Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Assessing The Quality, Suitability And Readability Of Internet-Based Health Information About Warfarin For Patients, Sayeed Nasser, Judy Mullan, Beata Bajorek

Graduate School of Medicine - Papers (Archive)

Background
Warfarin is a high-risk medication where patient information may be critical to help ensure safe and effective treatment. Considering the time constraints of healthcare providers, the internet can be an important supplementary information resource for patients prescribed warfarin. The usefulness of internet-based patient information is often limited by challenges associated with finding valid and reliable health information. Given patients’ increasing access of the internet for information, this study investigated the quality, suitability and readability of patient information about warfarin presented on the internet.
Method
Previously validated tools were used to evaluate the quality, suitability and readability of patient information …

The Role Of Health Literacy And Social Networks In Arthritis Patient's Health Information-Seeking Behaviour: A Qualitative Study, Janette Ellis, Judy Mullan, Anthony Worsley, Nagesh Brahmavar Pai

Graduate School of Medicine - Papers (Archive)

Background. Patients engage in health information-seeking behaviour to maintain their wellbeing and to manage chronic diseases such as arthritis. Health literacy allows patients to understand available treatments and to critically appraise information they obtain from a wide range of sources. Aims. To explore how arthritis patients’ health literacy affects engagement in arthritis-focused health information-seeking behaviour and the selection of sources of health information available through their informal social network. Methods. An exploratory, qualitative study consisting of one-on-one semi-structured interviews. Twenty participants with arthritis were recruited from community organizations. The interviews were designed to elicit participants’ understanding about their arthritis and …

A Phase Ii Clinical Trial Of A Dental Health Education Program Delivered By Aboriginal Health Workers To Prevent Early Childhood Caries, Fiona Blinkhorn, Ngiare Brown, Ruth Freeman, Gerry Humphris, Andrew Martin, Anthony Blinkhorn

Graduate School of Medicine - Papers (Archive)

Background: Early Childhood Caries (ECC) is a widespread problem in Australian Aboriginal communities causing severe pain and sepsis. In addition dental services are difficult to access for many Aboriginal children and trying to obtain care can be stressful for the parents. The control of dental caries has been identified as a key indictor in the reduction of Indigenous disadvantage. Thus, there is a need for new approaches to prevent ECC, which reflect the cultural norms of Aboriginal communities. Methods/Design. This is a Phase II single arm trial designed to gather information on the effectiveness of a dental health education program …

The Study Design And Methodology For The Archer Study - Adolescent Rural Cohort Study Of Hormones, Health, Education, Environments And Relationships, Katharine Steinbeck, P Hazell, Robert Cumming, S Skinner, Rebecca Ivers, Robert Booy, G Fulcher, D Handelsman, Andrew Martin, Geoff Morgan, J M. Starling, Adrian E. Bauman, M Rawsthorne, D Bennett, C Chow, Mary K. Lam, P Kelly, Ngiare J. Brown, K Paxton, C Hawke

Graduate School of Medicine - Papers (Archive)

Background: Adolescence is characterized by marked psychosocial, behavioural and biological changes and represents a critical life transition through which adult health and well-being are established. Substantial research confirms the role of psycho-social and environmental influences on this transition, but objective research examining the role of puberty hormones, testosterone in males and oestradiol in females (as biomarkers of puberty) on adolescent events is lacking. Neither has the tempo of puberty, the time from onset to completion of puberty within an individual been studied, nor the interaction between age of onset and tempo. This study has been designed to provide evidence on …

Trajectories Of Depression And Their Relationship With Health Status And Social Service Use, Chun-Min Chen, Judy Mullan, David Griffiths, Irene A. Kreis, Tzuo-Yun Lan, Herng-Chia Chiu

Graduate School of Medicine - Papers (Archive)

This longitudinal study was conducted between 1994 and 2004 in a cohort of Southern Taiwan community-living elderly residents. The study aims to explore the trajectories of depression and how these patterns differed between respondents who survived and those who died during data collection phases; this study also investigated how health status change and health/social service use predicted the different trajectories of depression. Eight hundred and ten participants had completed all six waves of the survey or were followed-up at each wave until death in the prospective study in Kaohsiung City. Depressive symptoms were evaluated by the Short Psychiatric Evaluation Schedule …

Do Doctors Have A Role In Public Health Education, Helen Rienits

Graduate School of Medicine - Papers (Archive)

A study of people’s attitudes and responses to the presentation of health education by a doctor.

