Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Peer Mentoring: Evaluation Of A New Model Of Clinical Placement In The Solomon Islands Undertaken By An Australian Medical School, Janie Smith, Peter Jones, James Fink

Janie Smith

Introduction

Electives and selectives in developing countries are an important part of student learning experiences. During 2013, Bond University on the Gold Coast of Queensland in Australia piloted final year undergraduate medical student placements (n=33) at Kirakira Hospital, on Makira Island in the Solomon Islands. The placement was evaluated that year.

Methods

The clinical placement in Kirakira Hospital required 12 months of planning by the Faculty of Health Sciences and Medicine of Bond University in 2012. The evaluation of 2013 placements included a literature review; semi-structured interviews with participating Bond University and Kirakira Hospital staff, and with community …

Priority Setting In Indigenous Health: Why We Need An Explicit Decision Making Approach, Michael E. Otim, Ranmalie Jayasinha, Margaret Kelaher, Edward Shane Houston, Ian P. Anderson, Stephen Jan

Michael E Otim

Indigenous Australians have significantly poorer health outcomes than the non-Indigenous population worldwide. The Australian government has increased its investment in Indigenous health through the "Closing the Health Gap" initiative. Deciding where to invest scarce resources so as to maximize health outcomes for Indigenous peoples may require improved priority setting processes. Current government practice involves a mix of implicit and explicit processes to varying degrees at the macro and meso decision making levels. In this article, we argue that explicit priority setting should be emphasized in Indigenous health, as it can ensure that the decision making process is accountable, systematic, and …

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 …

Using Cultural Immersion As The Platform For Teaching Aboriginal And Torres Strait Islander Health In An Undergraduate Medical Curriculum, Janie Smith, Christina L. Wolfe, Shannon Springer, Mary Martin, John Togno, Katrina A. Bramstedt, Sally Sargeant, Brad Murphy

Janie Smith

In 2011 Bond University was looking for innovative ways to meet the professional standards and guidelines in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health into its Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) curriculum. In 2012 Bond piloted a compulsory cultural immersion program for all first year students, which is now a usual part of the MBBS program. Methodology The methodology included three phases: establishing an Indigenous health group; determining the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander educational content based on the professional standards; and developing nine educational sessions and resources; as well as significant administrative processes. The cultural immersion was piloted …

Using Cultural Immersion As The Platform For Teaching Aboriginal And Torres Strait Islander Health In An Undergraduate Medical Curriculum, Janie Smith, Christina L. Wolfe, Shannon Springer, Mary Martin, John Togno, Katrina A. Bramstedt, Sally Sargeant, Brad Murphy

Katrina A. Bramstedt

In 2011 Bond University was looking for innovative ways to meet the professional standards and guidelines in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health into its Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) curriculum. In 2012 Bond piloted a compulsory cultural immersion program for all first year students, which is now a usual part of the MBBS program. Methodology The methodology included three phases: establishing an Indigenous health group; determining the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander educational content based on the professional standards; and developing nine educational sessions and resources; as well as significant administrative processes. The cultural immersion was piloted …

Using Cultural Immersion As The Platform For Teaching Aboriginal And Torres Strait Islander Health In An Undergraduate Medical Curriculum, Janie Smith, Christina L. Wolfe, Shannon Springer, Mary Martin, John Togno, Katrina A. Bramstedt, Sally Sargeant, Brad Murphy

Sally Sargeant

In 2011 Bond University was looking for innovative ways to meet the professional standards and guidelines in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health into its Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) curriculum. In 2012 Bond piloted a compulsory cultural immersion program for all first year students, which is now a usual part of the MBBS program. Methodology The methodology included three phases: establishing an Indigenous health group; determining the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander educational content based on the professional standards; and developing nine educational sessions and resources; as well as significant administrative processes. The cultural immersion was piloted …

Performance Analysis Of Professional, Semiprofessional, And Junior Elite Rugby League Match-Play Using Global Positioning Systems, Chris Mclellan, Dale Lovell

