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We have evaluated the final-year Psychiatry and Addiction Medicine (PAM) summative Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) examinations in a four-year graduate medical degree program, for the previous three years as a baseline comparator, and during three years of the COVID-19 pandemic (2020–2022). A de-identified analysis of medical student summative OSCE examination performance, and comparative review for the 3 years before, and for each year of the pandemic. Internal reliability in test scores as measured by R-squared remained the same or increased following the start of the pandemic. There was a significant increase in mean test scores after the start of the pandemic compared to pre-pandemic for combined OSCE scores for all final-year disciplines, as well as for the PAM role-play OSCEs, but not for the PAM mental state examination OSCEs. Changing to online OSCEs during the pandemic was related to an increase in scores for some but not all domains of the tests. This is in line with a nascent body of literature on medical teaching and examination following the start of the pandemic. Further research is needed to optimise teaching and examination in a post-pandemic medical school environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alexithymia refers to difficulties identifying feelings (DIF), describing feelings (DDF), and externally orientated thinking (EOT). Originally conceptualized by American psychiatrists, some researchers have since questioned the validity and application of this construct in Asian cultures. However, to date, there is little empirical work formally assessing the invariance of alexithymia across Asian and Western cultures. The present study aimed to help address this gap, by examining the psychometric properties and measurement invariance of two alexithymia measures, the Perth Alexithymia Questionnaire (PAQ) and Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20 (TAS-20), across samples from Singapore (n = 434) or Australia (n = 489). The same theoretically congruent factor structure was supported across both samples; this structure was fully invariant across samples for the PAQ, and partially invariant for the TAS-20. Both measures had good internal consistency and concurrent validity across samples, except the TAS-20 EOT subscale which had low internal consistency and factor loadings in both samples. The Singaporean sample reported higher DIF and DDF for positive emotions than the Australian sample. Overall, our results support the cross-cultural validity and application of the alexithymia construct. The PAQ and TAS-20 both appear to have good utility in this respect, though the PAQ may provide a more detailed facet-level profile. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Little is known in Australia about current practice relating to medical end-of-life decisions preceding patient deaths. This study aimed to translate and culturally adapt a European questionnaire on medical end-of-life decisions and end-of-life care to the Australian context, producing a questionnaire to assess current medical practice in Australia and enable comparison with international studies. Following initial research team review, an English translation of the questionnaire was culturally adapted using four waves of cognitive pre-testing interviews with members of the target community: Australian doctors (n=27) from different specialties, clinical settings and geographical locations. Cognitive interviewing was used to identify potential problems with the translated questionnaire by examining the cognitive processes participants used to answer questions. Two experts in end-of-life research provided feedback on the questionnaire after the third wave of cognitive interviews. Research team review occurred again after the third and fourth waves of cognitive interviews. Interview notes were reviewed, coded and analysed using content analysis. A consensus approach was used to identify necessary adaptations, with all members of the research team endorsing the adaptations. Following cognitive pre-testing, an online version of the questionnaire was piloted with doctors, nurses and health law researchers (n=13). Improvements to questionnaire wording, flow/routeing and design were identified during the cognitive interviewing and piloting process and implemented. Saturation in terms of face and content validity and acceptability of the questionnaire was achieved after four rounds of cognitive interviews. Participants generally agreed that the adapted questionnaire instructions were easy to follow, the questions were easy to understand, they felt comfortable answering all the questions, and the online questionnaire format was user friendly. The time taken to complete the questionnaire (average 9.2 min) was also acceptable to participants. Cognitive interviewing was a suitable method for identifying and solving challenges with comprehension and applicability of the questionnaire within the Australian context. The final questionnaire was well accepted by doctors and is now being used in a study exploring the incidence and nature of medical end-of-life decisions involving adult patients in one Australian state (Victoria). This questionnaire may be suitable for use or further adaptation in research in other English speaking jurisdictions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Historical Clinical Risk Management-20 Version 3 is the latest iteration in the HCR-20 series, adopting novel changes such as the addition of Relevance ratings and non-requirement to include the Psychopathy Checklist–Revised. This study aimed to examine these changes and compare the predictive validity of the HCR-20V3 to the HCR-20V2. The sample comprised of 100 forensic psychiatric patients, retrospectively followed up for a maximum period of approximately 13 years post-discharge from the Thomas Embling Hospital. Recidivism data were sourced from official police records. Results indicated good to excellent inter-rater reliability. The HCR-20V3 significantly predicted violent recidivism (area under the curve =.70 to.77), levels of accuracy that were not significantly different from the HCR-20V2. HCR-20V3 Relevance ratings failed to add incremental validity above Presence ratings; however, the PCL–R improved upon the HCR-20V3's validity. The study represented one of the first evaluations of the HCR-20V3 in Australia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Australia, school-based immunisation programmes (SBIP) provide Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccinations to secondary school students. However, despite such free programmes, around 20% of girls and 25% of boys do not complete all doses. This formative study identified barriers and enablers to vaccine completion. Online surveys were conducted with senior school administrators and nurses from Western Australian secondary