University of Tasmania, Australia

Co-Director, Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre

Biography

Professor Andrew Robinson has established a thriving multi-disciplinary aged care research program in Tasmania, which has received over $16 million of competitive funding since 2002. This funding includes NH&MRC, ARC, Department of Health and Ageing, Tasmanian DHHS and competitive philanthropic funding. In 2008 professor Robinson established the Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre (WDREC) at UTAS with Co-Director Professor James Vickers. Since its inception the Centre has made significant progress in establishing an innovative translational research program, with a national and international reach. The WDREC is now the largest health research group in Tasmania and one of the three biggest dementia research centres in Australia. In this time he has also established a large translational health services research program based in residential aged care facilities (RACFs), including the Wicking Teaching Aged Care Facilities Program.

As an aged care researcher Professor Robinson is a member of the Commonwealth Government Tasmania Health Assistance Package Expert Advisory Group and a member of the Project Executive Committee of the Victorian and Tasmanian Dementia Training Centre for Health Professionals. Professor Robinson has 57 national/international peer reviewed publications, with 47 publications in the last 5 years, as well as 10 large research reports. His papers have appeared in prestigious journals the fields of social science, nursing, ageing and psychogeriatrics, and of these papers he is either the first author or senior author (last named) in 29.

Professor Robinson has successfully supervised 6 PhD students to completion since 2005 with a seventh student having submitted for examination, and is a reviewer for seven international journals. He serves as a member of the NH&MRC GRPs and the Royal Hobart Research Foundation, and reviews grants for Alzheimer's Australia, and the Health Research Council of New Zealand.

Research Interests

The WDREC undertakes projects that span health services, clinical and biomedical research, and education and workforce capacity, to tackle the leading issues related to the increasing numbers of people with dementia.

Research Projects and Roles

• Barriers to access and use of day centre services by people with dementia, memory loss and cognitive deficits - Chief Investigator
• Exploring information and service needs of carers of people with dementia - Chief Investigator
• Working Together: managing dementia in the rural context - Chief Investigator
• Professor Robinson currently supervises seven PhD students undertaking projects in aged care, as well as coordinating an undergraduate unit Perspectives on Ageing taken by all nursing, medical and life students at UTAS.

Project Funding

• ANZ Trustees (JO & JR Wicking Trust)
• Department of Health and Human Services Tasmania (DHHS Tas)
• Alzheimer's Australia
• DoHA (Department of Health and Ageing)
• TIME for Dementia

Publications

Toye, C, Lester, L, Popescu, A, McInerney, F, Andrews, S & Robinson, A. 'The Dementia Knowledge Assessment Tool Version II: Development and Psychometric Testing With Aged Care Staff and Family Carers', Dementia: The International Journal of Social Research and Practice (In press, accepted 2 Nov 2012).

Orpin, P, Hetherington, S, Stirling, C & Robinson, A. 'Rural dementia carers: formal and informal sources of support', Ageing and Society (In press, accepted 10 July 2012).

Fleming, R, Fay, R & Robinson, A. 'Evidence based facilities design in healthcare: a study of aged care facilities in Australia', Health Services Management Research (In press, accepted 31 July 2012).

Walker, J, Orpin, P, Baynes, H, Stratford, E, Boyer, K, Mahjouri, N, Patterson, C, Robinson A & Carty, J. 'Insights and Principles for Supporting Social Engagement in Rural Older People',Ageing and Society (In press, accepted 19 March 2012).

Bell, E, Robinson, A & Barnett, T. 'Building policy and service theory from nursing home inspection results: Qualitative comparative analysis', International Journal of Disability and Human Development 2013;12(1) (in Press).

Courtney-Pratt, H, Cummings, L, Turner, P, Cameron-Tucker, H, Wood-Baker Walters, EH & Robinson, A. 'Entering a World of Uncertainty: Community Nurses' Engagement with ICT', Computers, Informatics, Nursing (In press, accepted 26 June 2012).

