Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Caregivers Knowledge, Practices About Childhood Diarrhea And Pneumonia And Their Perceptions Of Lady Health Worker Program; Findings From Nigraan Implementation Research Project, K Sangrasi, F. Rabbani, W Aftab, A Zahidie, S Perveen, In Abbas, Sia Shah, Sa Qazi

Fauziah Rabbani

Background: Despite 60% coverage by Lady Health Worker (LHW) Program, 30% of child deaths in Pakistan are still due to diarrhea and pneumonia. Caregivers are an important stakeholder yet there is little information on their case management practices and utilization of LHW Program. This study explored caregivers’ knowledge and practices about childhood diarrhea and pneumonia and utility of LHW services before and after a supportive supervision intervention. Methods: Cross sectional surveys were conducted with caregivers’ (mothers) pre and post intervention in project NIGRAAN. The intervention aimed to improve LHSs clinical and supervisory skills of lady health supervisors in order to …

Teachers’ Perceptions And Practices Of Written Feedback In Higher Education., Raisa Begum Gul, Ambreen Tharani, Arusa Lakhani, Nusrat Fatima Rizvi, Syeda K. Ali

Ambreen Tharani

This mixed-methods research aimed to understand the practices and perceptions of teachers regarding writtenfeedback. For this purpose, a survey was administered to 150 teachers forming a non-probability sample, who wereworking in various universities in Karachi. The disciplines chosen for the study included nursing, applied linguistics,medicine and education departments in institutes of higher education situated in Karachi. Before sampling, initialscreening was done to obtain a list of institutes which provide written feedback on students’ assignments. Twohomogenous groups of teachers by discipline (nursing and education) were then selected for focus group discussions.It was found that most teachers consider written feedback an important …

The Behavioral Addiction Indoor Tanning Screener (Baits): An Evaluation Of A Brief Measure Of Behavioral Addictive Symptoms, Jerod L. Stapleton, Joel J. Hillhouse, Rob Turrisi, Katie Baker, Sharon L. Manne, Elliot J. Coups

Joel Hillhouse

No abstract provided.

How Incremented Fatigue Affects Kicking Performance Of Elite Junior Australian Footballers, Christopher Joyce

Christopher Joyce

Addressing The Deficiencies In The Evidence-Base For Primary Practice In Regional Australia - Sentinel Practices Data Sourcing (Spds) Project: A Pilot Study, Abhijeet Ghosh, Karen E. Charlton, Lisa Girdo, Marijka J. Batterham, Keith Mcdonald

Dr Marijka Batterham

Background Chronic disease risk on a population level can be quantified through health surveys, either continuous or periodic. To date, information gathered from primary care interactions, using sentinel sites, has not been investigated as a potentially valuable surveillance system in Australia. Methods A pilot study was conducted in a single General Practice in a regional area of New South Wales, Australia to assess the feasibility of accessing data obtained through a computerised chronic disease management program that has been designed for desktop application (Pen Computer Systems (PCS) Clinical Audit Tool: ™ PCS CAT). Collated patient data included information on chronic …

Parents’ Beliefs And Knowledge About The Management Of Acute Otitis Media: A Qualitative Study, Malene Hansen, Janine Howlett, Chris Del Mar, Tammy Hoffmann

Christopher Del Mar

Acute otitis media is a common reason for antibiotic prescribing, despite strong evidence that antibiotics provide minimal benefit. Studies have demonstrated that patients’ (or parents’) expectations of antibiotics often influence general practitioners’ (GPs) decision to prescribe antibiotics, but few have explored parents’ expectations of the management of infections in children, or which factors influence the development of these expectations. This study aimed to explore parents’ knowledge and beliefs about the management of acute otitis media in children.

Parents’ Beliefs And Knowledge About The Management Of Acute Otitis Media: A Qualitative Study, Malene Hansen, Janine Howlett, Chris Del Mar, Tammy Hoffmann

Malene Hansen

Acute otitis media is a common reason for antibiotic prescribing, despite strong evidence that antibiotics provide minimal benefit. Studies have demonstrated that patients’ (or parents’) expectations of antibiotics often influence general practitioners’ (GPs) decision to prescribe antibiotics, but few have explored parents’ expectations of the management of infections in children, or which factors influence the development of these expectations. This study aimed to explore parents’ knowledge and beliefs about the management of acute otitis media in children.

