Digital Commons Network^™

Covid-19 And Retinal Oct: An Australian Case Study, Tommy Cleary

Australian Health Services Research Institute

The following presents a primary care optometry encounter with a patient who has recovered from COVID-19. This article aims to highlight the potential for optometry to contribute to a better understanding of the visual and retinal manifestations of patients diagnosed with COVID-19.

Exploring How Older People Living At Home Alone Occupy Their Time – A Time-Geographic Study, Alison Wicks, Megan B. Blanchard, Ingeborg Nilsson

Australian Health Services Research Institute

Background: Knowing what older people choose to do with their time informs occupational therapists in their everyday practice. This study explored how sixteen older Australians living at home alone without support occupied their time. Method: People aged 70 years and older living alone in one’s home and receiving no support services were voluntary recruited. The participants completed time-use diaries for 5 days and recorded how, with whom, and where they spent time. Data were coded and analyzed using the software program Vardagen. Results: The participants reported 217 different daily activities. While patterns of daily participation varied, all of the participants …

Comparability Of The Australian National Cancer Symptom Trials (Cst) Group's Study Populations To National Referrals To Non-Cst Specialist Palliative Care Services Participating In The Palliative Care Outcomes Collaboration, Hiromichi Matsuoka, Samuel F. Allingham, Belinda Fazekas, Linda Brown, Zac Vandersman, Katherine Clark, Meera Agar, David C. Currow

Australian Health Services Research Institute

Using the results of Phase III studies in clinical practice depends on how representative study participants are of the clinical population to whom the results will be applied. The closer the characteristics between the subgroup who participate in a clinical trial and the whole population, the easier it is for clinicians to apply the results directly to the patient that he/she is treating. Trial participation is generally more happenstance than a systematic sampling of a population and is limited by eligibility criteria that do not reflect the entire clinical population. Phase III study populations tend to be younger with fewer …

Understanding Burn Injuries In Aboriginal And Torres Strait Islander Children: Protocol For A Prospective Cohort Study, Rebecca Q. Ivers, Kate Hunter, Kathleen F. Clapham, Julieann Coombes, Sarah Fraser, Serigne Lo, Belinda Gabbe, Delia Hendrie, David Read, Roy Kimble, Anthony Sparnon, Kellie Stockton, Renee Simpson, Linda Quinn, Kurt Towers, Tom Potokar, Tamara Mackean, Julian Grant, Ronan A. Lyons, Lindsey Jones, Sandra Eades, John Daniels, Andrew J A Holland

Australian Health Services Research Institute

Introduction: Although Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in Australia have higher risk of burns compared with non-Aboriginal children, their access to burn care, particularly postdischarge care, is poorly understood, including the impact of care on functional outcomes. The objective of this study is to describe the burden of burns, access to care and functional outcomes in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in Australia, and develop appropriate models of care. Methods and analysis: All Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children aged under 16 years of age (and their families) presenting with a burn to a tertiary paediatric burn unit …

Palliative Care Phase: Inter-Rater Reliability And Acceptability In A National Study, Malcolm Masso, Samuel Allingham, Maree Banfield, Claire Johnson, Tanya Pidgeon, Patsy Yates, Kathy Eagar

Australian Health Services Research Institute

Background: The concept of palliative care consisting of five distinct, clinically meaningful, phases (stable, unstable, deteriorating, terminal and bereavement) was developed in Australia about 20 years ago and is used routinely for communicating clinical status, care planning, quality improvement and funding.
Aim: To test the reliability and acceptability of revised definitions of Palliative Care Phase.
Design: Multi-centre cross-sectional study involving pairs of clinicians independently rating patients according to revised definitions of Palliative Care Phase.
Setting/participants: Clinicians from 10 Australian palliative care services, including 9 inpatient units and 1 mixed inpatient/community-based service.
Results: A total of …

Mechanisms Which Help Explain Implementation Of Evidence-Based Practice In Residential Aged Care Facilities: A Grounded Theory Study, Malcolm Masso, Grace Mccarthy, Alison Kitson

Australian Health Services Research Institute

BACKGROUND: The context for the study was a nation-wide programme in Australia to implement evidence-based practice in residential aged care, in nine areas of practice, using a wide range of implementation strategies and involving 108 facilities. The study drew on the experiences of those involved in the programme to answer the question: what mechanisms influence the implementation of evidence-based practice in residential aged care and how do those mechanisms interact?

METHODS: The methodology used grounded theory from a critical realist perspective, informed by a conceptual framework that differentiates between the context, process and content of change. People were purposively sampled …

The Sydney Multisite Intervention Of Laughterbosses And Elderclowns (Smile) Study: Cluster Randomised Trial Of Humour Therapy In Nursing Homes, Lee-Fay Low, Henry Brodaty, Belinda Goodenough, Peter Spitzer, Jean-Paul Bell, Richard Fleming, Anne-Nicole Casey, Zhixin Liu, Lynn Chenoweth

Australian Health Services Research Institute

Objectives: To determine whether humour therapy reduces depression (primary outcome), agitation and behavioural disturbances and improves social engagement and quality-of-life in nursing home residents. Design: The Sydney Multisite Intervention of LaughterBosses and ElderClowns study was a singleblind cluster randomised controlled trial of humour therapy. Setting: 35 Sydney nursing homes. Participants: All eligible residents within geographically defined areas within each nursing home were invited to participate. Intervention: Professional 'ElderClowns' provided 9-12 weekly humour therapy sessions, augmented by resident engagement by trained staff 'LaughterBosses'. Controls received usual care. Measurements: Depression scores on the Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia, agitation scores on …