Walters, J, Cameron-Tucker, H, Courtney-Pratt, H, Nelson, M, Robinson, A, Scott, J, Turner, P, Walters, EH, & Wood-Baker, R. 'Supporting health behaviour change in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease with telephone health-mentoring: insights from a qualitative study', BMC Family Practice (In press, accepted 25 May 2012).

Wood-Baker, R, Robinson, A, Reid, D & Walters, EH. 'A Clinical Trial of community nurse mentoring to improve self-management in COPD', International Journal of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (In press, accepted 11 May 2012).

Walters, EH, Robinson, A, Walters, J, Wills, K & Wood-Baker, R. 'Clinical diaries in COPD: compliance and utility in predicting acute exacerbations', International Journal of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (In press, accepted 11 May 2012).

Robinson, A, Hemmings, L, Lea, E, Vosper, G, McCann, D, Weeding, F & Rumble, R 2012, 'Seeking respite: Issues around the use of day respite care for the carers of people with dementia', Ageing and Society, vol. 32, pp. 196–218.

Lea, E, Andrews, S, Hill, K, Haines, T, Nitz, J, Haralambous, B, Moore & Robinson, A 2012, 'Beyond the "tick and flick": facilitating best practice falls prevention through an action research approach', Journal of Clinical Nursing, vol. 21(13-14), pp. 1896-1905.

Andrews, S, Lea, E, Haines, T, Nitz, J, Haralambous, B, Moore, K, Hill, K & Robinson, AL 2012, 'Reducing Staff Isolation and Developing Evidence - Informed Practice in the Aged Care Environment through an Action Research Approach to Falls Prevention',  Advances in Nursing Science, vol. 35, Number 1, pp. 3–13.

Toye, C, Robinson, A, Jiwa, M, Andrews, S, McInerney, F, Horner, B, Holloway, C & Stratton, B 2012, 'Developing and testing a strategy to enhance a palliative approach and care continuity for people who have dementia: study overview and protocol', BMC Palliative Care, vol.11, p. 4.

Stirling, C, Lloyd, B, Scott, J, Abbey, J, Croft, T & Robinson, A 2012, 'A qualitative study of professional and client perspectives on information flows and decision aid use', BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making, vol. 12, p. 26.

Stirling, C, Leggett, S, Lloyd, B, Scott, J, Blizzard, L, Quinn, S and Robinson, A 2012, 'Decision aids for respite service choices by carers of people with dementia - development and pilot RCT', BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making, vol.12, p.21.

Nitz, J,  Cyarto,L, Andrews, S, Fearn, M, Fu, S, Haines, T, Haralambous, B, Hill, K, Hunt, S, Lea, E, Moore, K, Renehan, E & Robinson, A 2012, 'Outcomes from the implementation of a facility specific evidence-based falls prevention intervention program in residential aged care', Geriatric Nursing, vol. 33, Number 1, pp. 41-50.

Murray, KE, Scott, J, Stirling, S, Martin, J &  Robinson, A 2012, 'Building capacity & resilience in the dementia care workforce - A systematic review of interventions targeting worker, organisational and consumer outcomes', International Psychogeriatrics, vol. 24(6), pp. 882-94.

Haines, T, Nitz, J, Grieve, J, Barker, A, Moore, K. Hill, K, Haralambous, B & Robinson, A 2011, 'Cost of falls - a potentially misleading indicator of burden of disease in health and residential care settings', Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice, vol. 26. doi: 10.1111/j., pp. 1365-2753.2011.01786.x. [Epub ahead of print].

Moore, K, Hill, K, Robinson, A, Haines, T, Haralambous, B &  Nitz, J 2011, 'The state of physical environments in Australian residential aged care facilities',  Australian Health Review, vol. 35, pp. 412–417.

Willis, K, Robinson, A, Wood-Baker, R, Turner, P, & Walters, EH 2011, 'Participating in research – exploring participation and engagement in a study of self management for people with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease', Qualitative Health Research, vol.21, pp. 1273-1282.