Chris McLellan

The aim of the present study was to examine the positional differences in physical performance measures of professional, semiprofessional, and junior elite rugby league match-play using portable Global Positioning Systems (GPSs). Twelve professional, 12 semiprofessional, and 18 junior elite male rugby league players were monitored during 5 regular-season competition matches using portable GPS software. The mean total distance traveled during professional (8,371 ± 897 m) and semiprofessional (7,277 ± 734 m) match-play was significantly (p < 0.05) greater than that traveled during elite junior (4,646 ± 978 m) match-play. Position-specific total distance traveled and distance traveled per minute of playing time were significantly (p < 0.05) less for junior elite backs (5,768 ± 765 m; 74 ± 11 m·min-1) and forwards (4,774 ± 564 m; 82 ± 5 m·min-1) in comparison to those in professional (backs: 8,158 ± 673 m; 101 ± 8 m·min-1 and forwards: 8,442 ± 812 m; 98 ± 12 m·min-1) and semiprofessional (backs: 7,505 ± 765 m; 94 ± 8 m·min-1 and forwards: 6,701 ± 678 m; 89 ± 8 m·min-1) match-play. Maximum running speed, maximum sprints, and total sprint distance traveled by professional players were all significantly (p < 0.05) greater than those traveled by junior elite players but not semiprofessional players during match-play. Professional backs and forwards performed significantly (p < 0.05) more maximum sprints and traveled greater total distance during match-play in comparison to semiprofessional and junior elite players. The present findings demonstrate minimal differences in the physical performance measures of professional and semiprofessional rugby league match-play. The position-specific performance characteristics of junior elite match-play indicate that current junior elite player-development pathways may not provide adequate preparation for players transitioning into professional competition.

Determining The Quality Of Assessment Items In Collaborations: Aspects To Discuss To Reach Agreement Developed By The Australian Medical Assessment Collaboration, Lambert Schuwirth, Jacob Pearce

Dr Jacob Pearce

The Australian Medical Assessment Collaboration (AMAC) project, funded by the Office of Learning and Teaching, seeks to provide an infrastructure and a road map to support collaboration between Australian medical schools in matters of assessment. This may not seem very new perhaps, because there are already several collaborations taking place in Australia, and, typically, they relate to joint item banks, (such as the IDEAL consortium), or joint test administration, (such as the International Foundation of Medicine tests). The AMAC project seeks to build on these existing collaborations in two ways: first, by tying these initiatives together and thus bundling the …

Improving The Quality Of Medical Education, Daniel Edwards

Dr Daniel Edwards

An ongoing collaboration is developing tools and processes to help prove and improve the quality of medical education in Australia through quality comparison, the sharing of expertise and high-quality assessment, as Dan Edwards explains.

Australian Medical Assessment Collaboration: From Proof Of Concept To Proof Of Sustainability: Final Report 2014, Daniel Edwards, David Wilkinson

Dr Daniel Edwards

This is the final report for AMAC-2, entitled Australian Medical Assessment Collaboration: from proof of concept to proof of sustainability (OLT project ID12-2482). This project advanced previous work funded by the ALTC and was undertaken from early 2013 to mid 2014. AMAC-2 took the proof of concept achieved through the initial AMAC project with the aim of building an ongoing, sustainable and successful collaboration between medical schools in Australia and New Zealand.

Implementing Common Assessment: Lessons And Models From Amac Developed By The Australian Medical Assessment Collaboration, Daniel Edwards

Dr Daniel Edwards

The aim of this document is to provide insight into the implementation of common assessments in higher education in order to assist in future work on conducting these kinds of projects. The discussion here draws heavily on the AMAC experience, attempting to broaden the learning from this project for use in future collaborations. The focus of this project has been on medical education, and as such, much of the detail is related to this field. However, it is hoped that the general ideas discussed here can be seen as informative for other fields and disciplines in higher education and at …

Simulation In Dietetic Education In Australia, Peter Williams, Eleanor Beck

Peter Williams

In 2011 the Dietitians Association of Australia conducted a survey of simulated learning experiences in all universities offering dietetic course in Australia. A total of 35 SLEs currently used were identified: 14 paper-based, 15 physical-based and 6 computer or video based.

