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Background: Many medical trainees, prior to achieving specialist status, are required to complete a mandatory research project, the usefulness of which has been debated. The aim of this study was to gain an in-depth understanding of trainees' experiences and satisfaction of conducting such research projects in Australia., Methods: A qualitative descriptive approach was used. Semi-structured interviews with trainees were undertaken between May 2021 and June 2022. Australian medical trainees who had completed a research project as part of specialty training within the past five years were invited to participate. The purposive sample was drawn from participants in a survey on the same topic who had indicated interest in participating in an interview. Interviews explored trainees' overall experience of and satisfaction with conducting research projects, as well as their perceptions of research training, support, barriers, enablers, and perceived benefits. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and thematically analysed., Results: Sixteen medical doctors from seven medical colleges were interviewed. Trainee experience and satisfaction was highly variable between participants and was shaped by four factors: 1) trainees entered their specialty training with their own perspectives on the value and purpose of the research project, informed by their previous experiences with research and perceived importance of research in their planned career path; 2) in conducting the project, enablers including protected time, supervisor support and institutional structures, were vital to shaping their experience; 3) trainees' access to these enablers was variable, mediated by a combination of luck, and the trainees' own drive and research skill; and 4) project outcomes, in terms of research merit, learning, career benefits and impacts on patient care., Conclusions: Trainee experiences of doing research were mixed, with positive experiences often attributed to chance rather than an intentionally structured learning experience. We believe alternatives to mandatory trainee research projects must be explored, including recognising other forms of research learning activities, and directing scarce resources to supporting the few trainees who plan to pursue clinician researcher careers., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: Mental distress is on the rise for young people, and there are high levels of unmet need for support. Increasingly, young people are engaging with online mechanisms of support to avoid cost and wait times; however, online support does have its limitations. We surveyed young people, 15-30 years of age, in Aotearoa New Zealand to explore their views of digital support for mental health. The aim of this study was to find out from young people what they thought about various types of online support and perceived benefits and drawbacks., Methods: A cross-sectional online survey promoted through social media advertising was used. Participants included anyone aged 15-30 years living in Aotearoa New Zealand. The survey ran for 10 weeks between February and May 2022. It included demographic questions and asked about (i) use of digital support for mental health; (ii) what digital support is best used for; (iii) best ways of publicising mental health supports to young people; and (iv) where they would choose to get information about mental health support. Questions were a mix of forced choice and free text. Participants could opt to take part in a follow-up interview., Results: Surveys were completed by 1471 participants; two respondents participated in an interview. A total of 641 participants had used digital support before (44%). The most used forms of digital support were websites (n = 324) and watching videos (n = 260), although these were not necessarily rated as the most helpful. Alternatives that people most wanted to try were podcasts and phone or video consultations with a counsellor or therapist. Drawbacks of digital support included privacy concerns, technical issues, lack of quality and motivation requirements. Benefits included ease of access, anonymity and a non-threatening starting point., Conclusions: Digital support has a place in mental health care, but strong sentiment was expressed in favour of real-life support. It may also be worth investing in more innovative types of digital support such as online performing arts and podcasts., Patient or Public Contribution: A group of young people were recruited as co-researchers, had input into survey design, data analysis and interpretation and are co-authors (list of co-authors). Survey respondents also included young people with lived experience who are members of the general public., (© 2024 The Author(s). Health Expectations published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background Using an innovative framework of complexity and implementation science, with underpinning core values of appreciative inquiry (CIS-A), this paper describes the evaluation of a pilot service in New Zealand aiming to deliver integrated psychological therapy services within primary care, to young people (aged 18-24) experiencing mild to moderate mental distress. Method Using mixed quantitative and qualitative methods and multiple data sources, there was a strong focus on local innovation and co-design with service users, young people and multiple care providers. Data is drawn from service users, stakeholders and providers of the service in three areas of the lower North Island of New Zealand.  Results The Piki pilot provided a significant and innovative enhancement of mental health care to this population. The service supported 5307 individuals with a range of therapy options, with the majority having between one and three therapy sessions. From 730 service users who completed a survey, 591 (81%) were 'very satisfied' with the service provided. The CIS-A framework was used successfully to provide rapid feedback and encourage adaptation to evolving issues. These included unexpected workload pressures, changes to therapy delivery, the integration of co-design and prioritising the needs of vulnerable groups. There was a successful incorporation of youth/service user input to co-design the programme, introduction of a peer-to-peer support service, and integration of a digital resource platform. The framework was also used to address challenges encountered and to support necessary adaptations in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.  Conclusions We describe the use of an embedded evaluation to support and inform the implementation of a novel and innovative youth mental health programme. Complexity and implementation science, underpinned by the core values of appreciative inquiry (CIS-A), were successfully utilised providing potential learning that can be applied locally, nationally and internationally. This study has a focus on youth mental health but the principles and utility of applying a complexity and implementation science approach have application in many different health care settings. The use of a framework such as CIS-A can support complex innovation and implementation and can be used to enable rapid course correction and turn 'hindsight to foresight'., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright © 2024, Dowell et al.)

