Centre of Research Excellence in Better Health Outcomes for Compensable Injury

The University of Queensland

The NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence in Better Health Outcomes for Compensable Injury addresses the urgent need to improve health outcomes for individuals with non-catastrophic road traffic injury (neck and spine (whiplash), upper and lower limbs).

The Centre is a collaborative effort involving researchers, people with lived experience of injury, clinicians and industry partners. We focus on three key priority areas to guide our research, implementation and training: data to drive system change, implementing best practice models of care and, reducing the impact of system factors on injured people

Partnered with UQ, The University of Sydney, The University of Melbourne and Monash University, our research team is renowned in the fields of compensation, legal and clinical systems.

Website

https://cre-rfrti.centre.uq.edu.au/

Organisation type

• National Health and Medical Research Council - Centre of Research Excellence - Headquarters
• University Research Centre

Number of research staff

20-100 research staff

Address

Level 7, Surgical Treatment and Rehabilitation Service (STARS), 206 Herston Road, Herston QLD 4006

Strengths and capabilities

• Clinical expertise
• Clinical epidemiology
• Data analysis
• Data linkage
• Qualitative and quantitative research
• Interdisciplinary collaboration
• Government and industry collaboration
• International collaboration
• Legal expertise
• Systems modelling
• Biostatistical modelling
• Implementation science

Lead researchers

• Professor Michele Sterling received Research Australia’s 2023 Health Services Research Award in recognition of the impact of her research into traditional physical treatments for people with musculoskeletal road traffic injury.

Achievements of the centre

• Professor Sterling and members of our International Consortium for Non-Hospitalised Road Traffic Injuries published the updated Core Outcome Set for clinical trials in whiplash associated disorders: Recommendations for a core outcome measurement set for clinical trials in whiplash associated disorders.
• Professor Sterling and members of our International Consortium for Non-Hospitalised Road Traffic Injuries published the first Core Outcome Set for whiplash associated disorders for acute and chronic WAD: Recommendations For Core Outcome Domain Set For Whiplash-Associated Disorders (CATWAD).
• Professor Sterling and Professor Rebbeck in collaboration with QLD Motor Accident Commission and NSW State Insurance Regulatory Authority produced an evidence-based online resource for people suffering from whiplash and for healthcare professionals who treat those patients: My Whiplash Navigator.
• Members of the Centre collaborated to produce the third edition of Guidelines for the management of acute whiplash associated disorders for health professionals. The fourth edition is currently being produced.

Key science sectors

More information about the sectors this centre is involved in:

• Health and medical