that align with the training modules developed as part of the CHAP study
• develop marketing and promotional materials for consumer engagement for the prevention and management of cardiovascular disease using social marketing principles
• provide professional input into the design and implementation of all educational materials and tools
• attend and report at project team and subgroup meetings

Flinders Foundation will

• provide input into design and development of multi-modal delivery of cardiac rehabilitation 
• support Education, advocacy/public campaign, and dissemination of implementation of the CHAP model of care
• attend and report at project team meetings

Novartis’s contribution will support to 

• develop the program logic for the CHAP project 

• plan and facilitation co-design consumer workshops in regional local health networks including providing financial sponsorship of catering, venue, travel and accommodation costs for the consumers 
• provide financial sponsorship on activity to enhance recommendation to cardiac rehabilitation by cardiologists, general practitioners, and clinicians
• facilitate to engage with solution/software providers to supporting the e-referral initiative 
• attend and report at project team, governance committee and subgroup meetings

Country SA Primary Health Network contributions include

• partnership and collaboration of design of all education materials and tools 
• access to data and outcomes
• contribution to report and publications 
• attend and report at project team and subgroup meetings

The Royal Australia College of General Practitioners’ contributions include

• partnership and collaboration in the design of all education materials and tools relating to GP endorsement of cardiac rehabilitation
• professional advice and advocacy for overcoming barriers to physician endorsement 
• partnership and collaboration in the design of a GP hybrid model od care for the delivery of cardiac rehabilitation 
• partnership and collaboration in the design of a GP business case that ensures the sustainability of the CHAP model of care
• access to data and outcomes 
• contribution to reports and publications 
• attend and report at project team, governance committee and subgroup meetings

The Exercise and Sports Science Australia will 

• provide professional input into the design and implementation of all education materials and tools 
• attend project team and governance committee meetings

The Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand will 

• provide professional input into the design and implementation of all education materials and tools
• contribute professional advice into all aspects of the CHAP Project
• attend project team and subgroup meetings

The Australian Cardiovascular Health and Rehabilitation Association will:

• provide professional input into the design and implementation of all education materials and tools 
• attend project team meetings

Project Partners