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This is the 2020 Annual Report for the Hazelwood Health Study (HHS). This document provides a report on the progress of the HHS, which is a research program commissioned by the Victorian Department of Health. The study is led by independent researchers from Monash University in collaboration with Federation University, University of Tasmania, University of Adelaide, and the CSIRO. Note: This report presents the views of the authors and not the Victorian Department of Health.

This is the 2017 Annual Report for the Hazelwood Health Study (HHS). This document provides a report on the progress of the HHS, which is a research program commissioned by the Victorian Department of Health. The study is led by independent researchers from Monash University in collaboration with Federation University, University of Tasmania, University of Adelaide, and the CSIRO. Note: This report presents the views of the authors and not the Victorian Department of Health.

This is the 2018 Annual Report for the Hazelwood Health Study (HHS). This document provides a report on the progress of the HHS, which is a research program commissioned by the Victorian Department of Health. The study is led by independent researchers from Monash University in collaboration with Federation University, University of Tasmania, University of Adelaide, and the CSIRO. Note: This report presents the views of the authors and not the Victorian Department of Health.

This is the 2019 Annual Report for the Hazelwood Health Study (HHS). This document provides a report on the progress of the HHS, which is a research program commissioned by the Victorian Department of Health. The study is led by independent researchers from Monash University in collaboration with Federation University, University of Tasmania, University of Adelaide, and the CSIRO. Note: This report presents the views of the authors and not the Victorian Department of Health.

This is the 2015 Annual Report for the Hazelwood Health Study (HHS). This document provides a report on the progress of the HHS, which is a research program commissioned by the Victorian Department of Health. The study is led by independent researchers from Monash University in collaboration with Federation University, University of Tasmania, University of Adelaide, and the CSIRO. Note: This report presents the views of the authors and not the Victorian Department of Health.

This report comprises the first of two volumes of research exploring the impact of the 2014 Hazelwood mine fire on the community wellbeing of the people of Morwell and Latrobe Valley. The key aims of the Community Wellbeing Stream project are to investigate community perceptions of: 1. the impact of the smoke event on community wellbeing, 2. the elements that are important for effective communication during and after the smoke event, and 3. the effectiveness of community rebuilding activities. This volume focuses on the first two of these three aims: determining the community perceptions of the impact of the smoke event on community wellbeing and the elements that are important for effective communication during and after the smoke event. The primary significance of this program of work is its ability to inform the community, local government, and various community and health agencies about the way the community’s resilience was affected and how the community perceives its capacity to respond effectively to any similar event in the future. The study also informs these stakeholders of the factors which are most critical for communication during a crisis, and how to ensure communication includes the community, speaks to them through the appropriate channels, and listens and responds to their concerns. The hope is that this report can provide valuable insights that can inform future policy and practice in ways that minimise harmful impacts on community wellbeing by adopting well-informed evidence-based practices in responding to and managing a complex crisis of this kind in the future.

This is the 2016 Annual Report for the Hazelwood Health Study (HHS). This document provides a report on the progress of the HHS, which is a research program commissioned by the Victorian Department of Health. The study is led by independent researchers from Monash University in collaboration with Federation University, University of Tasmania, University of Adelaide, and the CSIRO. Note: This report presents the views of the authors and not the Victorian Department of Health.

The 2016-2017 Hazelwood Health Study Adult Survey collected information on the health and wellbeing of residents, including mental health, 2.5 years after the 2014 Hazelwood mine fire. One of the primary research objectives of the Hazelwood Health Study was to monitor levels of psychological distress within the Morwell community over time. To do this, Morwell residents who participated in the 2016-2017 Adult Survey (round 1 survey) were invited to again participate in the 2019-2020 Mental Health and Wellbeing Follow-up Survey (round 2 survey). The main finding of the analysis was that, some six years after the 2014 Hazelwood mine fire, there was a continuing relationship between participants’ level of exposure to PM2.5 during the Hazelwood event and the level of psychological distress that they attributed to that event. For each 10 µg/m3 increase in mean daily PM2.5 exposure during the 2014 mine fire, there was a 1.1-point increase in IES-R score (at the mean age of the cohort). Furthermore, compared with levels observed in the round 1 survey, event-related psychological distress had increased at the time of the round 2 survey. Note: This report presents the views of the authors and not the Victorian Department of Health.

To describe the steps needed for a successful implementation of an e-health programme (the Mobile Wound Care system) in rural Victoria, Australia and to provide recommendations for future e-health initiatives. Wound care is a major burden on the health care system. Optimal wound care was found to be impeded by issues that included the limited access to health care providers, incomplete and inconsistent documentation and limited access to expert review. This study trialled the use of a shared electronic wound reporting and imaging system in combination with an expert remote wound consultation service for the management of patients with chronic and acute wounds in Gippsland. The trial sites included four rural Home and Community Health Care providers. Considerable effort was put into designing a best practice e-health care programme. There was support from managers and clinicians at regional and local levels to address an area of health care considered a priority. Various issues contributing to the successful implementation of the wound care project were identified: the training model, quality of data collected, demands associated with multiple sites across a vast geographic region, computer access, hardware and computer literacy.