Walters, JAE, Courtney-Pratt, H, Cameron-Tucker, H, Nelson, M, Robinson, A, Scott, J, Turner, P,  Walters, EH, Wood-Baker, R 2011, 'Engaging general practice nurses in chronic disease self-management support in Australia - insights from a controlled trial in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease', Australian Journal of Primary Health, vol. 21, doi:10.1071/PY10072

Walters, J, Walters, E, Nelson, M, Robinson, A, Scott, J, Turner, P, Wood-Baker, R 2011, 'Factors associated with misdiagnosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in primary care', Primary Care Respiratory Journal, vol. 20 (4), pp. 396-402.

Robinson, A, Emden, C, Croft, T, Vosper, G, Elder, J, Stirling, C, & Vickers, J 2011, 'Mixed methods data collection in dementia research: A 'Progressive Engagement' approach', Journal of Mixed Methods Research, vol. 5 (4), pp. 330–344.

Stirling, C, Andrews, S, Croft, T, Vickers, J, Turner, P & Robinson, A 2010, 'Measuring Dementia Carers' Unmet Need for Services—An exploratory mixed method study', BMC Health Services Research, vol.10, p. 122 <http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6963/10/122>

Gartlan, J, Smith, A, Clennett, S, Walshe, D, Tomlinson-Smith, A, Boas, L & Robinson, A 2010, 'An audit of the adequacy of acute wound care documentation of surgical inpatients', Journal of Clinical Nursing, Aug vol. 19 (15-16), pp. 2207-14.

Haralambous, B, Haines, T, Hill, K, Moore, K, Nitz, J & Robinson, A 2010, 'A protocol for an individualised, facilitated and sustainable approach to implementing current evidence in preventing falls in residential aged care facilities', BMC Geriatrics, vol. 10, p.8 <http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2318/10/8>

Andrews, S, McInerney, F & Robinson, A 2009, 'Realizing a palliative approach in dementia care: Strategies to facilitate aged care staff engagement in evidence-based practice', International Psychogeriatrics, vol. 21(Supplement 1) pp. S64–S68.

Robinson, A, Elder J, Emden, C, Lea, E, Turner, P & Vickers, J 2009, 'Information pathways into dementia care services - family carers have their say', Dementia: The International Journal of Social Research and Practice, vol. 8, pp.17-37.

Robinson, A, Emden, C, Lea, E, Elder, J, Vickers, J & Turner, P 2009, 'Information issues for providers of services to people with dementia living in the community in Australia: Breaking the cycle of frustration', Health and Social Care in the Community, vol. 17(2), pp. 141–150. 
Robinson, A, Abbey, J, Abbey, B, Toye, C & Barnes, L 2009, 'Getting off to a good start: A multi-site study of orienting student nurses during aged care clinical placements', Nurse Education in Practice, vol. 9, pp. 53-60.

Robinson, A, Emden, C, Elder, J, Lea, E, Vickers, J & Turner, P, 'Multiple views reveal the complexity of dementia diagnosis', Australasian Journal on Ageing, vol. 27(4), pp. 183-188.

Hansen, E, Hughes, C, Routley, G & Robinson, A 2008, 'General practitioners' experiences and understandings of diagnosing dementia: Factors impacting on early diagnosis', Social Science & Medicine, vol.67, pp. 1776-1783.

Robinson, A, Courtney-Pratt, H, Lea, E, Cameron-Tucker, H, Turner, P, Cummings, L, Wood-Baker, R & Walters, EH 2008, 'Transforming clinical practice amongst community nurses: Mentoring for COPD patient self-management', Journal of Nursing and Healthcare of Chronic Illness in association with the Journal of Clinical Nursing, vol. 17, pp. 369-378.

Robinson, A, Andrews-Hall, S, Cubit, K, Fassett, M, Venter, L, Menzies, B & Jongeling, L 2008, 'Attracting students to aged care: The impact of a supportive orientation,  Nurse Education Today, vol. 28, pp. 354-362.

