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Background: The global population is ageing rapidly and there is a need for strategies to promote health and wellbeing among older adults. Nutrition knowledge is a key predictor of dietary intake; therefore, effective educational programmes are urgently required to rectify poor dietary patterns. Digital health technologies provide a viable option for delivering nutrition education that is cost‐effective and widely accessible. However, few technologies have been developed to meet the unique needs and preferences of older adults. Objective: The aim of this study was to explore technology use among older adults and qualitatively determine the content needs and design preferences for an online nutrition education resource tailored to older adult consumers in Australia. Methods: Twenty adult participants aged 55 years and older (95% female) participated in one of four 2‐h participatory design workshops. In each workshop, prompted discussion questions were used to explore participants' technology use and preferences and to explore content needs and design preferences for an online nutrition education resource specific to older adults. Results: All participants were regularly using a range of different devices (e.g., smartphones, tablets and computers) and reported being comfortable doing so. Participants wanted a website that provided general nutrition information, practical advice and recipes. To enhance engagement, they sought a personalised resource that could be adjusted to suit their needs, included up‐to‐date information and allowed for easy sharing with others by exporting information as a PDF. Conclusions: Participatory design methods generate new knowledge for designing and tailoring digital health technologies to be appropriate and useful for the target audience. Specifically, older adults seek an online resource that has large and simple fonts with clear categories, providing them with practical advice and general nutrition information that can be personalised to suit their own needs and health concerns, with the option to export and print information into a paper‐based format. Patient or Public Contribution: Older adults actively participated in the development and evaluation process to generate ideas about potential features, functionalities, uses and practicalities of an online nutrition education resource. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Older carers or 'care partners' of older people experiencing care needs often provide essential support, at times while neglecting their own health and well‐being. This is an increasingly frequent scenario due to both demographic changes and policy shifts towards ageing in place. Multiple community stakeholders within the care and support ecosystem hold valuable expertise about the needs of older care partners, and the programme and policy responses that may better support their health and well‐being. The aim of this study was to identify the perspectives of stakeholders obtained through the codesign phase of a multicomponent research project investigating new models of care and support for older care partners suitable for the Australian context. Methods: Principles of codesign were used to engage a purposeful sample of older care partners, health professionals, researchers, policy makers and health service administrators. Participants took part in a series of three codesign workshops conducted remotely via video conferencing. The workshops were supported with briefing material and generated consensus‐based summaries, arriving at a preferred service model. Findings: This paper reports the research design and structure of the codesign panels, the range of findings identified as important to support the health and well‐being of older carers of older people, and the resulting service model principles. The codesigned and preferred model of care is currently being prepared for implementation and evaluation in Australia. Public Contribution: This study was conducted using codesign methodology, whereby stakeholders including older care partners and others involved in supporting older carers, were integrally involved with design, development, results and conclusions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Internationally, cultural factors are associated with vaccine uptake and completion in ethnic minority communities. Whilst Australia has achieved high human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination, little is known about how culture or ethnicity influences HPV vaccination engagement. To address these gaps, we partnered with our Local Health District to explore how one culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) community engages with school and HPV vaccination. Methods: We adapted a participatory research method (the World Café) to engage one local CALD community—the Macedonian community (Our bi‐cultural researcher and participants preferred the term 'Macedonia' rather than The Republic of North Macedonia as outlined in the 2018 Prespa agreement) in New South Wales (Australia)—to discuss HPV and school vaccination. Our qualitative analysis combined deductive codes taken from the Tailoring Immunization Programme framework, inductive codes guided by narrative inquiry (temporality, sociality and place) and previously known vaccination 'trust' frameworks. Results: In late 2019, 31 local Macedonian community members were purposely recruited for two World Cafés (n = 15 mothers/grandmothers and n = 16 young adults). Our themes reveal a community narrative grounded in historical vaccine experiences, family views on vaccination and a general trust in schools. Participants collectively discussed how 'increasing knowledge' and 'tailoring health communications' could strengthen community vaccine decision‐making. Conclusion: This study demonstrates how research partnerships and participatory methods can be applied in CALD community settings to research engagement with school and HPV vaccination. Our World Café dialogues highlight a positive narrative about vaccines, where community vaccination