Clinical Placements In General Practice: Relationships Between Practice Nurses And Tertiary Institutions, Kath Peters, Elizabeth J. Halcomb, Susan Mcinnes

Susan McInnes

As a practice-based discipline a key component of undergraduate nurse education is clinical practice experience. The quality of clinical experiences has a significant impact on the students' ability to function competently post graduation. The relationship between higher education institutions (HEIs) and health service placement providers impacts upon the quality of clinical placements. In Australia, the growth of primary care nursing and the shortage of acute clinical places has prompted HEIs to explore the placement of students in general practice. Given the increasing attention being paid to non-traditional clinical placements, it is timely to explore how universities are establishing relationships and …

A Systematic Review Of How Studies Describe Educational Interventions For Evidence-Based Practice: Stage 1 Of The Development Of A Reporting Guideline, Anna Phillips, Lucy Lewis, Maureen Mcevoy, James Galipeau, Paul Glasziou, Marilyn Hammick, David Moher, Julie Tilson, Marie Williams

Paul Glasziou

Background: The aim of this systematic review was to identify which information is included when reporting educational interventions used to facilitate foundational skills and knowledge of evidence-based practice (EBP) training for health professionals. This systematic review comprised the first stage in the three stage development process for a reporting guideline for educational interventions for EBP.

Communicating Cardiovascular Disease Risk: An Interview Study Of General Practitioners' Use Of Absolute Risk Within Tailored Communication Strategies, Carissa Bonner, Jesse Jansen, Shannon Mckinn, Les Irwig, J. Doust, Paul Glasziou, Kirsten Mccaffery

Paul Glasziou

Background: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention guidelines encourage assessment of absolute CVD risk - the probability of a CVD event within a fixed time period, based on the most predictive risk factors. However, few General Practitioners (GPs) use absolute CVD risk consistently, and communication difficulties have been identified as a barrier to changing practice. This study aimed to explore GPs' descriptions of their CVD risk communication strategies, including the role of absolute risk. Methods. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of 25 GPs in New South Wales, Australia. Transcribed audio-recordings were thematically coded, using the Framework Analysis method to …

Communicating Cardiovascular Disease Risk: An Interview Study Of General Practitioners' Use Of Absolute Risk Within Tailored Communication Strategies, Carissa Bonner, Jesse Jansen, Shannon Mckinn, Les Irwig, J. Doust, Paul Glasziou, Kirsten Mccaffery

Jenny Doust

Background: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention guidelines encourage assessment of absolute CVD risk - the probability of a CVD event within a fixed time period, based on the most predictive risk factors. However, few General Practitioners (GPs) use absolute CVD risk consistently, and communication difficulties have been identified as a barrier to changing practice. This study aimed to explore GPs' descriptions of their CVD risk communication strategies, including the role of absolute risk. Methods. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of 25 GPs in New South Wales, Australia. Transcribed audio-recordings were thematically coded, using the Framework Analysis method to …

General Practitioners' Use Of Absolute Risk Versus Individual Risk Factors In Cardiovascular Disease Prevention: An Experimental Study, Jesse Jansen, Carissa Bonner, Shannon Mckinn, Les Irwig, Paul Glasziou, Jenny Doust, Armando Teixeira-Pinto, Andrew Hayen, Robin Turner, Kirsten Mccaffery

Paul Glasziou

Objective: To understand general practitioners' (GPs) use of individual risk factors (blood pressure and cholesterol levels) versus absolute risk in cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk management decision-making. Design: Randomised experiment. Absolute risk, systolic blood pressure (SBP), cholesterol ratio (total cholesterol/high-density lipoprotein (TC/HDL)) and age were systematically varied in hypothetical cases. High absolute risk was defined as 5-year risk of a cardiovascular event >15%, high blood pressure levels varied between SBP 147 and 179 mm Hg and high cholesterol (TC/HDL ratio) between 6.5 and 7.2 mmol/L. Setting: 4 GP conferences in Australia. Participants: 144 Australian GPs. Outcomes: GPs indicated whether they would …