Robinson, A & Cubit, C 2007, 'Caring for people with Dementia in Residential Care: Nursing Students' Experiences',  Journal of Advanced Nursing, vol. 59(3), pp. 255-263.

Andrews-Hall, S, Howe, A & Robinson, A 2007, 'The dynamics of residential aged care in Australia: 8-year's trends in admission, separations and dependency', The Australian Health Review, vol. 31(4), pp. 611-622.

Robinson, A, Andrews-Hall, S, & Fassett, M 2007, ''Living on the edge': Issues that undermine the capacity of residential aged care providers to support student nurses on clinical placement', The Australian Health Review, vol. 31(3), pp. 368-378. 

Web Access Research Portal (WARP) for Prof Andrew Robinson

Additional Information

Selected Current and Recent Research

Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre – Phase II

www.utas.edu/wicking

Chief Investigators	Prof James Vickers, School of Medicine, UTAS and Prof Andrew Robinson, School of Nursing & Midwifery, UTAS
Funding	$3,000,000-JO & JR Wicking Trust (ANZ Trustees)
Date	Dec 2012 – Dec 2017

Quality of life and care for people with dementia in residential care facilities (Dementia QoL-Care)

Chief Investigators	Prof. Elizabeth Beattie, Prof Wendy Moyle, Prof Rhonda Nay, Prof Barbara Horner, Prof Lynn Chenoweth, Prof Andrew Robinson, Dr Maria O’Reilly, Dr Elaine Fielding
Funding	$47,683 - Dementia Collaborative Research Centre – QUT
Date	Sept 2012 – June 2013

The Tripartite Wicking Teaching Aged Care Facilities Program

Chief Investigators	Robinson A, McInerney F & Horner B
Funding	Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing $825K + Partner funding $280K [UTas, Curtin Uni, ACU, Mt St Vincents Nursing Home and Therapy Centre (Tas), Juniper Rowthorpe (WA), Catholic Homes (Vic) & Southern Cross Care (Tas)]
Date	July 2012 – June 2014

Development of curriculum content for a clinical placement in the palliative care of people with dementia

Chief Investigators	Robinson A, Lea E, Andrews S, McInerney F
Funding	$40,000 (DoHA)Victorian and Tasmanian Dementia Training Centre
Date	Nov 2012 – June 2013

Evaluation of GP Education Program—‘Diagnosing Dementia’

Chief Investigators	Robinson A, Tolman J, Stratton B.
Funding	$90,000 (DoHA)Victorian and Tasmanian Dementia Training Centre
Date	Nov 2011 – June 2013

Facilitating dementia diagnosis with community based nurses and ACAT assessors

Chief Investigators	Robinson A, Toman J, Stratton B
Funding	$90,000 (DoHA)Victorian and Tasmanian Dementia Training Centre
Date	Nov 2011 – June 2013

Grant-Aged Care Nursing Clinical Placements

Chief Investigators	Robinson, AL; Lea, EJ; Bramble, MD; Marlow, AH; Jones, JJ; Andrews, SM; McInerney
Funding	$ 333,617.90 DoHA
Date	2011 – 2013

The Future of Aged Care Nurse Practitioners: Developing and testing an innovative combined health service and independent practice model

Chief Investigators	Stirling, CM; Robinson, AL; Ryan, HF; Morrissey, M
Funding	$606,217 DoHA
Date	2011–2014

‘Breathe Well: a Centre for Research Excellence in chronic respiratory disease and lung ageing’.

Chief Investigators	Professor Eugene Walters, Associate Professor Richard Wood-Baker, Dr David Reid, Associate Professor Shyamali Dharmage, Professor Andrew Robinson, Professor Gregory Peterson, Professor Mark Nelson, Associate Professor David Johns, Dr Margaret Cooley, Associate Professor Christopher Leigh Blizzard
Funding	$2,439,687.00 NH&MRC
Date	2011 – 2015

The Healthy Brain Project: A prospective cohort study to examine how later-life university education may affect the trajectory of ageing-related cognitive decline’.

