BSc (First Class Joint Honours) (Salford) MA (Cantab) MB BChir (Cantab) MD (Queensland) FRACGP FAFPHM Chris Del Mar has contributed significantly to health sciences and clinical research. He is one of the Coordinating Editor of the Cochrane Collaboration (the Acute Respiratory Infections Group) – an international, independent not-for-profit organisation dedicated to making up-to-date, accurate information about the effects of healthcare readily available worldwide. He is a member of the BMJ’s international editorial advisory committee, and several other prestigious editorial boards. After a science degree, he was educated at Cambridge and then University College London before migrating to Queensland in 1977. There he worked in Mackay Base Hospital, founding a successful general practice in Mackay in 1980. He moved to a senior lectureship in general practice at the University of Queensland in 1988, and was promoted to Associate Professor in 1992. In 1995 he was appointed professor of general practice and directed the Centre for General Practice at the Medical School. He is an expert in the primary care of acute respiratory infections and also skin cancer. He participated in the World Health Organisation's swine flu (H1N1) rapid guidelines development and updates in Geneva in 2008, 2009 and 2010, and was funded by the Australian NHMRC as well as the UK’s HTA and WHO for research in the area. Professor Del Mar is a member of the National Health and Medical Research Council's Health Care Committee - one of its five principal standing committees. Previously he was Chair of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) National Research Committee, President of the Australian Association for Academic General Practice, Editor of the research section of the Australian Family Physician, and chair of the editorial advisory committee of the Federal Government's health web portal - HealthInsite. In 2008 he was awarded the Rose-Hunt Medal by the Royal Australian College of General Practice in recognition of his outstanding commitment to general practice.
Articles
Patients' expectations of acute low back pain management: Implications for evidence uptake (with Tammy C. Hoffmann, Jenny Strong, and Juliana Mai), BMC Family Practice (2013)
Background
In many countries, general practitioner (GP) care of acute low back pain often does not...
A is for aphorism: If many treatments are used for a disease, all are insufficient (with Georga Cooke, Elaine Beller, and Tammy Hoffmann), Australian Family Physician (2012)
Extract:
The aphorism, ‘If many treatments are used for a disease, all are insufficient’ seems self...
Addressing antibiotic resistance: Focusing on acute respiratory infections in primary care (with Paul Glasziou, John B. Lowe, Mieke L. van Driel, Tammy Hoffmann, and Elaine Beller), Australian Family Physician (2012)
Extract:
We have been aware for decades – perhaps as a somewhat far-off theoretical problem –...
Exploring the understanding of evidence-based concepts in people with type 2 diabetes (with Tammy C. Hoffmann), International journal of general medicine (2012)
Background: Being able to make informed decisions is a prerequisite to enabling individuals to participate...
Systemic corticosteroids for acute sinusitis (Review) (with Roderick P. Venekamp, Matthew J. Thompson, Gail Hayward, Carl J. Heneghan, Rafael Perera, Paul P. Glasziou, and Maroeska M. Rovers), Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (2011)
Background: Acute sinusitis is a common reason for patients to seek primary care consultations. The...
Books
Evidence-based practice across the health professions (with Tammy Hoffman and Sally Bennett), Health Sciences & Medicine papers (2009)
Evidence-based practice continues to be a growing influence in health education. It’s a powerful tool...
Clinical thinking: Evidence, communication and decision-making (with Jenny Doust and Paul Glasziou), Health Sciences & Medicine papers (2006)
Clinicians are taught masses of facts, but not how to use them in the messy...
Evidence-based medicine workbook: Finding and applying the best research evidence to improve patient care (with Paul Glasziou and Janet Salisbury), Professor Paul Glasziou (2003)
This attractive, full colour workbook provides a clear explanation of evidence-based medicine skills and concepts....
Book Chapters
Information needs, asking questions and some basics of research studies (with Tammy Hoffmann), Evidence-based practice across the health professions (2010)
Extract:
This chapter will provide background information that you need to know in order to understand...
Introduction to evidence-based practice (with Tammy Hoffmann and Sally Bennett), Evidence-based practice across the health professions (2010)
Extract:
What is evidence-based practice?
There is a famous definition by Professor David Sackett and some of...
Models of disease (with Jenny Doust and Paul Glasziou), Clinical thinking: evidence, communication, and decision-making (2006)
[Excerpt] What we will do here is set out some models of disease, and then...
Skin problems (with Geoffrey Mitchell), Practical General Practise, Guidelines for Effective Management, Fifth Edition (2006)
Practical General Practice is an interactive manual that is specifically designed for use during the...
Other
Review of the quality of complementary medicines information resources: Summary report (with Treasure McGuire, Julie Walters, Angela Dean, Mieke van Driel, Vicki Kotsirilos, Geraldine Moses, Steven Chong, Gary Deed, Barbara Eldred, Janet Hardy, Honey Heussler, Samantha Hollingsworth, Loretta Marron, Joy Mendel, David Pache, Kathryn Steadman, Helen Trenerry, Jared Brown, and Margaret Williamson), National prescribing service limited (2009)
Recent research conducted by the National Prescribing Service (NPS) has shown the need for improving...
The management of skin cancer in Australian general practice, Christopher Del Mar (2000)
This thesis looks at the management of skin cancer in general practice from a number...