behaviours were built on multilayer trust relationships despite low vaccine knowledge. Our findings further knowledge around 'public trust' in school vaccination, highlighting the importance of existing (or missing) trust relationships when tailoring vaccine communication to local CALD communities. Patient or Public Contribution: Participants who took part in the World Cafes were all local Macedonian community parents or young adults who have been or will be exposed to the health services offered by school‐based HPV vaccination. Thus, all the data collected came from their personal experiences with the school vaccination programme, or how they expect to participate in the programme. To ensure our study design was culturally appropriate and tailored to the Macedonian community, we engaged with the relevant local health stakeholders (the bi‐cultural Multicultural Health Officer and Multicultural Health Service Manager Programme Director) to adapt and refine the World Café method for this context and setting. Our local health stakeholders also reviewed our preliminary findings, assisted with data interpretation and participated in manuscript editing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper reflects on some of the exposure visits/city walks that were organized as part of the recent workshop on life-giving evangelism in the city, held in Sydney, Australia. These exposure visits were designed to engage participants in reflection on evangelism and stimulate their own expressions of contextually relevant evangelistic practice. I suggest that the visits remind us of at least five key themes in evangelism - invitation, invaded space, serving the least and lost, the importance of the local, and the need for celebration in the midst of our multicultural world. In the second part of the paper, I reflect on the discussion that took place with my class at United Theological College, Sydney, on the theme of evangelism, particularly from the perspective of the three recent global statements on mission. Finally, I join in the call for joy to be the hallmark of our engagement in evangelism. We are to 'glow with fervour' as people who have first received the joy of Christ. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Social needs such as housing, employment, food, income and social isolation are having a significant impact on individuals, families and communities. Individuals are increasingly presenting to health settings with social needs, which are ill‐equipped to address nonmedical needs. Social prescribing is a systematic approach connecting the health, social and community sectors to better address social needs and improve health and wellbeing. Social prescribing interventions are being implemented world‐wide. With variability in health and social care systems internationally, it is important that social prescribing interventions are co‐designed with key stakeholders to ensure they can be implemented and sustained within local systems. Methods: This Australian case study provides a detailed description of the process undertaken to co‐design a social prescribing service model in a regional area. Four co‐design workshops were undertaken, two with health and social care professionals and two with community members. The project followed an iterative process of resourcing, planning, recruiting, sensitising, facilitation, reflection and building for change across the workshops. Results: Through this process, key stakeholders were able to successfully co‐design a social prescribing model of care for the region. Conclusion: By demonstrating the process and materials used in our project, we aim to open the 'black box' of co‐design for social prescribing and provide ideas and resources for others to adapt and utilise. Patient or Public Contribution: The project was designed and undertaken by a steering committee comprising university‐based researchers (authors C. O. and S. B.), local government (author D. A.) and health, social and community services (authors B. G., M. W., J. O. and S. R.). Members of the steering committee participated in project design, participant recruitment, workshop facilitation, data analysis and interpretation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is well established that connection and support are associated with supporting recovery from eating disorders whereas isolation and feeling misunderstood can be barriers to change. While the consumer and recovery movements have long advocated for treatments that go beyond symptom reduction alone to include factors such as connection with others, there are few treatments that are designed to target these directly for young people with eating disorders and their families. In 2014 the Sydney Children's Hospital Network Eating Disorder Service at The Children's Hospital at Westmead introduced multi‐family therapy (MFT), the first program of its kind in Australia, with a primary aim being to increase solidarity and support for families in addition to helping promote eating disorder recovery more broadly. Rooted in the principles of family therapy for anorexia nervosa, MFT generally brings together six to eight families for a four‐consecutive day workshop followed by six single follow‐up workshops over the course of six months. This paper reviews the current literature available on MFT, describes its introduction at a specialist tertiary eating disorder service in Australia, explores preliminary feedback from families, and discusses the importance of creating solidarity for families affected by eating disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article introduces a special issue of the journal based on a Work-Life Workshop hosted by the Australian Centre for Research in Employment and Work (ACREW) held in December of 2007 in Melbourne, Australia. Some of the papers presented at the workshop include "The Ability of Work-Life Balance Policies to Influence Key Social/Organisational Issues," "Positive Spillover From Work-Family Interface: A Study of Australian Employees," and "Returning Too Soon? Australian Mothers' Satisfaction with Maternity Leave Duration."