"Muting" Neoliberalism? Class And Colonial Legacies In Australia, Chris Gibson

Chris Gibson

Australian governments of left and right persuasions have seemingly embraced elements of the neoliberal agenda, as in many other parts of the world; but exactly how deeply these have been enacted, and how transformative they have been, must be understood in relation to key colonial, geographical and cultural inheritances. These inheritances include the hegemony of central government stewardship of the economy (essential in a colonized, sparsely populated continent of almost unmanageable scale), a long tradition of social democratic regulation, and cultural expectations of socio-spatial equality. Neoliberal policy projects have been "muted" by on-going equality claims, and some progressive "wins" in …

Making Things In A High-Dollar Australia: The Case Of The Surfboard Industry, Andrew Warren, Chris Gibson

Chris Gibson

In August 2011 the announcement by Bluescope Steel of mass layoffs at its Port Kembla steelworks, in the Illawarra region, sparked renewed public debate and media commentary on the future of manufacturing in Australia. The debate has since spread to cars, aluminium smelting - even Mortein fly spray - and has quickly coalesced around the unprecedented high Australian dollar, its impacts on exports, and the prospects of the production of goods shifting overseas. As Australian mining magnates such as Clive Palmer, Gina Rinehart and Twiggy Forrest attempt to remould Australia around their 'quarry vision' (Pearse, 2009) of extractive minerals exports, …

Diversifying Ethnicity In Australia's Population And Environment Debates, Natascha Klocker, Lesley Head

Natascha Klocker

Population–environment debates in Australia are at an impasse. While the ability of this continent to sustain more migrants has attracted persistent scrutiny, nuanced explorations of diverse migrant cultures and their engagements with Australian landscapes have scarcely begun. Yet as we face the challenges of a climate changing world we would undoubtedly benefit from the most varied knowledges we can muster. This paper brings together three arenas of environmental debate circulating in Australia—the immigration/carrying capacity debate, comparisons between Indigenous and Anglo-European modes of environmental interaction, and research on household sustainability dilemmas—to demonstrate the exclusionary tendencies of each. We then attempt to …

Community Antagonism Towards Asylum Seekers In Port Augusta, South Australia, Natascha Klocker

Natascha Klocker

An overtly hostile response to asylum seekers was observed in questionnaire responses provided by residents of Port Augusta, South Australia in April 2002. A social construction approach to identity and representation was used to interrogate this antagonism within its social, cultural, political and geographical contexts. Asylum seekers were constructed as 'burdensome', 'threatening' and 'illegal', and opposition to them was set within the discursive framework of a 'Self/Other' binary. Enmity towards asylum seekers was articulated concurrently with overwhelming support for the Federal Government's exclusive and deterrence-oriented asylum policies. However, vehement opposition was expressed regarding the government's decision to construct Baxter Immigration …

C-Amp Dependent Protein Kinase A Inhibitory Activity Of Six Algal Extracts From South Eastern Australia And Their Fatty Acid Composition, Ana Zivanovic, Danielle Skropeta

Danielle Skropeta

c-AMP dependent protein kinase (protein kinase A, PKA) is an important enzyme involved in the regulation of an increasing number of physiological processes including immune function, cardiovascular disease, memory disorders and cancer. The objective of this study was to evaluate the PKA inhibitory activity of a range of algal extracts, along with their fatty acid composition. Six algal species were investigated including two Chlorophyta (Codium dimorphum and Ulva lactuca), two Phaeophyta (Phyllospora comosa and Sargassum sp.) and two Rhodophyta (Prionitis linearis and Corallina vancouveriensis), with the order of PKA inhibitory activity of their extracts identified as follows: brown seaweeds > red …

Bottles, Bores, And Boats: Agency Of Water Assemblages In Post/Colonial Inland Australia, Leah M. Gibbs

Leah Maree Gibbs

Australian water politics is marked by conceptual and bureaucratic separation of water as discrete matter. The source of this politics of separation is colonial relations with water and the Australian continent. Yet, analysis of the materiality of water illuminates the agency of water as part of an assemblage. This paper seeks to unsettle the treatment of water as separate, discrete matter. It asks how political responses to the public problem of water would change were we to take seriously the vitality of nonhuman bodies. In order to investigate this question, the paper presents an analysis of six objects from the …

Leadership In Faith-Based Aged And Community Care, Kelly Shaw, Colleen Cartwright, Shankar Sankaran, Jacqueline Kelly, Bob Dick, Alan Davies, Jocelyn Craig