schools across all three school sectors. Year 8 students participated in focus group discussions. Parents participated in one-on-one interviews (n = 22). Administrators were supportive of vaccination and the SBIP. Nurses and administrators perceived lack of parental awareness, issues around consent and school absenteeism as the main barriers to completion. Parent and student knowledge concerning HPV, the HPV vaccine and immunisation in general were low. Despite this, students and parents were supportive of the SBIP and wanted the opportunity to learn more about HPV, the vaccination and immunisation in general. There are opportunities for targeted school-based work to increase awareness and provision of consent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Health Professionals are required to balance care practices against patient risk to optimise safety. Communicating clinical risk with the patient requires confidence. Objective: The objective was to explore health professionals understanding and confidence of patient-centred communication during conversations of risk prevention. Design: An exploratory study was conducted. Methods: Nurses, physiotherapists and social workers in a metropolitan hospital in Sydney (New South Wales, Australia) completed face to face interviews (n = 16) regarding person-centred communication and clinical risk. Results: The sample was predominately female and had been a health profession for 11.5 years (mean). Six key themes were generated including: Perceptions of person-centred communication; Preparing for person-centred communication and Understanding and prioritising conversations about preventable clinical risk. Conclusions: Person-centred communication was embedded in clinical practice; the 'patient voice' was considered central. Clinical risk was a priority. Education to improve communication was highlighted as a way to enhance person-centred communication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Researchers have used the Narver and Slater's construct (1990), hereafter (N&S), to operationalise market orientation (MO). The assumption is that the construct is universally equivalent across cultures, countries and research contexts. We develop a way of testing the invariance of N&S operationalisations as an example of how researchers can establish measure invariance across different cultures, countries or languages. In this particular study we test the N&S operationalisation across Australian and UK samples. The results suggest that the conceptualisation of MO is similar in the two countries at a weak factorial invariance level. Thereafter the operationalisation is different, i.e. intercepts are significantly different and item reliabilities are also different. These results suggest that because measure equivalence is not strong, contextualisation of findings is necessary since generalisability may be limited. The significance of this research is in alerting researchers to the assumptions, rarely tested, that underlay comparisons across qualitatively distinct populations. We suggest researchers test these assumptions before substantive tests of theories are undertaken. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The quality of parent-child interactions and family relationships has a powerful influence on children's development and well-being. The International Parenting Survey (IPS) is a brief, web-based survey developed to provide a cross-national, community-level, population snapshot of the experiences of parents related to raising children. The IPS was developed as a planning tool to assist policy makers and community agencies plan, implement, and evaluate parenting programs and as a tracking tool to evaluate parenting support programs in different countries. We report the preliminary psychometric properties of the IPS on various domains of measurement in an international sample of over 9,000 parents. Moderate to high reliabilities were obtained for all domains of measurement. High internal consistency reliabilities (α = .88-.97) were obtained for the domains of children's behavior and emotional maladjustment, for parental self-efficacy, parental distress and parental beliefs. Moderate levels of reliabilities (α = .52-.83) were obtained for domains of parental consistency, coercive parenting, positive encouragements, and parent-child relationships. Overall, the measure appears to have satisfactory reliability justifying further psychometric validation studies in population level studies of parenting. Examples of uses of the IPS are described and directions for future research and policy explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To investigate the face validity of a measure of therapeutic alliance for paediatric speech–language pathology and to determine whether a difference exists in therapeutic alliance reported by speech–language pathologists (SLPs) conducting face-to-face sessions, compared with telepractice SLPs or in their ratings of confidence with technology. Method: SLPs conducting telepractice (n = 14) or face-to-face therapy (n = 18) completed an online survey which included the Therapeutic Alliance Scales for Children – Revised (TASC-r) (Therapist Form) to rate clinicians’ perceptions of rapport with up to three clients. Participants also reported their overall perception of rapport with each client and their comfort with technology. Result: There was a strong correlation between TASC-r total scores and overall ratings of rapport, providing preliminary evidence of TASC-r face validity. There was no significant difference between TASC-r scores for telepractice and face-to-face therapy (p = 0.961), nor face-to-face and telepractice SLPs’ confidence with familiar (p = 0.414) or unfamiliar technology (p = 0.780). Conclusion: The TASC-r may be a promising tool for measuring therapeutic alliance in speech–language pathology. Telepractice does not appear to have a negative effect on rapport between SLPs and paediatric clients. Future research is required to identify how SLPs develop rapport in telepractice. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The aim of this article is to report on the validity and internal consistency of a short food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) to measure dietary intake in Australian adults. A total of 407 individuals completed the short FFQ. The Cronbach’s alpha of 0.66 indicated acceptable internal consistency for the FFQ. Content validity was measured using factor analysis showed that 35% of total variance was explained by factor analysis. The FFQ was also validated against 31 3-day food records (FR). No significant difference between average intake of energy, most macronutrients, and some micronutrients between two instruments was identified. An acceptable levels of correlation (0.39–0.69) was observed between the two instruments. Bland and Altman’s plots showed relative agreement in both instruments with potential bias in measuring iron and iodine. The current FFQ can be an acceptable tool to quickly measuring dietary intake in Australian adults. