Bond University will lead a $2.6 million national research project aimed at improving care for Australians living with Long COVID.
The project, called BEACON (Bridging Evidence and Care for Optimised Outcomes – Long COVID Model of Care), is designed to bring care closer to patients by equipping general practitioners with the knowledge, tools and support needed to manage Long COVID in the community, reducing reliance on specialist services.
Long COVID – also known as Post-Acute Sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC) – affects people who continue to experience symptoms months or years after their initial COVID-19 infection.
Symptoms can include extreme fatigue, breathlessness, heart problems, brain fog, and difficulty returning to work or study.
Around one in 10 people infected with COVID-19 develop Long COVID, which means more than one million Australians may be affected. Yet, there is no nationally consistent care pathway and no approved treatment.
“People with Long COVID are often bounced between services with no clear pathway,” said Assistant Professor Oyuka Byambasuren, the BEACON project lead at Bond University.
“That’s why we designed BEACON to bring care closer to patients. Our goal is to give GPs the confidence and support they need to provide evidence-based care, right in the community.
“This isn’t about creating another specialist clinic that only a small number of people can access. It’s about sharing expertise and building a system that works nationally.”
The Bond University team brings together experts in evidence-based healthcare, biostatistics, and clinical medicine, including Professor Julie Redfern, Professor Nick Zwar, Emeritus Professor Paul Glasziou, Assistant Professor Mina Bakhit, Dr Darryn Marks, Professor Mark Jones, and Professor Mark Morgan.
The project also involves a national collaboration with researchers from the University of Queensland, University of Wollongong, University of New England, University of Sydney, Monash University, and Queensland University of Technology.
Professor Redfern, the Director of Bond University’s Institute for Evidence-Based Healthcare, said the grant highlights Bond’s leadership in evidence-based care and primary care research.
“This project addresses one of the most pressing and least understood health challenges facing Australians. It reflects our commitment to generating evidence that improves care, access, and outcomes for people living with Long COVID.”