Professor Colleen M Cartwright

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to identify the domains of performance needed by leaders in aged and community care not-for-profit organisations. Design/methodology/approach – Focus groups and individual interviews were conducted with senior managers employed by faith-based aged and community care not-for-profit organisations, academics in ageing and business fields and senior government employees from aged services departments and agencies in Australia. Results were content transcribed and analysed thematically in order to identify the major themes that emerged. Findings – A total of 37 people participated in the study. The domains of performance identified by participants as required of …

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 …

Sharing Quality Resources For Teaching And Learning: A Peer Review Model For The Altc Exchange In Australia, Geraldine Lefoe, Robyn Philip, Meg O'Reilly, Dominique Parrish

Geraldine Lefoe

The ALTC Exchange (formerly the Carrick Exchange), is a national repository and networking service for Australian higher education. The Exchange was designed to provide access to a repository of shared learning and teaching resources, work spaces for team members engaged in collaborative projects, and communication and networking services. The Australian Learning and Teaching Council (ALTC) established the Exchange for those who teach, manage and lead learning and teaching in higher education. As part of the research conducted to inform the development of the Exchange, models for peer review of educational resources were evaluated. For this, a design based research approach …

Perceived Coping & Concern Predict Terrorism Preparedness In Australia, Garry Stevens, Kingsley Agho, Melanie Taylor, Alison L. Jones, Margo Barr, Beverley Raphael

Alison L Jones

Background In the aftermath of major terrorist incidents research shows population shifts towards protective behaviours, including specific preparedness and avoidance responses. Less is known about individual preparedness in populations with high assumed threat but limited direct exposure, such as Australia. In this study we aimed to determine whether individuals with high perceived coping and higher concern would show greater preparedness to respond to terrorism threats. Methods Adults in New South Wales (NSW) completed terrorism perception and response questions as part of computer assisted telephone interviews (CATI) in 2010 (N=2038). Responses were weighted against the NSW population. Multiple logistic regression analyses …

Newspaper Coverage Of Drug Policy: An Analysis Of Pre-Election Reporting Of The Greens' Drug Policy In Australia, Danika Hall, Sandra C. Jones, Fiona Cowlin

Sandra Jones

Introduction and Aims. With the headline 'Ecstasy Over The Counter' in a popular daily newspaper, the debate on drug policy officially entered the arena of the 2003 New South Wales (Australia) State Election. The debate resurfaced in the lead-up to the 2004 Australian Federal Election. This paper analyses the pre-election coverage of drug policy issues in four Australian newspapers. Design and Methods. Four high-circulation daily newspapers were monitored for a one-month period prior to both elections and analysed for their coverage of drug policy, particularly with respect to the policy of the Greens. Results. The newspapers took different perspectives on …

Amplified Voices, But They Are Speaking To The Wrong People. Why The Complaint System For Unacceptable Advertising In Australia Is Not Working, Katherine Eagleton, Sandra C. Jones

Sandra Jones

This exploratory study highlights the lack of public awareness of the role of the Advertising Standards Board (ASB) in the process of handling complaints about unacceptable advertising in Australia. Results show that only a small proportion of Australian adults know that the ASB are the appropriate complaints handling body. This lack of awareness is evident even among those who have made a complaint about advertising (generally to a less appropriate body). This highlights the need for an education campaign to inform the general public how to make a complaint about inappropriate advertising, and who to make a complaint to. Empowering …

Recent Sedimentation And Geomorphological Changes, Lake Illawarra, Nsw, Australia, Craig R. Sloss, Brian G. Jones, Colin V. Murray-Wallace, Bryan E. Chenhall

B. G. Jones

Assessing recent changes in landforms associated with Lake Illawarra was achieved by identifying changes in geomorphological features observed in early mapping of the region, aerial photographs and satellite imagery. Quantifying rates of sedimentation associated with prograding fluvial bay-head deltas and within the central basin of Lake Illawarra was established within the framework of amino acid racemisation, radiocarbon, and cesium 137 dating. Results indicate that sedimentation rates associated with fluvial bay-head deltas range from 31 mm/yr proximal to the delta front and fall to between 3 and 7 mm/yr in the pro-delta region. This is a significant increase in sedimentation rate …