Clinical supervisors play key roles in facilitating trainee learning. Yet combining that role with patient care complicates both roles. So, we need to know how both roles can effectively co-occur. When facilitating their trainees' learning through practice, supervisors draw on their skills - clinical and supervisory - and available opportunities in their practice. This process can be conceptualised as supervisory knowing in practice (or contextual knowing) and offers ways to elaborate on how facilitating trainees' learning can be optimised. The practice-based study presented and discussed here examined clinical supervisors' knowing in practice related to facilitating trainee learning, across three medical specialities. Nineteen clinical supervisors from emergency medicine, internal medicine and surgery, were interviewed about their roles and engagement with trainees. Interview transcripts were analysed in two stages. Firstly, a framework analysis, informed by interdependent learning theory was conducted, focussing on affordances and individual engagement. Secondly, drawing on practice theory, a further layer of analysis was undertaken interrogating supervisors' knowing in practice. We identified two common domains of supervisor practice used to facilitate trainee learning: (1) orientating and assessing trainees' readiness (or capabilities), (2) sequencing and enriching pedagogic practices. Yet across the speciality groups the supervisors' knowing in practice differed and were shaped by a trio of: (i) disciplinary practices, (ii) situational requirements and (iii) clinician preference. Overall, we offer a new reading of clinical supervision as practice differences generated distinct supervisory knowing in practice. These findings emphasise clinical supervision as fundamentally entwined in the speciality's practice; and reinforce alignments with patient care., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

This article explores therapists' views on a large youth mental health pilot project (for 18-25-year-olds), which included an individual cognitive behavior therapy (CBT)-informed individual therapy component. Therapists' views on cultural responsiveness, therapy (delivery, modality and duration) and working with LGBTQIA+ youth were explored using two surveys, individual interviews and focus groups at various stages of the life of the pilot. Some therapists saw the CBT approach as imposed on them, preferring familiar therapy modalities. Many therapists were positive toward CBT for its client-centered approach and reported using CBT-informed approaches with many of their clients to good effect. Some therapists felt pressured by their workplace to see clients for fewer sessions than they needed. Therapists wanted to see a more culturally diverse workforce, to increase their cultural competence through training and to have more easily available cultural supervision. There was some acknowledgement of the importance of training therapists to work competently with LGBTQIA+ young people. Involving therapists in co-design of services from the outset will likely benefit future service development.

Introduction Prediabetes is the asymptomatic precursor to type two diabetes mellitus, a significant and growing public health problem in New Zealand (NZ). Little is known about how general practitioners (GPs) and nurses view prediabetes care, and similarly little is known about how people with prediabetes view their condition and care. Aim This study aimed to investigate the views of NZ GPs and nurses, and people with prediabetes about prediabetes and its management. Methods This was a mixed qualitative methods study that is part of a randomised control trial of a prediabetes intervention. Results Three key themes emerged from the health professional data (GPs and nurses) and another three themes emerged from people with prediabetes data. GPs and nurses were uncertain about the progression of prediabetes; they felt prediabetes was not a priority and they were unsure about what to advise. People with prediabetes were uncertain about the diagnosis and information given to them; they were unsure about what to do about prediabetes and they found lifestyle change hard. Discussion GPs, nurses and people with prediabetes, expressed much uncertainty, but also some certainty about prediabetes. All were certain that prediabetes is common and increasing and that sustained lifestyle change was very difficult. But uncertainty prevailed about whether, in reality, prediabetes could be stopped, who would be most likely to benefit from lifestyle interventions and how best to achieve these. Older Māori and Pacific women were keen to promote lifestyle change and this appeared best done through Māori and Pacific peoples' organisations by means of co-designed interventions.

