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Previous research in Victoria, Australia, found differences in prostate cancer outcomes in regional and metropolitan areas. This investigation of undiagnosed men in regional areas and a metropolitan area of South Australia sought their perspectives on prostate cancer. Our aim was to learn whether men who had not been diagnosed could shed light on why men outside metropolitan areas tended to have poorer outcomes than metropolitan men. Our goal was to build on evidence contributing to improving outcomes in prostate cancer care. Semi-structured interviews were designed to elicit explanation and meaning. 15 men (10 metropolitan, 5 regional) not diagnosed with prostate cancer were recruited through widely-distributed flyers in medical and community settings. Interviews were recorded and transcribed; transcripts were analysed thematically. Five main themes were identified, four of which were prompted by the questions: Addressing prostate health, Experiences with and expectations of GPs, Differences in care between regional and metropolitan areas, and Achieving early diagnosis. The fifth theme arose spontaneously: Australian masculinity. Men identified as problematic the limited availability of GPs in regional areas, the lack of consistency in approaches to prostate cancer detection, and men’s reluctance to seek medical care. Community-level strategies appear to be valued to encourage men to address prostate health. Maintaining and extending a systemic approach to prostate care may improve outcomes for men in Australia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: We aimed to present clinical and genetic guidelines of colorectal cancer screening for risk assessment of populations at risk. Background: National guidelines can be used asa guide for choosing the method of screening for each individual. These guidelines facilitate decision making and support the delivery of cancer screening service. Methods: In the first step, a comparative study was performed by using secondary data extracted from the literature review. Three countries (Canada, Australia and United States) were selected from 25 countries that are member in the International Cancer Screening Network (ICSN). The second step of study was qualitative survey. The study was based on the grounded theory approach. Study tool was semi-structured interview. Interviewing involves asking questions and getting answers from participants. 22 expert's perspectives about guidelines of colorectal cancer screening were surveyed. Results: Screening program of selected countries was compared. Countries were surveyed by number of risk groups and subgroups, criteria for risk assessment, beginning age, recommendations, screening approaches and intervals. Australia and United States have three risk groups and Canada has two risk groups. Four risk groups were defined in the national guideline, including high risk, increased risk, average and low risk group. The high risk group comprises of 8 subgroups, increased risk group comprises of 3 subgroups and average risk group contain 4 subgroups. Approved clinical criteria for hereditary syndromes and the roadmap of genetic and pathologic survey were designed. Conclusions: Guidelines and pathways have a vital role in the quality improvement of CRC screening program. National guidelines were refined according to the environmental and genetic criteria of colorectal cancer in Iran. These guidelines provide evidence-based recommendations by risk groups. National pathways as a risk assessment tool can evaluate and improve the processes and outcomes of cancer screening in practice. One of the suggestions for future research is the designing expert system for real-time decision making during a clinical interaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Question: Can information literacy (IL) be embedded into the curriculum and clinical environment to facilitate patient care and lifelong learning? Setting: The Australian School of Advanced Medicine (ASAM) provides competence-based programs incorporating patient-centred care and lifelong learning. ASAM librarians use outcomes-based educational theory to embed and assess IL into ASAM's educational and clinical environments. Methods: A competence-based IL program was developed where learning outcomes were linked to current patients and assessed with checklists. Weekly case presentations included clinicians' literature search strategies, results, and conclusions. Librarians provided support to clinicians' literature searches and assessed their presentations using a checklist. Main Results: Outcome data showed clinicians' searching skills improved over time; however, advanced MEDLINE searching remained challenging for some. Recommendations are provided. Conclusion: IL learning that takes place in context using measurable outcomes is more meaningful, is enduring, and likely contributes to patient care. Competence-based assessment drives learning in this environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]