Training Our Future Doctors To Deliver Public Health Education, Helen Rienits

Graduate School of Medicine - Papers (Archive)

Delivering health education is, as we all know, done for the purpose of trying to encourage people, either individually or as a community, to change their behaviour with the intention of improving their health and well being and preventing certain lifestyle caused illnesses. We would all admit that changing behaviour is difficult and it often takes repeated health messages and much encouragement to effect behavioural change in a person or community. With the aging population and rise in preventable illnesses in our communities, health education has become the responsibility of all health professionals in all forms of contact with individuals …

Factors Influencing General Practitioner Referral Patterns To Orthopaedic Surgeons In The Australian Health Care Setting: An On-Line Survey, David Loxton, Stephen Barnett, Patricia J. Knight, Andrew D. Bonney

Graduate School of Medicine - Papers (Archive)

Aim:

To use the member database of e-healthspace.com.au to identify and quantify the factors that influence General Practitioners when referring patients to a particular Orthopaedic Surgeon

Method:

On line Survey of 9495 General practitioners who are registered on www.ehealthspace.com.au Seven point Likert scale used to rank responses from extremely positive to extremely negative to various factors that influence decisions to refer patients to an Orthopaedic Surgeon

Questions: 5 Broad Categories

Professional and personal reputation / Communication / Style of practice / Promotional activities / Access and cost

Results:

476 respondents.

407 proceeded beyond the demographic questions.

Demographic Questions:

Practice location …

Media Reporting Of Health Interventions: Signs Of Improvement, But Major Problems Persist, Amanda J. Wilson, Billie Bonevski, Alison L. Jones, David Henry

Graduate School of Medicine - Papers (Archive)

Background: Studies have persistently shown deficiencies in medical reporting by the mainstream media. We have been monitoring the accuracy and comprehensiveness of medical news reporting in Australia since mid 2004. This analysis of more than 1200 stories in the Australian media compares different types of media outlets and examines reporting trends over time.

Methods and Findings: Between March 2004 and June 2008 1230 news stories were rated on a national medical news monitoring web site, Media Doctor Australia. These covered a variety of health interventions ranging from drugs, diagnostic tests and surgery to dietary and complementary therapies. Each story was …

Implementing Longitudinal Community-Based Health Education Using A Sustainable Change Model, Judith N. Hudson, B. R. Smith, Elizabeth Farmer

Graduate School of Medicine - Papers (Archive)

The University of Wollongong Graduate School of Medicine provides a 4 year graduate entry medical programme aimed at producing competent graduates with a vocation to serve in rural regional and remote Australia. This innovative programme includes a longitudinal integrated clinical placement for a full academic year in the third phase of the course. All students will live, learn and work in a rural regional or remote community and engage with all health services including primary care, hospitals and extended services. This initiative aims to extend the concept of community based health education and continuity of care as a core curriculum …

Setting Directions For Research Capacity Building In Primary Health Care: A Survey Of A Research Network, Karin Ried, Elizabeth Farmer, Kathryn M. Weston

Graduate School of Medicine - Papers (Archive)

Background

The South Australian Research Network 'SARNet' aims to build research capacity in primary health care, as part of a national government-funded strategy to integrate research into clinical practice. Internationally, research networks have been a fundamental part of research culture change, and a variety of network models exist. The 'SARNet' model uses a whole system, multidisciplinary approach to capacity building and supports individuals and groups. We undertook a descriptive baseline survey in order to understand the background and needs of SARNet members and to tailor network activities towards those needs.

Methods

A questionnaire survey, assessing members' professional background, research experience, …

Linking Primary Health Care Researchers In South Australia: A Network Strategy, Sarnet, Raechel L. Waters, Kathryn M. Weston, Elizabeth Farmer

Graduate School of Medicine - Papers (Archive)

In response to the changing definitions of primary care delivery there is a growing need for research to be practitioner-driven and multidisciplinary. This paper addresses the strategies used to enhance multidisciplinary participation and capacity building in research in the South Australian Primary Health Care Research Network (SARNet). This network has 198 members currently. Membership is strongly multidisciplinary and spans all levels of research expertise. The services offered by the network are member-driven and include competitive bursary funding for research and evaluation skills development, writing groups, training events, access to web-based resources and information, special interest groups, and email alerts. Potential …

Research Networks: Enhancing Change In Australian Primary Health Care, Elizabeth Farmer, Raechel L. Waters, Kathryn M. Weston

Graduate School of Medicine - Papers (Archive)

As primary health care disciplines evolve and strengthen both in Australia and internationally, primary care practitioners need to develop their research capacity at all levels. This paper discusses the changing face of primary health care and the emergence of primary care research networks as agents for research skills capacity building. Much can be learnt from international experiences, such as those in the United Kingdom, in terms of network models and approaches that have demonstrated successful outcomes including increased grant applications, research higher degree completions and publications. However, these outcomes are at least partly dependent on different contexts of health care …