PARLOUR R and MCCORMACK B. Nursing Inquiry 2012; 19: 308-321 Blending critical realist and emancipatory practice development methodologies: making critical realism work in nursing research This paper examines the efficacy of facilitation as a practice development intervention in changing practice within an Older Person setting and in implementing evidence into practice. It outlines the influences exerted by the critical realist paradigm in guiding emancipatory practice development activities and, in particular, how the former may be employed within an emancipatory practice development study to elucidate and increase understanding pertinent to causation and outcomes. The methodology is based upon an emancipatory practice development approach set within a realistic evaluation framework. This allows for systematic analysis of the social and contextual elements that influence the explication of outcomes associated with facilitation. The study is concentrated upon five practice development cycles, within which a sequence of iterative processes is integrated. The authors assert that combining critical realist and emancipatory processes offers a robust and practical method for translating evidence and implementing changes in practice, as the former affirms or falsifies the influence that emancipatory processes exert on attaining culture shift, and enabling transformation towards effective clinical practice. A new framework for practice development is proposed that establishes methodological coherency between emancipatory practice development and realistic evaluation. This augments the existing theoretical bases for both these approaches by contributing new theoretical and methodological understandings of causation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports on the evaluation of the implementation of the National Recommendations for the Clinical Management of Alcohol-Related Problems in Indigenous Primary Care Settings undertaken in 2001 through 74 standardized workshops, which sought to determine: (1) whether this approach to implementation influenced the likelihood that the National Recommendations would be used; (2) whether it influenced participants' willingness to engage with Indigenous patients regarding alcohol-related issues; and (3) whether the implementation as a whole influenced both practice and clinicians' willingness to engage. Evaluation included pre-/post-workshop and follow-up questionnaires and a focus group. The findings presented indicate that distribution of clinical resources alone is not sufficient to ensure use and that, particularly for medical practitioners, appropriate introduction not only increases use but also positively influences willingness to engage with alcohol-related problems as part of primary clinical care. Further, the enthusiasm for guideline production should be tempered by the need to develop effective implementation strategies. [Hunter E, Brown J, McCullogh B. Encouraging practitioners to use resources: evaluation of the national implementation of a resource to improve the clinical management of alcohol-related problems in Indigenous primary care settings. Drug Alcohol Rev 2004;23:89-100] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To examine self‐reported exposure and experiences of negative workplace behaviour and ways of coping of nursing staff before and after educational workshops. Design: A Quasi‐experimental design. Method/Setting/Participants: Data were collected pre‐ /postworkshops using a structured questionnaire. Nurses (N = 230) from 12 units in four regional acute care hospitals were invited to complete a pre‐intervention survey. Educational workshops were then implemented by the organization at two of the hospitals, after which, follow‐up surveys were undertaken. Results: There were 74 responses in the pre‐intervention and 56 responses in the postintervention time period. There were 111 participants who attended the educational intervention, 20% (n = 22) completed the follow‐up survey. Participants were more likely exposed to work‐related bullying acts and they used problem‐focused coping strategies and sought social support as a way of coping when exposed to the negative behaviours. Overall, there was a decrease in both bullying and incivility experienced by participants; however, our findings were unable to establish that a statistically significant difference was made due to the implementation of the intervention. Study Registration: Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (Registration No. ACTRN12618002007213; December 14, 2018). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Problem: Women in rural and regional Australia experience a number of barriers to accessing sexual and reproductive health care including lack of local services, high costs and misinformation. Setting: Nurse‐led task‐sharing models of care for provision of long‐acting reversible contraception (LARC) and early medical abortion (EMA) are one strategy to reduce barriers and improve access to services but have yet to be developed in general practice. Key measures for improvement: Through a co‐design process, we will develop a nurse‐led model of care for LARC and EMA provision that can be delivered through face‐to‐face consultations or via telehealth in rural general practice in Australia. Strategies for change: A co‐design workshop, involving consumers, health professionals (particularly General Practitioners (GPs) and Practice Nurses (PNs)), GP managers and key stakeholders will be conducted to design nurse‐led models of care for LARC and EMA including implant insertion by nurses. The workshop will be informed by the 'Experience‐Based Co‐Design' toolkit and involves participants mapping the patient journey for service provision to inform a new model of care. Effects of change: Recommendations from the workshop will inform a nurse‐led model of care for LARC and EMA provision in rural general practice. The model will provide practical guidance for the set‐up and delivery of services. Lessons learnt Nurses will work to their full scope of practice to increase accessibility of EMA and LARC in rural Australia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article highlights several events and announcements related to family therapy in Australia. Frances Steinberg will conduct workshops from March to April 2009 which include the "Tough Teens/Challenging Children" for the first day event. Margaret Shapiro has offered discussion regarding central concern to couples and families in "Money: A Therapeutic Tool for Couples Therapy," published in "Family Process" journal. Claire Miran-Khan has resigned from the position as coordinator of Education Update, which she served since 1999.