The objective of this qualitative study in New Zealand was to investigate how general practitioners and patients discuss chronic pain in consultations. Chronic pain is a complex condition that defies many commonsense understandings. It is challenging to manage and patients can come to conclude that there is an empathy deficit. To our knowledge most, if not all, studies on this topic have recruited participants whose main presenting complaint is chronic pain. Forms of chronic pain are relatively common in the population and we thought it likely that at least some discussions may be rendered invisible via these recruiting practices. The study analysed data from the Applied Research on Communication in Health repository of audio transcripts and video-recorded consultations collected from a range of studies on a variety of topics, none of which were about chronic pain specifically. We searched the 256 transcripts looking for key words that might indicate that pain was at least part of the consultation. This yielded a large number of potentially relevant transcripts. These transcripts were assessed and reduced to 18 by excluding those that were about non-physical pain or pain that was expected to resolve relatively quickly. A medical specialist in chronic pain reviewed the resulting 18 and excluded two further transcripts giving us a final sample of 16. We conducted in-depth analysis of these consultations. Rather than confirming an empathy deficit, we found a much more complex deployment of empathy in the space where the two complex systems of chronic pain and general practice meet. These findings highlight the utility of analysing data originally generated for other purposes, with permission, and in a practical sense, highlight the importance of understanding empathy as highly contextual in 'real world' practice., (© 2021 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are often treated with antibiotics and are a source of antibiotic overuse., Aim: To systematically review randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of adult women in the community with a history of recurrent UTIs and who use methenamine hippurate prophylactically., Design and Setting: Systematic review of women in the UK, Australia, Norway, and US (aged ≥18 years) with recurrent UTIs receiving methenamine hippurate against placebo or no treatment, and antibiotics., Method: The authors searched three databases, clinical trial registries, and performed forward-backward citation analysis on references of included studies., Results: Six studies involving 557 participants were included (447 were analysed). Of the six studies, five were published and one was an unpublished trial record with results, three compared methenamine hippurate against placebo or control, and three compared methenamine hippurate with antibiotics. For the number of patients who remained asymptomatic, methenamine hippurate showed a non-statistically significant trend of benefit versus antibiotics over 12 months (risk ratio [RR] 0.65, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.40 to 1.07, I 2 49%), versus control over 6 or 12 months (RR 0.56, 95% CI = 0.13 to 2.35, I 2 93%), and a non-statistically significant trend versus any antibiotic for abacteruria (RR 0.80, 95% CI = 0.62 to 1.03, I 2 23%). A similar non-statistically significant trend of benefits for methenamine hippurate for the number of UTI or bacteriuric episodes was found, and a non-statistically significant difference in the number of patients experiencing adverse events between methenamine hippurate and any comparator, with a trend towards benefit for the methenamine hippurate, was identified. Antibiotic use and resistance were not consistently reported., Conclusion: There is insufficient evidence to be certain of the benefits of methenamine hippurate to prevent UTI. Further research is needed to test the drug's effectiveness in preventing UTIs and as an alternative for antibiotic treatment for UTI., (© The Authors.)

