MRFF Grant Award: ConnectUp - a social connection and inclusion tool
Approximately 4.4 million people in Australia live with disability and more than 2.65 million Australians provide unpaid care and support to family members. Over a third of these primary carers have a disability.
People with disability and their carers often experience greater social isolation and poorer physical and mental health due to reduced socio-economic opportunities. Increasing participation in physical activity is a public health solution that provides opportunities for positive social interactions, improvements in physical and mental health, and improved quality of life.
Nossal Institute researcher Dr Dominika Kwasnicka has been awarded a $1 million Medical Research Future Fund grant to scale up a consumer-led and co-designed online platform, to increase social connection in people with disabilities and carers. ConnectUp enables users to connect online with people who are in nearby locations, encouraging them to plan and engage in physical activity in real life.
Social isolation and loneliness are associated with increased risk of all-cause mortality, cardiovascular disease and poorer mental health. Using digital health tools, we can bring people with disability closer together, helping them form new social connections and to find places and activities that they want to participate in
Dom Kwasnicka
Working with Carers Australia and Carers WA, academic research partners University of Melbourne, Curtin University, Deakin University, La Trobe University, Macquarie University, The University of Sydney and healthcare research partner Ramsay Health Care, and Australian Citizen Science Association, Dr Dominika Kwasnicka will be helping consumers engage with and adopt new digital technology.
This online tool was initially piloted in close collaboration with our active research partner Carers WA, a peak body providing support for informal carers. Members of the disability community highlighted to the need for this project during co-design workshops sessions.
I think that is really important, because, you know, we all have different things that we are knowledgeable about, and it's just bringing it together. Participant, Online workshop for Persons with disability
Insights from people with disability and their carers have been incorporated into the scaleup phase. Researchers and consumers will co-design new features to enable users to capture information and share experiences about activities and places where they can engage in physical activity. The platform will also have a function to make recommendations to local authorities and policy makers about what is needed.
Dr Dominika Kwasnicka and partners look forward to improving health in people with disability and carers with this innovative platform.