Dr Elizabeth Sturgiss
FRACGP MPH MForensMed FHEA
Research Fellow
ANU College of Health and Medicine
Areas of expertise
- Primary Health Care 111717
- Family Care 111707
- Preventive Medicine 111716
Research interests
- Therapeutic alliance in general practice
- Obesity care in general practice
- Nutrition education for medical students
- Improving outcome measures for general practice
Biography
Dr Liz Sturgiss is a clinician-researcher who is driven to improve general practice care for at-risk populations. Liz maintains a strong interest in obesity, chronic disease management, and substance dependence. Liz focuses on finding real-world solutions by exploring how and why general practice is effective for people and how these mechanisms can be applied in other settings.
Dr Sturgiss has been a fellow of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners since 2012 and was a Founding Fellow of Clinical Forensic Medicine (RCPA). In 2017 she was awarded an Endeavour Research Fellowship to travel to the University of Alberta, Canada to study Cognitive Task Analysis and methods for theoretically-informed evaluations of complex interventions.
Through her PhD Liz explored the therapeutic alliance in general practice and how it strengthens obesity management - her ongoing work will explore how relationships shape the interactions between patients and their GPs. Liz is particularly passionate about reducing health inequities by exploring how general practice can work better for at-risk populations.
Researcher's projects
- Adapting the Working Alliance Inventory for general practice (Chris Silagy Scholarship RACGP)
- An implementation pilot study of "The Change Program" - a GP-delivered weight management program for overweight and obese adults (APHCRI Foundation Grant)
- Treating adult obesity in general practice – developing a weight management strategy for general practitioners (RACGP Independent Practitioner Network Pty Ltd (IPN)/Research Grant)
- Using Concept Mapping to illustrate understanding of obesity. (Endeavour Reseach Fellowship in conjuction with University of Alberta)
- Understanding food and rurality (CASS Intercollege Research Grant, led by Dr Gavin Smith)
Publications
- Sturgiss, E & Agostino, J 2018, 'Preventive Health Care Should Focus on Modifiable Cardiovascular Risk Factors, Not Obesity Alone', Journal of the American College of Cardiology, vol. 71, no. 7, pp. 815-816pp.
- Sturgiss, E, Elmitt, N, Haesler, E et al 2018, 'Role of the family doctor in the management of adults with obesity: a scoping review', BMJ Open, vol. 8, no. 2, pp. 1-29.
- Reeve, J, Beaulieu, M, Freeman, T et al 2018, 'Revitalizing generalist practice: The montreal statement', Annals of Family Medicine, vol. 16, no. 4, pp. 371-373pp.
- Sturgiss, E, Haesler, E, Elmitt, N et al 2017, 'Increasing general practitioners' confidence and self-efficacy in managing obesity: a mixed methods study', BMJ Open, vol. 7, no. 1, pp. e014314-e014314.
- Sturgiss, E & Van Weel, C 2017, 'The 5 As framework for obesity management: Do we need a more intricate model?', Canadian Family Physician, vol. 63, no. 7, pp. 506-508pp..
- Sturgiss, E, Jay, M, Campbell-Scherer, D et al. 2017, 'Challenging assumptions in obesity research', BMJ, vol. 359, pp. 1-3.
- Sturgiss, E, Elmitt, N, Haesler, E et al 2017, 'Feasibility and acceptability of a physician-delivered weight management programme', Family Practice, vol. 34, no. 1, pp. 43-48pp.
- Sturgiss, E, Haesler, E, Elmitt, N et al. 2017, 'Obesity management in primary care', Lancet, The (UK edition), vol. 389, no. 10079, pp. 1605-1605.
- Sturgiss, E, Sargent, G, Haesler, E et al 2016, 'Therapeutic alliance and obesity management in primary care - a cross-sectional pilot using the Working Alliance Inventory', Clinical Obesity, vol. 6, no. 6, pp. 376-379pp.