Prevention And Management Of Chronic Disease In Aboriginal And Islander Community Controlled Health Services In Queensland: A Quality Improvement Study Assessing Change In Selected Clinical Performance Indicators Over Time In A Cohort Of Services, K S. Panaretto, K L. Gardner, S Button, A Carson, R Schibasaki, G Wason, D Baker, J Mein, A Dellit, D Lewis, M Wenitong, I Ring

Australian Health Services Research Institute

Objective: To evaluate clinical healthcare performance in Aboriginal Medical Services in Queensland and to consider future directions in supporting improvement through measurement, target setting and standards development. Design: Longitudinal study assessing baseline performance and improvements in service delivery, clinical care and selected outcomes against key performance indicators 2009-2010. Setting: 27 Aboriginal and Islander Community Controlled Health Services (AICCHSs) in Queensland, who are members of the Queensland Aboriginal and Islander Health Council (QAIHC). Participants: 22 AICCHS with medical clinics. Intervention: Implementation and use of an electronic clinical information system that integrates with electronic health records supported by the QAIHC quality improvement …

Mental Health: Findings From The Australian Longitudinal Study On Women’S Health, Libby Holden, Annette Dobson, Julie E. Byles, Deborah J. Loxton, Xenia Dolja-Gore, Richard Hockey, Christina Lee, Catherine Chojenta, Nicole M. Reilly, Gita D. Mishra, Deirdre Mclaughlin, Nancy Pachana, Leigh Tooth, Melissa Harris

Australian Health Services Research Institute

This report uses data from cohorts born 1973-78, 1946-51 and 1921-26 to explore patterns of mental health among Australian women as well as their use of mental health services. It includes analyses of factors associated with poor mental health as well as specific areas such as perinatal mental health, interpersonal relationships and mental health, and comorbidity of physical and mental health.

Referral Patterns And Proximity To Palliative Care Inpatient Services By Level Of Socio-Economic Disadvantage. A National Study Using Spatial Analysis., David C. Currow, Samuel F. Allingham, Sonia Bird, Patsy Yates, Joanne Lewis, James P. Dawber, Kathy Eagar

Australian Health Services Research Institute

Background A range of health outcomes at a population level are related to differences in levels of social disadvantage. Understanding the impact of any such differences in palliative care is important. The aim of this study was to assess, by level of socio-economic disadvantage, referral patterns to specialist palliative care and proximity to inpatient services. Methods All inpatient and community palliative care services nationally were geocoded (using postcode) to one nationally standardised measure of socio-economic deprivation - Socio- Economic Index for Areas (SEIFA; 2006 census data). Referral to palliative care services and characteristics of referrals were described through data collected …

Measuring Outcomes In Community Care: An Exploratory Study, Alan G. Owen, Peter D. Samsa, David L. Fildes, Pamela E. Grootemaat, Kathy Eagar

Australian Health Services Research Institute

[extract] The issues in measuring outcomes in community care can be characterised as being complex and technical, but addressing them is feasible if it is recognised that a number of key building blocks are already well known and if a longer term perspective on the issues is adopted.

Brake Response Time Before And After Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Prospective Cohort Study, Michael C. Liebensteiner, Michaela Kern, Christian Haid, Conrad Kobel, David Niederseer, Martin Krismer

Australian Health Services Research Institute

Background. Although the numbers of total knee arthroplasty (TKA) are increasing, there is only a small number of studies investigating driving safety after TKA. The parameter 'Brake Response Time (BRT)' is one of the most important criteria for driving safety and was therefore chosen for investigation. The present study was conducted to test the hypotheses that patients with right- or left-sided TKA show a significant increase in BRT from pre-operative (pre-op, 1 day before surgery) to post-operative (post-op, 2 weeks post surgery), and a significant decrease in BRT from post-op to the follow-up investigation (FU, 8 weeks post surgery). Additionally, …

Understanding The Occupational Implications Of A Koori Development Scholarship: A Case Study Of The Fisheries Research And Development Corporation Indigenous Training Scholarship At The Shoalhaven Marine And Freshwater Centre, Alison Wicks

Australian Health Services Research Institute

This report is the outcome of a case study which explored the occupational implications of an indigenous development program funded by the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation and hosted by the Shoalhaven Marine and Freshwater Centre. Approval for the study, undertaken by the Australasian Occupational Science Centre, was granted by the University of Wollongong‟s Human Research Ethics Committee. The scholarship holder was a Koori man living in the Shoalhaven on the south coast of NSW. The development program ran from June 2009 to January 2010. The study adopted an occupational perspective to understand the effects of the program on the …

Indigenous Status And Risk Of Motor Vehicle Crash: The Drive Study, Rebecca Ivers, Alexandra Martiniuk, Kathleen Clapham, Soufiane Boufous, Teresa Senserrick, Maxwell Stevenson, R Norton

Australian Health Services Research Institute

[extract] There is a substantial body of evidence that highlights the stark contrast between health status of Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. Indigenous Australians die about 15 years younger than non-Indigenous Australians and the proportion of time lived with disability is greater than that in the total population (13% compared with 10%) [1]. The Indigenous community is also over-represented in injury data: the injury hospitalisation rate is about double that for the rest of the population [2] and the relative risk ratio for disability adjusted life years due to non-intentional injury is approaching 3 times that of the rest of the …

A Costing Study Of Blood And Marrow Transplantation Services In Nsw: Final Report, Robert Gordon, Cristina Thompson, Joseph Carolan, Gary Eckstein, Catherine Rostron

Australian Health Services Research Institute

No abstract provided.

Dementia Training For Health Professionals - Scoping Study, Nick Marosszeky, Anita Westera, Janet Sansoni

Australian Health Services Research Institute

No abstract provided.