General Practitioners' Use Of Absolute Risk Versus Individual Risk Factors In Cardiovascular Disease Prevention: An Experimental Study, Jesse Jansen, Carissa Bonner, Shannon Mckinn, Les Irwig, Paul Glasziou, Jenny Doust, Armando Teixeira-Pinto, Andrew Hayen, Robin Turner, Kirsten Mccaffery

Jenny Doust

Objective: To understand general practitioners' (GPs) use of individual risk factors (blood pressure and cholesterol levels) versus absolute risk in cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk management decision-making. Design: Randomised experiment. Absolute risk, systolic blood pressure (SBP), cholesterol ratio (total cholesterol/high-density lipoprotein (TC/HDL)) and age were systematically varied in hypothetical cases. High absolute risk was defined as 5-year risk of a cardiovascular event >15%, high blood pressure levels varied between SBP 147 and 179 mm Hg and high cholesterol (TC/HDL ratio) between 6.5 and 7.2 mmol/L. Setting: 4 GP conferences in Australia. Participants: 144 Australian GPs. Outcomes: GPs indicated whether they would …

Using Formative Feedback To Identify And Support First Year Chemistry Students With Missing Or Misconceptions. A Practice Report, Gwen Lawrie, Anthony Wright, Madeleine Schultz, Timothy Dargaville, Glennys O'Brien, Simon B. Bedford, Mark Williams, Roy Tasker, Hayden Dickson, Christopher Thompson

Anthony Wright

Students entering tertiary studies possess a diverse range of prior experiences in their academic preparation for tertiary chemistry so academics need tools to enable them to respond to issues in diversity in conceptual models possessed by entering students. Concept inventories can be used to provide formative feedback to help students identify concepts that they need to address to improve construction of subsequent understanding enabling their learning. Modular, formative learning activities that can be administered inside or outside of class in first year chemistry courses have been developed. These activities address key missing and mis-conceptions possessed by incoming student. Engagement in …

Homelessness Research: Shaping Policy And Practice, Now And Into The Future, Dennis P. Culhane, Vince R. Kane, Mark Johnston

Dennis P. Culhane

Social Media Experiments: Scholarly Practice And Collegiality, Chris Gibson, Leah Gibbs

Chris Gibson

We draw out and seek to build on two key insights in Kitchin et al. (2013), namely the possibilities of social media for transforming knowledge production practices and for generating new spaces of collegiality and communality. Most promising are capacities to shape the terms of academic labour and to disrupt binaries of core/periphery, research/impact and academic/public.

Social Media Experiments: Scholarly Practice And Collegiality, Chris Gibson, Leah Gibbs

Leah Maree Gibbs

We draw out and seek to build on two key insights in Kitchin et al. (2013), namely the possibilities of social media for transforming knowledge production practices and for generating new spaces of collegiality and communality. Most promising are capacities to shape the terms of academic labour and to disrupt binaries of core/periphery, research/impact and academic/public.

Moving Beyond The Therapeutic Relationship: A Selective Review Of Intimacy In The Sexual Health Encounter In Nursing Practice, Leigh East, Marie Hutchinson

Associate Professor Marie Hutchinson

Aims and objectives For the purposes of this study, a selective review of the literature was undertaken with the aim of examining nurses' preparedness to engage in intimate interactions within the context of sexual health care. Kirk's (2007) model of interactional intimacy is used as a lens to examine the literature. Background The provision of sexual health care is often a neglected area of nursing care despite being recognised as a component of holistic nursing practice. Despite theoretical discussion about various forms of intimacy and intimate care, there has been little examination of the interface between intimacy and sexual health …

Increasing Medical Students' Capacity To Practice Evidence-Based Medicine Through Improving Student Participation And Interest In Journal Club, Warren C. Rich, Judy Mullan, Kathryn M. Weston, Peter L. Mclennan