- Sturgiss, E, Douglas, K, Kathage, R et al 2016, 'A synthesis of selected national Australian guidelines on the general practice management of adult patients who are overweight or obese', Australian Family Physician, vol. 45, no. 5, pp. 327-331pp.
- Sturgiss, E, Van Weel, C, Ball, L et al 2016, 'Obesity management in Australian primary care: Where has the general practitioner gone?', Australian Journal of Primary Health, vol. 22, no. 6, pp. 473-476.
- Sturgiss, E & Douglas, K 2016, 'A collaborative process for developing a weight management toolkit for general practitioners in Australia-an intervention development study using the Knowledge To Action framework', Pilot and Feasibility Studies, vol. 2, no. 20, pp. 1-8.
- Ashman, F, Sturgiss, E & Haesler, E 2016, 'Exploring Self-Efficacy in Australian General Practitioners Managing Patient Obesity: A Qualitative Survey Study', International Journal of Family Medicine, vol. 2016.
- Sturgiss, E, Douglas, K, Res, S et al 2014, 'Comparison and synthesis of current Australian guidelines on the management of obese adult patients in General Practice', Obesity Research and Clinical Practice, vol. 8, p. 97.
- Sturgiss, E, Douglas, K, Res, S et al 2014, 'Treating overweight and obese adults in General Practice - A systematic review', Obesity Research and Clinical Practice, vol. 8, pp. 97-98.
- Sturgiss, E, Douglas, K, Kathage, R et al 2016, 'A synthesis of selected national Australian guidelines on the general practice management of adult patients who are overweight or obese extc1', Australian Family Physician, vol. 45, no. 5, pp. 327-331pp.
- Sturgiss, E, Elmitt, N, Van Weel, C et al 2015, 'The role of the family doctor in the management of adults who are obese: a scoping review protocol', SpringerPlus, vol. 4, no. 820, pp. 1-5.
- Sturgiss, E, Douglas, K & Trumble, S 2015, 'Pharmaceutical sales strategies and sponsorship', Medical Journal of Australia, vol. 202, no. 3, pp. 131-131.
- Sturgiss, E, Haesler, E & Anderson, K 2016, 'General practice trainees face practice ownership with fear', Australian Health Review, vol. 40, no. 6, pp. 661-666.
- Sturgiss, E, Anderson, K, Liedvogel, M et al 2013, 'To own or not to own How can we best educate general practice registrars about practice ownership?', Australian Family Physician, vol. 42, no. 7, pp. 503-506.
- Sturgiss EA, Jin F, Martin S, Grulich AE, and Bowden FJ. Prevalence of other sexually transmitted infections in patients with newly diagnosed anogenital warts in a sexual health clinic Sexual Health, 2010 Mar;7(1):55-9.
- Sturgiss EA, Tyson A, Parekh V. Characteristics of sexual assaults in which the adult victim report penetration by a foreign object Journal of Forensic and Legal Medicine, 2010 Apr;17(3):140-2.
- Sturgiss EA. Suicide in people over the age of 65 years in the Australian Capital Territory Journal of Forensic and Legal Medicine, 2009 16, 338-9.
- Sturgiss E, Bowden F. Penile cellulitis due to community-acquired methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus in an HIV-positive man International Journal of STD and AIDS, 2008 19, 423-424.
- Stuart-Harris R, Odell H, Sturgiss E. Adjuvant chemotherapy for early breast cancer: Is cyclophosphamide, methotrexate and 5-fluorouracil still the standard? Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Oncology 2005 1(1),13-24.
Projects and Grants
Grants information is drawn from ARIES. To add or update Projects or Grants information please contact your College Research Office.
- Endeavour Research Fellowship for Elizabeth Sturgiss (Primary Investigator)
- Development and validation of the Working Alliance Inventory to measure therapeutic alliance in general practice (Primary Investigator)
- A pilot study of a new GP-delivered weight loss program for adults in primary care, The Change Program (Primary Investigator)
- Treating adult obesity in general practice developing a weight management strategy for general practitioners (Primary Investigator)