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Purpose: The current study aimed to benchmark clinical outcomes for preschool-aged clients (2;0–5;11 years old) that attended a student-led clinic and undertook the Lidcombe Program. Method: A case file audit was undertaken for all preschool clients who attended the clinic between February 2008 and February 2013 and commenced the Lidcombe Program. Clients were grouped according to Stage 1 completion. A mixed ANOVA was used to test for differences between the groups in initial and final percentage syllables stuttered (%SS). Associations between case variable factors and treatment duration were investigated using Pearson correlations. Result: Clients who completed Stage 1 had final %SS and severity rating (SR) scores comparable to the literature; however, the median Stage 1 duration was greater. Over half of the clients (57%) withdrew prior to completing Stage 1. These clients had a significantly higher %SS at final treatment session than their completing peers. Initial %SS and SR scores were the only case variables associated with treatment duration. Conclusion: Students can achieve the same short-term treatment outcomes for children who stutter using the Lidcombe Program as the current published literature; however, treatment duration is greater and may impact completion. Implications of this for clinical education are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Objective: While person-centered principles provide an ideal foundation for developing service standards in residential aged and dementia care, there has been limited attention to developing tools which can measure service structures, processes and outcomes according to these principles. The Person-Centered Environment and Care Assessment Tool (PCECAT) was developed to assess and improve residential aged-care standards using person-centered principles, while also adhering to the Australian residential aged-care standards. Methods: A mixed-methods approach was used to develop and validate the PCECAT in five sequential stages. Results: Content, face, concurrent, and convergent validity were established and test-retest reliability was confirmed in 334 aged/dementia care units belonging to 131 Australian and New Zealand aged-care homes. Conclusions: The PCECAT and its Guidelines have helped providers to improve service quality. While Australian residential aged-care standards were used as guidelines in developing the scale, there is potential for PCECAT adaptation in other countries and cultures. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Fundamental movement skills (FMS) competence is low in adolescent girls. An assessment tool for teachers is needed to monitor FMS in this demographic. The present study explored whether the Canadian Agility and Movement Skill Assessment (CAMSA) is feasible for use by physical education (PE) teachers of Australian Year 7 girls in a school setting. Surveys, focus group interviews, and direct observation of 18 specialist PE teachers investigated teachers’ perceptions of this tool. Results indicated that the CAMSA was usable in a real-world school setting and was considered a promising means to assess FMS in Year 7 girls. However, future iterations may require minor logistical alterations and further training for teachers on how to utilize the assessment data to enhance teaching practice. These considerations could be used to improve future design, application, and training of the CAMSA in school-based PE. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background: The Health of the Nation Outcome Scale (HoNOS) has been adopted with enthusiasm by service providers and clinicians, but criticism regarding the appropriate factor structure has emerged. Aims: The current study aimed to determine an appropriate factor structure that is both psychometrically sound and clinically meaningful. Method: HoNOS data for 6475 inpatients at admission and 6308 at discharge from an Australian psychiatric clinic were assessed in two studies. Results: The results of confirmatory factor analyses support the use of a new four factor model that includes anti-social, physical and psychological impairment, symptom, and socio-economic factors. The four factor structure demonstrated greater sensitivity to change than alternatives and factorial stability. In addition, the model is both parsimonious and clinically useful. Conclusions: When administering the HoNOS for patients with mood and/or anxiety disorders, it appears the new four factor model is an appropriate means of interpreting scores. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper adds to an historical understanding of the relation between professional practice and higher education by tracing the Australian Society of Accountant's (ASA) struggle to establish a qualifying examination as part of a new programme of professional accounting education in Australia. In 1970, when the ASA introduced a qualifying examination, which it had developed for candidates commencing their accounting courses in 1967, the higher education institutions protested against this action because it required graduates to sit for an examination which they claimed re-ran material already examined in their curricula. They argued that the ASA's proposal imposed on candidates an examination which was grounded neither in accounting practice nor in a common core of accounting knowledge which related to that practice: the form of the examination had taken many years to devise but it lacked substance. Then, in 1976, another type of qualifying examination was introduced. This programme of study emphasised practical applications of accounting and minimised formal academic procedures. It suffered the same fate as its predecessor. The resistance of the higher education institutions to the former and graduates to the latter assured the failure of the ASA's proposals because, at this point, the ASA lacked any strategies to ensure their cooperation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the validity of self-reports of substance use in 69 low-level substance users from the general community of Perth, Australia, volunteering for electrophysiological research, between 2002 and 2003. The participants included regular cannabis users and schizophrenia patients. Self-reports of recent use (last 24 hours) highly agreed with urine screen results (kappa = 0.91). Self-reports of past use (lifetime and last 12 months) had poor-moderate consistency based on correlations among dependence (measured with SDS, FTND, SMAST, CAGE), frequency, and use duration. Therefore, under some conditions, self-reports are valid for recent use and only moderately consistent for past substance use in general research participants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]