Judy Mullan

Research indicates that graduating doctors believe they are deficient in the skills needed to become evidence-based practitioners. To address this the University of Wollongong’s new Graduate School of Medicine has embedded research and critical analysis (RCA) skills into the case-based curriculum. A key component of the RCA curriculum is improving the medical students’ critical appraisal skills by participating in Journal Club during their first phase of the course. Feedback from the first two student cohorts participating in Journal Club suggested that it was not important or interesting. To increase the level of interest, enthusiasm and participation in Journal Club peer-assessment …

Uptake Of Medicare Chronic Disease Items In Australia By General Practice Nurses And Aboriginal Health Workers, Elizabeth J. Halcomb, Patricia M. Davidson, Nicola Brown

Elizabeth Jane Halcomb Professor

The Australian health care system is currently in a state of reform and there is increasing pressure to provide care in community settings. Rising costs, demands and population ageing underscore the importance of adopting models of health care delivery to address changing epidemiological patterns. Population ageing and the increase of chronic conditions challenge models based on acute care. Changes to the Medicare benefits schedule have facilitated the development of a range of expanded nursing services in the general practice setting. In particular, item number 10997 was introduced to reimburse practice nurses and Aboriginal health workers (AHWs) for providing monitoring and …

Development Of A Clinician-Led Research Agenda For General Practice Nurses, Elizabeth J. Halcomb, Louise Hickman

Elizabeth Jane Halcomb Professor

Objective: This study sought to identify and prioritise research issues as perceived by Australian general practice nurses. In this context, a research priority refers to the most pressing research problems that necessitate exploration to improve clinical practice. Design: This paper reports the findings of a two-round Delphi study. Initially, focus groups identified research issues. Subsequently, an online survey facilitated ranking of these issues on a 5-point Likert scale. Setting: Australian general practices. Subjects: Twenty-five practice nurses participated in the focus groups and 145 practice nurses responded to an online survey. Main outcome measure(s): The main outcome measure was the prioritisation …

Practice Nurses Experiences Of Mentoring Undergraduate Nursing Students In Australian General Practice, Elizabeth J. Halcomb, Kathleen Peters, Susan Mcinnes

Elizabeth Jane Halcomb Professor

Internationally, the delivery of health services has shifted from secondary to primary care, necessitating an exponential growth of the nursing workforce and expansion of the nursing role in general practice. This growth, and the subsequent need to develop this workforce, has created a need to expose undergraduate nurses to general practice nursing as a viable career option. Concurrently, universities are struggling to find sufficient clinical places for their undergraduate students to gain clinical experience. It is logical, therefore, to increase the number of undergraduate nursing student placements in general practice. Through qualitative research methods, this paper seeks to explore the …

A Qualitative Evaluation Of New Zealand Consumers Perceptions Of General Practice Nurses, Elizabeth J. Halcomb, Kath Peters, Deborah Davies

Elizabeth Jane Halcomb Professor

Background An important consideration in health service delivery is ensuring that services meet consumer needs and that consumers are satisfied with service delivery. Patient satisfaction can impact on compliance with suggested treatments and therefore impact on health outcomes. Comparatively few studies have explored consumer satisfaction with nurses in general practice. Methods A sub-group of 18 consumers from a larger quantitative evaluation of consumer satisfaction with New Zealand general practice nurses participated in semi-structured telephone interviews. Interview data was analysed using thematic analysis. Results Four major themes emerged from the data. These themes highlighted that, despite confusion experienced by some consumers …

Clinical Placements In General Practice: Relationships Between Practice Nurses And Tertiary Institutions, Kath Peters, Elizabeth J. Halcomb, Susan Mcinnes

Elizabeth Jane Halcomb Professor

As a practice-based discipline a key component of undergraduate nurse education is clinical practice experience. The quality of clinical experiences has a significant impact on the students' ability to function competently post graduation. The relationship between higher education institutions (HEIs) and health service placement providers impacts upon the quality of clinical placements. In Australia, the growth of primary care nursing and the shortage of acute clinical places has prompted HEIs to explore the placement of students in general practice. Given the increasing attention being paid to non-traditional clinical placements, it is timely to explore how universities are establishing relationships and …

Quit In General Practice: A Cluster Randomised Trial Of Enhanced In-Practice Support For Smoking Cessation, Nicholas Arnold Zwar, Robyn Richmond, Elizabeth Halcomb, John Furler, Julie Smith, Oshana Hermiz, Irene Blackberry, Ron Borland

