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A study of 83 Australian adults with spinal cord injuries found that at least 56% had worked at some time post-injury and those who were working when surveyed had done so for an average of close to 10 years. Clerical, office, and administrative occupations proved to be the most suitable. (Author/CR)

Examines the opportunities for sustainable riverine management in the Queensland Murray-Darling Basin. Riverine management projects; Improvement of the condition of river systems; Implications for policies on water management.

This study examined the employment achievements of 219 spinal cord injured people and attempted to identify predictors which, individually and in combination, (a) discriminated between those who were in the labour force or not, and (b) correlated with the amount of time in employment post injury. Results indicated that at the time of the survey 26% were in full-time work, 11% were in part-time work, 4% were unemployed and 59% were not actively seeking work. Multivariate analyses identified three variables (impairment type, study since injury, level of pre-injury secondary schooling) which were related to both labour force participation and the amount of work undertaken post-injury. These results are discussed with reference to post-injury services that could be offered to spinal cord injured people who wish to return to work or gain employment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Australian drivers aged 17-25 years are overrepresented in road crashes, with many crashes resulting from smartphone use. The current study, based on a prospective design and an extended TPB framework, predicted young drivers' intentions to, and actual behaviour of, monitoring/reading social interactive technology via a smartphone while driving. An online survey at Time 1 (N = 167) assessed the TPB constructs of attitude, subjective norm and perceived behaviour control (PBC), and the additional factors of habit, mindfulness and cognitive capture. A hierarchical multiple regression analysis showed that the TPB constructs accounted for 76.4% in the variance of young drivers' intentions. The extended model, which included habit, mindfulness and cognitive capture accounted for a significant 79% of the variance in intention, and these additional factors explained a significant amount of variance over and above the TPB constructs. The Time 2 survey (N = 95) assessed actual behaviour in relation to smartphone use in the one-week period between the Time 1 and 2 surveys. Results from a multiple regression analysis of Time 2 found that, as expected, intention was a significant predictor of the behaviour of monitoring/reading a smartphone while driving. The results support the TPB for predicting intention and actual behaviour in relation to monitoring/reading a smartphone while driving. The theoretical and practical implications of the current study are discussed as well as recommendations for future research., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objective The aim of this scoping review was to map the literature on the lived experiences of injured workers in Australia in order to better understand the factors that inhibit the transition back to work and improved health. The ultimate aim of the study was to identify areas for further research into workers' compensation systems and practices that are associated with improved occupational rehabilitation outcomes. Methods PubMed, ProQuest, Embase and Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) were searched for eligible articles published in English in peer-reviewed journals from 2001 to 2017. Narrative data synthesis was used to analyse the data collected from included articles. Results Twelve articles examining injured workers' experiences within Australian workers' compensation systems were identified. Injured workers reported similar experiences across states and territories in Australia. Four common themes and three subthemes were noted, namely: (1) relationships and interactions; (2) injured workers' perceptions (subthemes: mental health effects, social effects and financial effects); (3) the workers' compensation process; and (4) independent medical evaluations. Conclusions There are common difficulties that injured workers experience within Australian workers' compensation systems that are reported to impede rehabilitation and return to work. A less harmful, more cooperative approach to worker rehabilitation and compensation is needed. What is known about the topic? Different workers' compensation systems exist throughout Australia. Little is known about injured workers' perceptions of their experiences within these systems in Australia and whether these experiences are similar or different across systems. What does this paper add? This scoping review synthesises available evidence showing that injured workers report negative experiences of workers' compensation systems, and that this experience is similar across the different systems. This review also identified a clear need for future research on workers' compensation systems in order to promote evidence-based approaches to best support the occupational rehabilitation of injured workers. What are the implications for practitioners? Evidence suggests a more holistic, biopsychosocial approach is required by practitioners when facilitating an injured worker's recovery and return to work. This approach is also vital when considering legislative reforms, such as workers' compensation systems, processes and practices.