Introduction: Adaptive communication is an essential requirement to deliver quality patient‐centred care. Determining patients' informational needs and acting on the needs are skills radiation therapists (RTs) employ daily with patients. Learning health literacy (HL) strategies to assist with the informational delivery provides RTs with options to improve patients' understanding of vital radiotherapy treatment information or tasks. This research investigates the lived experiences of RTs from the Illawarra and Shoalhaven Cancer Care Centres in Australia using HL strategies during patient interactions after undertaking HL training workshops. Methods: An interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) approach was used. Audio‐recorded semi‐structured interviews were conducted with six RTs. Two reviewers analysed each interview script separately before discussing and constructing substantive and sub‐themes. Results: Four substantive themes were constructed: RT personal attitudes and responses to HL, HL strategies used by RTs, patient associated HL needs and barriers when addressing patient HL needs. RTs were either person‐ or process‐focussed during patient interactions. It was identified that information is provided to patients according to how RTs themselves like to learn new information. Conclusion: This research has allowed an opportunity to inquire into the lived experiences of RTs implementing HL strategies when providing information to patients. While RTs may be person or process‐focussed, the patient's needs are always prioritised when providing information, which ultimately results in patient understanding and increased engagement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clinical learning experiences are known to exacerbate nursing student anxiety, causing them to present to clinical placement in distressed, meaning anxious, states. Students already living with anxiety are also more likely to suffer setbacks at this time. Supervising Registered Nurses (RNs), in the clinical settings, struggle to support this student cohort. A professional development activity was designed to introduce RNs to higher education and nursing students' known mental health concerns (such as anxiety) and to arm them with strategies for working with distressed students. A research approach that enabled researchers to collaborate with participants was employed to design the intervention. A study evaluated the impact of the educational intervention with 45 Australian RN supervisors. Two tailed T‐tests were chosen to explore the statistical difference between pre‐ and post‐test mean results across the survey items. A 95% confidence interval was used. Statistical significance was set at <0.05. The evaluation indicated the activity could be useful for improving supervising RNs' mental health literacy, thus enhancing their understanding of how to work with distressed students. Participants recommended the activity be offered to any staff supporting student clinical learning. Collaboration between nursing researchers and nursing clinical staff produced a meaningful professional development activity and motivated the participants to increase their mental health literacy and understanding of strategies to support distressed students. Future projects should adopt similar approaches that would support both RNs' ability to support students' during clinical learning and students in distress would also benefit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This evaluation considered the potential of We‐Yarn, a suicide prevention gatekeeper training workshop, to contribute to Aboriginal suicide prevention in rural New South Wales. Design: A mixed methods approach included surveys, in‐depth interviews and workshop observations. Setting: Aboriginal suicide prevention training in rural New South Wales, Australia. Participants: Attendees at We‐Yarn training. Intervention: We‐Yarn provided culturally safe suicide prevention skills training for Aboriginal people and for those who work with Aboriginal communities and persons in rural New South Wales. Training workshops were delivered across multiple locations for 6 hours in one day. Workshops were facilitated by two facilitators with lived and professional experience; one Aboriginal and one non‐Aboriginal facilitator. We‐Yarn content was developed by staff from the Centre for Rural and Remote Mental Health, and in consultation with Aboriginal Elders and representatives of Aboriginal Medical Services to ensure relevance and cultural appropriateness. Main outcome measures: Pre and post‐workshop surveys captured capacity and participants' confidence in identifying and responding to a person at risk of suicide. Interviews explored participants' experiences of workshops, implementation of learning, and attitudes regarding social and emotional wellbeing and suicide. Observations detailed the workshop environment, participants' engagement, and participants' responses to facilitators and content. Results: We‐Yarn was considered culturally appropriate. Participants responded to facilitators' lived experiences. Participants reported significant improvements in understanding the links between cultural strengths, social and emotional wellbeing and suicide prevention. However, health professionals with existing knowledge wanted a stronger focus on clinical training. Conclusion: We‐Yarn promoted discussion of suicide prevention within a holistic health framework, building on participants' pre‐existing knowledge about social and emotional wellbeing. Importantly, skilful facilitators with lived experience were vital to the success of the workshops. Consideration should be given to attracting people with low suicide prevention knowledge to the workshops, developing tailored workshops for health professionals and ensuring prolonged engagement with communities. Multifaceted and long term responses in addition to this type of training are important. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To evaluate Deadly Thinking, a social and emotional well‐being promotion program targeted to remote and rural Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. Deadly Thinking aims to improve emotional health literacy, psychological well‐being and attitudes towards associated help‐seeking. Design: Participants completed pre/post‐test evaluations via a brief self‐report survey immediately before and after the Deadly Thinking workshop. Setting: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in rural and regional Australia. Participants: Data were obtained from 413 participants (69.8% female, mean age 41.6 years), of whom 70.4% identified as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islanders. Intervention: Deadly Thinking workshops involve participant's engaging with a series of videos and facilitated group discussions with other participants related to social and emotional well‐being topics relevant to individuals and communities. Main outcome measures: Participants completed measures of psychological distress, suicidal ideation, substance use, changes in attitudes towards help‐seeking and help‐seeking intentions and satisfaction with the workshop. Additionally, participants in a train‐the‐trainer workshop rated their perceived confidence to deliver the program post‐workshop. Result: Participants reported positive perceptions of community safety and well‐being and low rates of marked distress, with no significant difference between train‐the‐trainer and community workshop participants. Results indicated significant improvement in help‐seeking intentions post‐workshop and high rates of satisfaction with workshop components. Conclusion: Initial evaluation indicates good acceptability and feasibility of delivering the Deadly Thinking program in rural and remote Indigenous communities; however, more robust evaluation of the program is warranted using controlled conditions to measure effectiveness, particularly for changing in help‐seeking behaviour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Medical and nursing students may feel under‐prepared to perform basic surgical and gynaecology procedural skills. There also remains scope within undergraduate programs to integrate interprofessional education, and better prepare students for interprofessional collaboration to improve patient care. Aims: A simulation‐based gynaecology surgical skills workshop program was introduced for undergraduate medical and nursing students. The aim of this study was to explore students' perceptions of a simulation‐based interprofessional gynaecological skills program, using students' pre‐ and post‐workshop confidence in taught skills reported in a post‐workshop questionnaire as an outcome measure. Materials and methods: One hundred and sixty undergraduate medical (n = 133) and nursing (n = 27) students attended the workshop program at a tertiary university in Melbourne, Australia. A survey was completed by all students immediately after the workshop, addressing students' perceptions of surgical education, the four skill‐stations (gowning/gloving, suturing, intrauterine device insertion, and urethral catheterisation), and interprofessional education. A Wilcoxon signed‐rank test was performed to compare students' pre‐ and post‐workshop confidence scores. Results: Most medical and nursing students (86%) agreed their course should provide more structured surgical education. There was a statistically significant increase in post‐workshop self‐reported confidence scores for medical and nursing students in all four taught skills. Confidence in interprofessional behaviours also improved in both cohorts, but the improvement in nursing students did not reach statistical significance. Conclusions: Simulation‐based, interprofessional, gynaecological surgery skills workshops are practical and valuable additions to undergraduate medical and nursing curricula. Further research should explore long‐term retention of procedural skills and changes in interprofessional attitudes in clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For twenty‐one years, soil information and knowledge in Victoria, Australia has been shared via the Victorian Resources Online (VRO) website. VRO has been the primary online repository for soil and landscape information generated from land resource assessment studies, field days, training workshops, and the visualization and animation of soil and landscape processes. User surveys and qualitative feedback have highlighted the value of online soil information to users, with many considering it a useful "tool of trade," particularly those involved in agricultural research, extension, planning and education. An extensive series of "Healthy Soils" training workshops (2007–2010) focused on topics such as "soil types and structure," "soil chemical testing," "soil biology," "soil erosion" and "organic matter." Evaluation has demonstrated their usefulness and relevance, with learning outcomes achieved by >80% of overall participants, many of whom planned to make better management decisions and change management practices on‐farm. The information and knowledge generated through the series of workshops remains a valuable online resource. The development of more sophisticated knowledge visualization tools, such as animations, has broadened the potential audience for soil‐related information. Analytical profiling of VRO users in recent years has highlighted it as a source of information and knowledge for a local, national and international audience. This supports the notion that increasing access to public‐sector data and information provides significant benefits. Lessons learnt from enduring programs such as VRO can inform future information and knowledge management initiatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the profession of occupational therapy to be ready, capable and responsive in the local, national and global community. It cites on the positive development of the practice which influences the opportunities of the professionals. The article also discusses the changes of the profession in line with the globalisation of technology.