Elizabeth Jane Halcomb Professor

Background This study will test the uptake and effectiveness of a flexible package of smoking cessation support provided primarily by the practice nurse (PN) and tailored to meet the needs of a diversity of patients. Methods/Design This study is a cluster randomised trial, with practices allocated to one of three groups 1) Quit with Practice Nurse 2) Quitline referral 3) GP usual care. PNs from practices randomised to the intervention group will receive a training course in smoking cessation followed by access to mentoring. GPs from practices randomised to the Quitline referral group will receive information about the study and …

Teaching About Sexual Minorities: An Iowa Experience, Veronika E.B. Kolder, Nashae Y. Julian

Veronika E.B. Kolder Dr.

Despite greater social acceptance of sexual minorities and growing national support for equal medical care, disparities in healthcare access persist. Medical school curricula allot limited time to sexuality education and students’ perceptions. Combining the topics of sexual response and sexual minority healthcare may perpetuate the misconception that lesbianism and transgender identity are deviations from normal sexual functioning. We comment on teaching about sexual minority healthcare at our medical school and argue for a review of medical educator preparation and existing curricula.

Teaching About Sexual Minorities: An Iowa Experience, Veronika E.B. Kolder, Nashae Y. Julian

Veronika E.B. Kolder Dr.

Despite greater social acceptance of sexual minorities and growing national support for equal medical care, disparities in healthcare access persist. Medical school curricula allot limited time to sexuality education and students’ perceptions. Combining the topics of sexual response and sexual minority healthcare may perpetuate the misconception that lesbianism and transgender identity are deviations from normal sexual functioning. We comment on teaching about sexual minority healthcare at our medical school and argue for a review of medical educator preparation and existing curricula.

General Practice Training, Web 2.0 And Virtual Communities Of Practice : A Survey Study, Stephen Barnett, Sandra C. Jones, Lance R. Barrie, Andrew D. Bonney, D C. Iverson

Sandra Jones

Aims & rationale/Objectives General Practice training faces geographic barriers to efficient knowledge sharing, collaboration and professional and social support amongst its participants. In industry, large companies use internet tools to create Virtual Communities of Practice which improve collaboration, information sharing and support amongst staff. This study examined the feasibility of using Web 2.0 tools to create a Virtual Community of Practice for GP training. Methods A crossectional online survey was conducted in a Regional GP Training Provider (RTP). The instrument contained categorical and 5-point ascending Likert response format items and was sent to all registrars and supervisors in the RTP. …

General Practice Training, Web 2.0 And Virtual Communities Of Practice: An Interview Study, Stephen Barnett, Sandra C. Jones, Lance R. Barrie, Andrew D. Bonney, Donald C. Iverson

Sandra Jones

Aims and Rationale General Practice training faces geographic barriers to efficient knowledge sharing, collaboration and professional and social support amongst its participants. In industry, large companies use internet tools to create Virtual Communities of Practice which improve collaboration, information sharing and support amongst staff. This study examined the feasibility of using Web 2.0 tools to create a Virtual Community of Practice for GP training. Methods Following a previous quantitative survey study, a qualitative telephone interview study was undertaken with GP Registrars and Supervisors in a Regional Training Provider. Participants were selected on the basis of highest internet usage in the …

Do Australian Adolescent Female Fake Tan (Sunless Tan) Users Practice Better Sun-Protection Behaviors Than Non-Users?, Melinda Williams, Sandra C. Jones, Peter Caputi, Donald C. Iverson

Sandra Jones

Objective: To determine differences in sun-protection behaviours, and incidence of sunburn, between Australian adolescent female fake tan users and non-users. Design: Cross sectional survey. Method: 398 adolescent females aged 12 to 18 years participated in a survey at public venues, schools, and online. The main outcome measures were self-reported fake tan usage in the past 12 months, frequency of sunburns and habitual sun-protection behaviours. Setting: Surveys were completed in New South Wales, Australia. Results: The prevalence of self-reported use of fake tanning products in the past 12 months among Australian adolescent females was 34.5%. Female fake tan users were significantly …