Background: Urinary tract infections are one of the most common infections encountered in ambulatory care and the inpatient setting. Antibiotic resistance is a growing concern in healthcare worldwide and has been described by the World Health Organisation as one of the key global health issues facing our generation. The objective of this study was to evaluate antibiotic prescribing adherence to national therapeutic guidelines for patients with uncomplicated urinary tract infection., Methods: A single centre, retrospective study of patients with uncomplicated urinary tract infections presenting to the Gold Coast University Hospital in May 2015. Infections were categorised according to male cystitis, female cystitis, mild pyelonephritis and severe pyelonephritis, with antibiotic prescribing assessed against the Australian Therapeutic Guidelines., Results: 103 patients met the inclusion criteria, 47 (45.6%) received treatment that adhered to the Australian Therapeutic Guidelines. Eight (7.8%) did not adhere but the decision of non-adherence was justified. 48 (46.6%) received treatment that did not adhere to the Australian Therapeutic Guidelines. The most common reason for non-adherence were incorrect dose followed by incorrect duration. There was a lack of fluoroquinolone use in this study., Conclusions: These results highlight the poor adherence to guidelines in uncomplicated urinary tract infection. Non-adherent duration of treatment is likely contributed by inappropriate number of tablets being dispensed in boxes., (Crown Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To pilot a novel email-based information package (Work and SCI) for job-seekers with an acquired spinal cord injury (SCI) or spinal cord dysfunction (SCI/D)., Study Design: Prospective, non-randomized, repeated measures trial., Setting: Community dwelling cohort in Australia., Participants: Five people with SCI (mean age 46.4 years, SD = 10.2; 4 female) initially reviewed Work and SCI. Twenty-four with SCI/D subsequently enrolled, of whom 16 (mean age 46.4 years, SD = 11.1; 7 female), completed the intervention., Intervention: Intervention participants accessed Work and SCI over a 4-week period., Outcome Measures: Individual changes in pre-post scores for the My Vocational Situation Scale, Job Procurement Self-Efficacy Scale, Patient Health Questionnaire-9 and Life Orientation Test-Revised were examined., Results: Reliable change in pre-post scores across outcomes were reported by 38% (n = 6) of participants. Favorable comments on the Work and SCI resource were provided in addition to suggestions for improvement., Conclusions: Preliminary data suggest that Work and SCI may help to establish vocational interests among job-seekers with a SCI/D, however further work is needed to enhance participant compliance. This might include moderator support to promote and maintain participation. A controlled design will also help to identify factors that influence engagement with the Work and SCI resource.

Background: The role of the prosthetist has changed substantially over the past century. In the transition from 'limb-maker' to 'clinician', the expectations of prosthetics professionals have also changed., Objectives: To develop and test a new scale capable of assessing and comparing current expectations of the roles of the prosthetist., Study Design: Scale development and validation., Methods: A new scale was constructed in accordance with Organizational Role Theory. It comprised 72 items that subdivide into 11 subscales. Face, content and construct validity, along with test-retest and inter-rater reliability were evaluated., Results: The Prosthetist Role Expectations Scale was found to be psychometrically sound, reliable for use in a range of settings and clinically feasible in a sample of 17 Australian therapists., Conclusion: The Prosthetist Role Expectations Scale demonstrated robust psychometric properties and appears well suited to monitoring current expectations of the role of the prosthetist in health service delivery. Clinical relevance The Prosthetist Role Expectations Scale can identify current expectations of the role of the prosthetist, showing areas of consensus and conflict between key professional and client groups. Wider use of the instrument will contribute to increased understanding of professional roles. This may help to reduce role conflict and improve communication within healthcare teams.

Objective: The objective of this paper is to present and provide justification for a framework to improve evidence-informed management decision-making among health service managers. Three research questions informed the study: How have different perspectives influenced how evidence has been defined? What are the barriers to the practice of evidence-informed decision-making (EIDM)? What are the factors that may encourage the application of evidence to guide management decision-making processes?, Methods: A literature review was conducted to identify studies that examined the practice of EIDM among health service managers. Information relevant to the three research questions was collectively analysed, compared and contrasted based on their relevance to the EIDM process., Conclusion: Several factors have played different but significant roles in affecting the practice of EIDM among health service managers. Although interaction between these factors is complex, the framework developed in this paper may guide the development of strategies to encourage and improve the utilisation of evidence in management decision-making process.