Abstract: Background: Although teamwork and interprofessional collaboration are critical to patient safety, nursing, medical, and allied health graduates often feel ill‐prepared to confidently communicate and collaborate with other team members. While interprofessional education (IPE) has been advocated as a way of addressing this issue, there are multiple barriers to its systematic and sustained integration in undergraduate healthcare programs. Despite these challenges, examples of effective IPE initiatives have emerged. Innovation: This article profiles seven case studies of innovative interprofessional education activities that have been successfully implemented across five countries, for a variety of learners, using different delivery modalities, and with evaluation results attesting to their success. Conclusions: The case studies demonstrate innovative ideas that have the potential to overcome some of the barriers to IPE through the use of creative and targeted approaches. This article provides a wealth of ideas for the successful design and implementation of IPE initiatives and will be of benefit to educators wishing to expand their repertoire of teaching approaches. Clinical Relevance: A body of research attests to the relationship between interprofessional communication, teamwork, and patient outcomes. IPE is imperative for facilitating the development of nursing graduates’ communication and teamwork skills; however, innovative approaches are needed to overcome the perceived and actual impediments to its implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is an urgent need for culturally appropriate ways of assessing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander kinship carers for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children entering into out-of-home care in the Australian statutory child protection system. The Winangay Aboriginal Kinship Carer Assessment Tool (the Winangay Tool) has been developed to address this need. A key factor in the success of new ways of working is the fit of the new practice within the context in which it is introduced. The aim of this study was to evaluate the social and cultural acceptability of the Winangay Tool to practitioners responsible for assessing kinship carers. A total of 84 practitioners completed a questionnaire prior to training and 83 practitioners completed a questionnaire on completion of training in the use of the Winangay Tool. Responses on questionnaires completed pre- and post-training in the Winangay Tool suggest a high level of acceptability to practitioners. Both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and non-Aboriginal practitioners rated the Winangay Tool as culturally appropriate and acceptable overall, describing it as user-friendly, collaborative and innovative. The favourability of the Winangay Tool to practitioners compared to their existing approach to assessment suggests that it is likely to be well endorsed and implemented by practitioners completing kinship carer assessments. Copyright © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Simulation‐based programs are increasingly being used to teach obstetrics and gynaecology examinations, but it is difficult to establish student learning acquired through them. Assessment may test student learning but its role in learning itself is rarely recognised. We undertook this study to assess medical and midwifery student learning through a simulation program using a pre‐test and post‐test design and also to evaluate use of assessment as a method of learning. Methods: The interprofessional simulation education program consisted of a brief pre‐reading document, a lecture, a video demonstration and a hands‐on workshop. Over a 24‐month period, 405 medical and 104 midwifery students participated in the study and were assessed before and after the program. Numerical data were analysed using paired t‐test and one‐way analysis of variance. Students’ perceptions of the role of assessment in learning were qualitatively analysed. Results: The post‐test scores were significantly higher than the pre‐test (P < 0.001) with improvements in scores in both medical and midwifery groups. Students described the benefit of assessment on learning in preparation of the assessment, reinforcement of learning occurring during assessment and reflection on performance cementing previous learning as a post‐assessment effect. Conclusion: Both medical and midwifery students demonstrated a significant improvement in their test scores and for most students the examination process itself was a positive learning experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a grant report from the Novartis Society of Hospital Pharmacists of Australia Pharmacoeconomics (PE) grant covering the cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA) workshop by the Centre for Health Economics at the University of York in Heslington, England and the practice implications for hospital pharmacists. Topics include the CEA which involve the comparison of interventions based on cost and benefits, and the conduct of a PE analysis and its critical evaluation by pharmacists.

