Professor John Attia - Selected publications

Douketis, J.D, Feightner, J., Attia, J. and Feldman, W. F. Periodic health exam, 1999 update: 1. Detection, prevention and treatment of obesity. Can. Med. Assoc. J. (1999) 160:513 25.

This article is one of a series that summarizes for Canadian doctors what should be included in the usual, “routine” physical exam.  The series is highly cited and sets the standard for evidence-based medicine in family practice and as such is highly influential.

Attia, J., Hatala, R. and Cook, D. Does this patient have meningitis? JAMA (1999) 282:175-181.

This is one of the foremost journals in medical research and this is one article in the series on the “Rational Clinical Exam”.  This series takes a clinical entity or physical exam sign and summarizes all the available evidence on its diagnosis and the performance metrics of the various diagnostic tests.  It forms part of the curriculum in many medical schools and is widely used in teaching clinical exam skills.  It is currently being compiled and updated in book form and as such has high impact in clinical practice.

Attia, J., Ray, J.G., Cook, D., Douketis, J., Ginsberg, J.S., and Geerts, W. Deep vein thrombosis and its prevention in critically ill adults. Arch Int Med (2001) 161: 1268-1279.

This paper was a systematic review and meta-analysis of all papers relating to prophylaxis for deep vein thrombosis in the hospital setting.  It summarized a very broad field and highlighted gaps in current research at the time.  It has been used by expert panels putting together recommendations for clinical guidelines in this area, including the highly-referenced ACCP Anti-thrombotic medication consensus conferences, held every 4 years.

Thakkinstian, A., D’Este, C., Eisman, J., Nguyen, T., Attia, J. Association between the vitamin D receptor Bsm I polymorphism and bone mineral density: a meta-analysis. J Bone Mineral Res (2004) 19:419-428.

This paper represents one of our group’s first ventures into the field of genetic epidemiology, and an attempt to draw out the implications of the basic science results of genetics for clinical practice and physicians.  Since then we have published extensively on meta-analysis of genetic association studies and made a number of methodological advances for ascertaining what a particular polymorphism means to disease risk at the population level.

Esteem factors

  • Listed on NHMRC register of evidence-based medicine experts, to provide help to groups working on clinical practice guidelines.  Membership to this register was determined by a national panel.
  • Winner of the Dudley Homer Vose Award from the National Heart Foundation for best grant in 2005; awarded to the team of investigators submitting the grant of highest standard and significance nationally.
  • Have been peer-reviewer for JAMA, Journal of Clinical Epidemiology, International Journal of Epidemiology, American Journal of Epidemiology, MJA, Australian Prescriber, Thorax, and Australasian Journal of Ageing.
  • Invited teacher and presenter every year at the annual Asia Pacific Evidence-Based Medicine Workshop and Conference held in Singapore, since its inception 5 years ago.  This forum includes invited teachers from North America, Europe, and Asia, and attracts physicians from throughout southeast Asia.
  • Co-ordinated the writing of the first molecular and genetic epidemiology courses in Australia, bringing together faculty from across Australia, including Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Hobart and Tasmania.  This was funded by a competitive grant under the Public Health Education and Research Program, administered by the Commonwealth Department of Health and Aged Care.