The influence of organisational factors on the quality of hospital coding using the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Health Related Problems, 10th Revision, Australian Modification (ICD-10-AM) was investigated using a mixed quantitative-qualitative approach. The organisational variables studied were: hospital specialty; geographical locality; structural characteristics of the coding unit; education, training and resource supports for Clinical Coders; and quality control mechanisms. Baseline data on the hospitals' coding quality, measured by the Performance Indicators for Coding Quality tool, were used as an independent index measure. No differences were found in error rates between rural and metropolitan hospitals, or general and specialist hospitals. Clinical Coder allocation to "general" rather than "specialist" unit coding resulted in fewer errors. Coding Managers reported that coding quality can be improved by: Coders engaging in a variety of role behaviours; improved Coder career opportunities; higher staffing levels; reduced throughput; fewer time constraints on coding outputs and associated work; and increased Coder interactions with medical staff.

The objective of this study was to determine the perceptions of primary school children about sun exposure and skin cancer, and the language they use about these issues, as a basis for the design of health promotional materials. In all, 2857 children in five European countries took part in the study and were compared with 641 Australian children participating in a similar study, since the latter have been exposed to more intensive health education about the sun. The 'draw and write' technique was used. In Europe the level of awareness about the risks of excessive sun exposure and the need to protect the skin was considerably lower than in Australia, although there was some variation within northern Europe. Amongst the European children acknowledging a need to protect the skin, the principal means of protection quoted was the use of suncreams, with inadequate awareness of the value of clothing, hats and shade. European children expressed greater approval of suntans than did the Australian children. Some methodological problems were encountered as a result of nuances in the languages involved, emphasizing difficulties in international research of this type.

Agreement was examined between the answers to an employment survey administered to discharged patients with spinal cord injury on two occasions 6 mo. apart. Analysis suggested reasonable test-retest reliability, with kappas ranging from .65 to .87 for the categorical data, e.g., current employment information and amount of time before respondents achieved any return to work.

This study describes the vocational achievements in a sample (n = 139) of Australian persons with spinal cord injuries. The post-accident and employment achievements (February-March 1993) were represented by significant diversity in outcomes. Around one-third of subjects went on to obtain further qualifications since their injury, and around 31% were employed full-time or part-time. The majority of subjects utilized informal means of returning to work. Around two-thirds of those employed indicated that they were in a preferred occupation and their median length of employment was 108 months. The hours of work varied greatly but were centred around a median of 38 hours (i.e. a full-time job). A model of diverse employment outcomes and achievement following spinal cord injury is proposed.

The emergence of the disease AIDS in the early 1980s has resulted in a unique response. Medical, sociocultural, political, sexual, moral and racial issues have all been raised. This paper examines the way in which participation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people has resulted in the culturally appropriate and distinctive approaches evident in health education materials produced in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. Specific cultural issues relevant to AIDS education are considered, including the use of visual and narrative communication for AIDS education; the significance of the specific concepts related to communication on sexual issues; perceptions of AIDS as alien and genocidal; the use of the Dreaming in AIDS educational resources; and implications for AIDS education.

Clinical signs of ephemeral fever, which were observed in individual cattle during two successive epidemics in 1973 and 1976, were related to biochemical, cellular and serological changes in the blood. The rise in peripheral blood neutrophil counts in samples collected from 12 sentinel cattle on a daily basis before, during and after natural disease in the two epidemics to mean peaks of 9.6-12.5 X 10(9) per litre, and fall in counts of lymphocytes to a trough of 5-7 X 10(9) per litre was found to occur on the same day as the fever peak. A fall in serum calcium levels from a normal mean of 2.55 mmol/l to 2.0 mmol/l occurred on the day clinical signs were most pronounced. Serum magnesium levels were affected to only a minor degree. Plasma fibrinogen rose from a normal mean of 5.0 milligrams to a peak of 18 milligrams on the second day of disease and fell towards normal in the week after recovery. Neutralizing antibodies to bovine ephemeral fever virus were detected up to 63 days prior to clinical disease, and the rise of antibody after recovery was secondary in pattern. Serological evidence of a prior infection with an antigenically related virus, Kimberley virus, was found in these animals. In more severe clinical cases of ephemeral fever serum calcium levels were as low as 1.95 mmol/l. Treatment of cattle showing clinical signs of the disease with phenylbutazone and calcium borogluconate was favourable.