Planning allows people with disabilities and their carers to take steps to achieve their dreams and helps to ensure their security for the future. People with disabilities want to enjoy the same experiences that most other people enjoy, such as relationships, going to the movies with friends, having a job and going on holidays. The concerns of older carers of an adult with disabilities have been well documented. The sudden incapacity or death of the carer can result in a crisis response rather than a planned transition to a chosen sustainable alternative care arrangement for the person with disability. Building on previous 'Futures Planning' projects, the aim of this project was to enrich the lives of people with disabilities and their carers whilst ensuring that their wishes for the future are documented to provide security. This article reports on information sessions and workshops that were held for people with disabilities, their carers and staff, and the training sessions for staff for this project. The sessions underlined the fact that people with disabilities want to enjoy the same experiences that most other people enjoy. Drawing on the ideas and suggestions from participants, the 'Futures Planning' documents were modified to meet the aims of the Quality Living project, making them suitable for planning for quality living for the carer and the person with a disability for the next 10 years. Findings supported the concept that planning allows people with disabilities and their carers to take steps to achieve their dreams. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is an exploration of family therapy in Australia based on interviews with seven leading Australian family therapists: Max Cornwell, Carolyn Quadrio, Ron Perry, Laurie MacKinnon, Brian Stagoll, Banu Moloney and Jim Crawley. It explores the attributes and qualities of what makes a good family therapist and seeks to understand how the next generation of therapists can generate a new enthusiasm for family therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rationale The ADAPTE framework was established to enhance efficiency in guideline development and to facilitate adaptation of high-quality clinical practice guidelines for a local context. It offers guideline developers a systematic methodology for guideline adaptation; however, the feasibility and usability of the process has not been widely evaluated. Aim A pragmatic approach was undertaken throughout the evaluation of the ADATPE process throughout the development of a guide for general practitioners in Australia regarding the initial investigation of symptoms of lung cancer. At each step of the framework all members of the project team leading the development process reflected on the steps outlined in the ADAPTE. The reflections were collated into a lesson-learned log and analysed following completion of the project. Results Several opportunities for improvement were identified to improve usability and practicability of the ADAPTE framework. These items were both specific, in response to using steps and tools, and general issues concerned with the overall ADAPTE framework. Key challenges to using ADAPTE, highlighted in this study, were the lack of clarity about efficiency of the guideline adaptation process, level of assumed knowledge and expertise, and requirement of resources. In response to these challenges, modifications to the ADAPTE have been recommended. Conclusion The ADAPTE framework offers an attractive alternative to de novo guideline synthesis in circumstances where high-quality, compatible guidelines already exist. Pending further evaluation, the modifications identified in this study may be applied to future versions of ADAPTE to improve usability and feasibility of the framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bob Baxt, the third chairman of the Trade Practices Commission, served for a single three-year term from 1988 to 1991. He followed Bob McComas, who had deliberately adopted a non-litigious approach to preserving the competitive process. Baxt was far more proactive and sought to push the frontiers of investigation and precedent, and perhaps, more significantly, to influence opinion about the need to expand the coverage of the Trade Practices Act. This article examines Baxt's role in teaching his interdisciplinary Trade Practices Workshops, the political context of his tenure, and his handling of the Queensland Wire case. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT As a result of the National Health Priority Area Report on Cardiovascular Health and in particular, its remote and indigenous section, a consortium of five organisations ran a national workshop in Townsville in October 1999 on heart disease in Aboriginal peoples, Torres Strait Islanders and rural and remote populations. One of the priority areas identified at this workshop was the need for a more coordinated approach to chronic diseases and for the formation of an alliance of non-government organisations (NGOs) to work towards this and to undertake a lobbying and advocacy role. A meeting of a wide range of NGOs working in chronic disease, led by the National Heart Foundation of Australia, was held in Sydney in May 2000. At the Sydney meeting it was agreed that an alliance of NGOs could be formed for the development of a chronic disease strategy for Aboriginal peoples, Torres Strait Islanders and rural and remote populations. The NGOs drafted a ‘Statement of Intent’, which would inform their work on both heart disease and on broader work to address chronic preventable disease in the target populations. There is a considerable amount of procedural work to be done before the proposed alliance becomes a reality but the prospect of closer collaboration between the NGOs working in chronic disease has much to offer, especially for the population groups that were the focus of the Townsville workshop. This ‘alliance’ initiative comes at a time when there are national and State/Territory moves on broader aspects of what could become a ‘national chronic disease prevention and management strategy’. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the consideration of cultural and spiritual perspectives in pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) among indigenous people in Australia and New Zealand. It states that PPCPs has strong cultural manifestations among indigenous people through the so called Asian vulture crisis. It also explores the PPCPs workshop hosted by the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) in Adelaide, South Australia in 2012.