Background: Primary health care has an important role to play in the management of weight and yet discussions of healthy weight management do not occur optimally, indicating a need for simple tools and training in brief weight counselling. The 'FABS' approach (focusing on four topic areas: Food, Activity, Behaviour and Support) was developed to address this., Objectives: To explore the feasibility of the 'FABS' approach within routine general practice consultations and its effectiveness in facilitating healthy weight conversations., Method: The FABS approach was run for a trial period in five New Zealand general practices. The approach entailed staff training, the addition to the practice patient management system of a template outlining potential topics for discussion and a patient handout. GPs were asked to use the approach with any adult patient with a body mass index of over 28 kg/m2. A descriptive analysis of anonymized quantitative practice data was conducted, with limited qualitative data from an online clinician questionnaire and interviews with GPs and patients., Results: Over 4 months, the template was opened 862 times by 27 clinicians in 830 patient consultations. All FABS topics were raised at least once. Physical activity was raised most frequently, followed by two food-related topics. There was variation between practices and between GPs. GPs tended to raise more topics within a single consultation than the training recommended. The limited clinician survey results and patient interviews also indicated positive responses to the approach., Conclusions: It is possible to provide an infrastructure for healthy weight conversation approaches within general practice so that patients receive supportive and consistent messages on a regular basis. General practice is an appropriate setting for this due to the ongoing relationships with patients and team-based approach, but there is a need for effective training and education to ensure appropriate and effectively delivery., (© The Author(s) 2020. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved.For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Context: A range of research methods have been used to understand effective workplace learning in the health professions. The impact of findings from this research usually requires knowledge translation activities in the form of faculty development initiatives, such as supervisor workshops. Far rarer, but with greater potential, are research approaches that concurrently seek to understand and change practice through empowering clinicians to refine aspects of their practice., Methods: In this methodological article, we describe video-reflexive ethnography (VRE), a collaborative visual research approach that seeks to capture, illuminate and optimise in situ work and education practices. Video-reflexive ethnography usually has three phases: (a) initial familiarisation with practice through field observations; (b) video-recording of practice, and (c) reflexive sessions about the edited footage with participants and researchers. Drawing on our own experiences as researchers using VRE, we discuss four key principles of VRE: (a) exnovation; (b) collaboration; (c) reflexivity, and (d) care., Discussion: Although VRE has been used to illuminate and understand health professionals education, its potential for changing clinical education practices has yet to be realised. Video-reflexive ethnography enables observation of the social and relational interactions in health care practice and allows individual (and group) perspectives to be articulated and analysed. The approach can prompt fresh perspectives and insights into health care education and practice for researchers and clinicians through shared deliberations about how practice might be reimagined and enacted., (© 2020 John Wiley & Sons Ltd and The Association for the Study of Medical Education.)

Background: Effective communication is crucial to any doctor-patient consultation, not least in pregnancy where the outcome affects more than one person. While higher levels of patient participation and shared decision making are recognised as desirable, there is little agreement on how best to achieve this. Most previous research in this area is based on reported data such as interviews or surveys and there is a need for more fine-grained analysis of authentic interaction. This study aimed to identify the discourse characteristics and patterns that exemplify effective communication practices in a high-risk ante-natal clinic., Methods: We video-recorded 20 consultations in a high-risk ante-natal clinic in a large New Zealand city with patients attending for the first time. Post-consultation interviews were conducted with the 20 patients and 13 obstetricians involved. Discourse analysis of the transcripts and videos of the consultations was conducted, in conjunction with thematic analysis of interview transcripts., Results: Most patients reported high quality communication and high levels of satisfaction; the detailed consultation analysis revealed a range of features likely to have contributed. On the clinician side, these included clear explanations, acknowledgement of the patient's experience, consideration of patient wishes, and realistic and honest answers to patient questions. On the patient side, these included a high level of engagement with technical aspects of events and procedures, and appropriate questioning of obstetricians., Conclusions: This study has demonstrated the utility of combining direct observation of consultations with data from patient experience interviews to identify specific features of effective communication in routine obstetric ante-natal care. The findings are relevant to improvements needed in obstetric communication identified in the literature, especially in relation to handling psychosocial issues and conveying empathy, and may be useful to inform communication training for obstetricians. The presence of the unborn child may provide an added incentive for parents to develop their own health literacy and to be an active participant in the consultation on behalf of their child. The findings of this study can lay the groundwork for further, more detailed analysis of communication in ante-natal consultations.

Background: Providing funding for clinicians to have protected time to undertake research can address a commonly cited barrier to research - lack of time. However, limited research has evaluated the impact or mechanisms of such funding initiatives. In the current economic environment, it is important that funding is used efficiently and judiciously and that mechanisms and contexts that may assist with maximising outcomes of funding initiatives are identified. This study aimed to describe the medium-term outcomes of a funding initiative to promote allied health research activity and to identify the key mechanisms and contexts that facilitated these outcomes., Methods: We used a qualitative research design informed by a realist evaluation, to conduct 10 semi-structured interviews with allied health professionals who had participated in a funding initiative 1-3 years ago. Questions explored outcomes, mechanisms and contexts of the funding initiative. Data was thematically coded into context-mechanism-outcome configurations., Results: Medium term outcomes included increased individual research opportunities, influence on team research culture and impact on clinical work/practice. Other outcomes included increased clinician confidence, knowledge and skill, and research outputs. However, some participants still had difficulties progressing research. Four context-mechanism-outcome configurations were identified to explain which contexts and mechanisms produced these outcomes. Examples of contexts included perception of managerial support, undertaking a research-based higher degree and joint applications, while mechanisms included accessing infrastructure and resources as well as individual researcher factors like motivation., Conclusion: Providing funding to allied health professionals to undertake and complete research can lead to important outcomes, including increased research opportunities, capacity and culture, increased research outputs, and changes to clinical practice. Outcomes are influenced by unique contexts and mechanisms and these should be considered in future implementation of similar funding initiatives.