Chief Investigators	Prof James Vickers, Dr Mathew Summers, Dr Michael Valenzuela, Prof Jeffery Summers, Prof Karen Ritchie, Dr Tracey Dickson, Prof Andrew Robinson
Funding	$1,031,442.00 NH&MRC
Date	2011 – 2015

Development and evaluation of an innovative self-help coping program for dementia care givers (CarersCARE)

Chief Investigators	Dr Jenn Scott, School of Psychology UTAS; Dr Toby Croft, Department of Health and Human Services; Prof Andrew Robinson, School of Nursing & Midwifery, UTAS; Prof James Vickers, School of Medicine, UTAS; Dr K Sanderson, Menzies Research Institute, UTAS
Funding	$534,810 - DHHS, Tasmanian Government
Date	Sept 2008 – March 2014

Developing and testing a strategy to enhance a palliative approach and care continuity for people who have dementia

Chief Investigators	A/Prof Chris Toye, Curtin University; Prof Moyez Jiwa, Curtin University; Prof Andrew Robinson, School of Nursing & Midwifery,UTAS; Ms Sharon Andrews, WDREC, UTAS; A/Prof Fran McInerney, ACU; Dr Jenny Abbey; Dr Michael Ashby, Royal Hobart Hospital; Ms Kristi Holloway, Curtin University
Funding	$580,827- Department of Health and Ageing, Australia
Date	May 2010 – June 2011

Opening a dialogue: improving communication and practice in advance care and end of life care planning

Chief Investigators	Professor Michael Ashby, DHHS, Menzies Research Institute; Prof Andrew Robinson, School of Nursing & Midwifery, UTAS; A/Prof Fran McInerney, ACU; Ms Sharon Andrews, WDREC, UTAS; Dr Christine Stirling, WDREC, UTAS; A/Prof Chris Toye, Curtin University
Funding	$533,808 - Department of Health and Ageing, Australia
Date	May 2010 – June 2011

Environmental design for people with dementia: charting the gap between theory and practice in the design of new residential facilities

Chief Investigators	A/Prof Richard Fleming, Uni NSW ; Hammond Care; Prof Andrew Robinson, School of Nursing & Midwifery, UTAS; Prof Roger Fay, School of Architecture, UTAS; Dr Christine Stirling, WDREC, UTAS; Ms Sharon Andrews, WDREC, UTAS
Funding	5,000-WDREC $15,000-DCRC, University of NSW
Date	June 2009–Dec 2010

Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre: Menzies Research Institute Tasmania

www.utas.edu.au/wicking

Chief Investigators	Prof James Vickers, School of Medicine, UTAS and Prof Andrew Robinson, School of Nursing & Midwifery, UTAS
Funding	$1,500,000-JO & JR Wicking Trust (ANZ Trustees) $250,000-Department of Health and Human Services, Tas Govt $375,000-University of Tasmania $250,000-Menzies Research Institute Tasmania $125,000-School of Nursing & Midwifery, UTAS Total: $2.5 million over 5 years
Date	March 2008 – March 2013

Current Consultancies

Dementia Training Centre for Health Professionals (Victorian and Tasmanian Dementia Training Centre)

Chief Investigators	Prof Rhonda Nay, ACEBAC, La Trobe University, Prof Peter Disler, Bendigo Health Care Group/School of Rural Health, Monash University; Prof Stephen Gibson, NARI, La Trobe University; Prof AndrewRobinson, School of Nursing and Midwifery, UTAS; A/Prof Susan Koch, The Alfred Hospital, VIC /ACEBAC, La Trobe University; A/Prof Michael Murray, Monash University; Mrs Lynette Moore, Alzheimer’s Australia, VIC; Ms Debbie Slater, Alzheimer’s Australia (Tas)
Funding	$2,283,374 - DoHA
Date	March 2010 – March 2013