Search

Many health and social care professionals have identified the need for fetal alcohol spectrum disorder training, yet this training has not always been accessible, especially in regional, rural, and remote locations. E-learning can overcome barriers to in-person training, and several e-learning resources for fetal alcohol spectrum disorder exist online. This study undertook an environmental scan to locate and describe freely available English language e-learning modules for fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, to understand the scale and scope of what they encompass. A data extraction tool was created to describe the content and characteristics, including the focus, level of complexity, target audience, and information formats used. Fifteen e-Learning modules met the inclusion criteria for the study. Each provided a general background on fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, including its prevalence, causes, signs, and symptoms, and some provided more in-depth medical and diagnostic information. Many of the modules lacked content related to the social factors that impact the lived experience of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, the strengths of individuals with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, and the diagnosis, management, and support of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder in adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Field exercise tests are a feasible alternative to the symptom-limited exercise test for measuring exercise capacity in patients attending cardiac rehabilitation. Aims: To evaluate the criterion validity of the 10 m incremental shuttle walk test (ISWT) as a useful tool for measurement of exercise capacity for patients eligible for cardiac rehabilitation. Methods: Fifteen patients eligible for cardiac rehabilitation completed a treadmill symptom-limited exercise test and two ISWTs with the order of testing randomised. Associations between the symptom-limited exercise test and the ISWT were explored and the ability of the ISWT to predict symptom-limited exercise test duration estimated. Results: There was a moderate to high association (r2 ⩾0.72) between ISWT duration and distance, and symptom-limited exercise test duration; and a moderate association between ISWT peak heart rate and end of test oxygen saturation and these outcomes on the symptom-limited exercise test (0.47⩽ r2 ⩽0.67). However, prediction of symptom-limited exercise test duration based on the ISWT produced wide 95% confidence intervals, for example, ranging from 9.1 to 16.3 minutes for an individual who completes the ISWT. Order of testing did not affect the results and the association between the ISWT and symptom-limited exercise test was similar for both the first (ISWT 1) and second test (ISWT 2) ISWT. Conclusions: The results provide support for the ISWT as a convenient field test of exercise capacity in a cardiac rehabilitation population, but not as a surrogate to predict symptom-limited exercise test duration for individuals. A single ISWT may provide as good an estimate of exercise capacity as repeating the test. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation programmes (ExCRP) promote recovery and secondary prevention for individuals with cardiovascular disease (CVD). Despite this, enrolment and adherence to ExCRP in rural locations is low. Telehealth programmes provide a convenient, home-based intervention, but concerns remain about compliance to exercise prescription. This paper presents the rationale and protocol design to determine if telehealth delivered ExCRP is not inferior to supervised ExCRP for improving cardiovascular function and exercise fidelity., Method and Analysis: A non-inferiority, parallel (1:1), single-blinded randomised clinical trial will be conducted. Fifty patients with CVD will be recruited from a rural phase II ExCRP. Participants will be randomly assigned to telehealth or supervised ExCRP and prescribed three weekly exercise sessions for 6 weeks. Exercise sessions will include a 10 min warm up, up to 30 min of continuous aerobic exercise at a workload equivalent to the ventilatory anaerobic threshold and a 10 min cool down. The primary outcome will be change in cardiorespiratory fitness as measured by cardiopulmonary exercise test. Secondary outcome measures will include change in blood lipid profile, heart rate variability, pulse wave velocity, actigraphy measured sleep quality and training fidelity. Non-inferiority will be confirmed if intention-to-treat and per-protocol analyses conclude the same outcome following independent samples t-test with p<0.025., Ethics and Dissemination: Research ethics committees at La Trobe University, St John of God Health Care and Bendigo Health approved the study protocol and informed consent. Findings will be published in peer-reviewed journals and disseminated among stakeholders., Trial Registration Number: ACTRN12622000872730p; pre-results., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2023. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)