Litho- And Chronostratigraphy Of Holocene Sedimentary Successions Preserved In Lake Illawarra, Nsw, Australia, Craig R. Sloss, Brian G. Jones, Colin V. Murray-Wallace

B. G. Jones

Using a Holocene barrier estuary, Lake Illawarra, New South Wales, Australia, as an example, a detailed litho- and chrono-stratigraphy of the Holocene estuarine deposits has been investigated. Forty kilometres of seismic surveys, 61 vibracores, supplemented by auger drill holes and trenches, and faunal analysis were used in this study. A detailed chronology of the infilling of the barrier estuary has been established using 121 aspartic acid derived ages and 14 radiocarbon ages. The results provide a detailed chronology for the deposition of marine transgressive deposits between ca. 8 and 5 ka years ago. Barrier growth, initiated with rising sea levels …

Geochemical Consequences Of The Permian-Triassic Mass Extinction In A Non-Marine Succession, Sydney Basin, Australia, M Williams, B Jones, P Carr

B. G. Jones

The identification of the Permian–Triassic boundary (PTB) and Permian–Triassic mass extinction event (PTME) in eastern Australia is based primarily on palynological and plant fossil evidence with limited δ13Corg data from the northern part of the Sydney Basin. Consequently, the PTB in the Sydney Basin has been placed at the top of the last Permian coal measures. Here we report carbon and nitrogen isotopic data, together with major element, trace element and mineralogical data, for a continuous non‐marine Permian–Triassic (P–Tr) section from the southern Sydney Basin. The PTME is identified by a negative shift in δ13Corg of ~ 3.8‰ occurring approximately …

Heavy Minerals In Modern Sediments Of The Minnamurra Estuary And Shelf Environment, Nsw, Australia, Rabea Haredy, Brian Jones, Adrian Hutton

B. G. Jones

Provenance and sediment distribution have been investigated in the Minnamurra estuary and the adjacent shelf in NSW, Australia. Heavy mineral assemblages in the sand fractions (63-250 f.lm) of 110 surficial sediment samples were assessed using microscopic and microprobe analyses. In addition to the dominant opaque minerals, twelve translucent heavy mineral species were identified. The translucent assemblage is dominated by pyroxene, zircon, tourmaline and hornblende. Statistical cluster analysis of heavy mineral percentages in the surficial sediments revealed the existence of five mineralogical facies: the upper fluvial part of the estuary, the Minnamurra spit and elevated inner sand terrace, the estuary inlet …

The Influence Of Palaeoenvironment And Lava Flux On The Emplacement Of Submarine, Near-Shore Late Permian Basalt Lavas, Sydney Basin (Australia), Paul Carr, Brian Jones

B. G. Jones

Lava flux and a low palaeoslope were the critical factors in determining the development of different facies in the Late Permian Blow Hole flow, which comprises a series of shoshonitic basalt lavas and associated volcaniclastic detritus in the southern Sydney Basin of eastern Australia. The unit consists of a lower lobe and sheet facies, a middle tube and breccia facies, and an upper columnar-jointed facies. Close similarities in petrography and geochemistry between the basalt lavas from the three facies suggest similar viscosities at similar temperatures. Sedimentological and palaeontological evidence from the sedimentary units immediately below the Blow Hole flow suggests …

Aspartic Acid Racemisation Dating Of Mid-Holocene To Recent Estuarine Sedimentation In New South Wales, Australia: A Pilot Study, C Sloss, C Murray-Wallace, B Jones, T Wallin

B. G. Jones

The degree of aspartic acid racemisation measured in radiocarbon-dated specimens of fossil estuarine molluscs, collected from Lake Illawarra, a Holocene barrier estuary in New South Wales, Australia, is evaluated in the context of results of laboratory-induced racemisation established in heating (simulated ageing) experiments. The general kinetic trend of aspartic acid racemisation in both heating experiments and fossil molluscs Anadara trapezia and Notospisula trigonella conforms to a model of apparent parabolic kinetics. Using the apparent parabolic kinetic model, numeric ages based on the degree of aspartic acid racemisation in the fossil molluscs have been calculated. An aminostratigraphy of the Lake Illawarra …