Media release
#Wam2019 Day 13
Like many other countries now, Australia has now launched a platform to connect researchers with people with dementia and their care partners or families, to increase opporunities for research about dementia.
Dementia Alliance International is proud to become an Organisational Champion with StepUp for Dementia Research.
StepUp for Dementia Research is a research participation and engagement service, a “one-stop shop” that connects individuals – both with and without dementia – with researchers conducting studies into dementia prevention, diagnosis, treatment, care and cure. We make it easier for the brightest minds in research to connect with people willing to donate their time.
Currently, there is no systematic and inclusive way in Australia for people with dementia to express their interest in participating in research. For researchers, recruiting participants for dementia-related studies is costly and time consuming. Delays in finding the right people can result in studies taking longer to deliver, often requiring funding extensions. Insufficient study samples limit the effectiveness and scope of research – the difficulty researchers face when it comes to recruiting participants directly impacts their capacity for robust analysis and the generalisation of findings.
The initial launch of StepUp for Dementia Research will cover New South Wales and Western Australia, ahead of nation-wide scaling in the coming year.