Interprofessional education (IPE) programs for pre-registration health science students are largely offered within one institution including different schools or faculties. Sometimes in small or regional institutions where there are limited student numbers or few professional training programs, or where larger institutions do not offer particular professional programs, it may be necessary to partner with other institutions to offer IPE. This study sought to explore teacher perspectives of forming inter-institutional partnerships to deliver IPE, in particular, to identify the elements that influence the formation of partnerships. An interpretive descriptive approach was used to thematically analyze data from three focus groups with teachers ( n = 21) working in three different partnerships to deliver IPE to students in Wellington, New Zealand. Two main themes were identified which enabled the development of a model of partnership, with a continuum of complexity depending on whether institutions were on the same page and whether the partnership formed to join an existing IPE program or to create a new IPE program. Forming inter-institution partnerships is a pragmatic solution to providing IPE with benefits to all taking part. Our work showed that time, effort, working with complexity, and ability to stay on the same page are necessary elements for building successful partnerships and all need to be taken into account when planning inter-institution partnerships.

Feedback can improve students' learning and performance on clinical placements, yet students are often dissatisfied with the process. Attempts to improve feedback frequently focus on faculty development programs without addressing learners' capabilities to engage with feedback. For feedback to be effective, students need to understand its processes and to translate this into practice. Developing student feedback literacy may enhance feedback engagement and, therefore, learning outcomes. This qualitative interview study aimed to problematise student feedback literacy in the healthcare setting, from the learner's perspective. Before commencing placements, 105 healthcare students at an Australian teaching hospital participated in a feedback literacy program. After their placements, 27 students engaged in semi-structured interviews to explore their feedback experiences. Informed by workplace learning theory, interview transcripts were analysed using the framework method of qualitative analysis. Students reported reframing feedback as a process they could initiate and engage in, rather one they were subjected to. When they took an intentional stance, students noted that feedback conversations generated plans for improvement which they were enacting. However, students had to work hard against orthodox feedback expectations and habits in healthcare. They privileged intraprofessional supervisor feedback over interprofessional practitioners, patients, or peers. Findings suggest that student engagement with feedback can be augmented with focussed retraining. However, further research examining the structural and cultural influences on students' capacity to be active in workplace feedback is warranted.

Background: Cancer care is typically delivered by a range of health professionals, and is frequently a uniprofessional pre-registration clinical placement. A workplace-based, 6-hour interprofessional education (IPE) pilot on cancer care, led by clinical tutors, was undertaken in a New Zealand hospital, accompanied by an external evaluation. The pilot involved a cohort of 21 dietetic, medicine, pharmacy, physiotherapy and radiation therapy students. The aim of the evaluation was to determine student and tutor reactions to IPE, and any changes in perceptions and attitudes., Methods: The evaluation used focus groups to collect data: two student groups and one tutor group. Focus groups were audio-recorded, transcribed; the content was coded and then analysed., Results: Both students and tutors reported benefits from having IPE in the workplace environment, with cancer care seen as a suitable topic. Students reported a better understanding of professional roles, skills and the provision of collaborative care, and suggested other professions should be included in future IPE. Patient selection needed to be better tailored for physiotherapy students to ensure uniform relevance. As a result of competing demands, tutors found that they needed an 18-month lead time to establish the IPE programme. Tutors felt that the programme had gone relatively smoothly and that they had benefitted from forming closer interpersonal relationships, but noted considerable unanticipated and unremunerated preparation time., Discussion: This short workplace-based IPE programme elicited a positive student and tutor response, but highlighted the need for improvements: broadening the topic area, targeted patient selection, including more professions and providing administrative support for tutors. Cancer care was generally seen as a suitable topic., (© 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd and The Association for the Study of Medical Education.)

INTRODUCTION Culturally and linguistically diverse populations (CALD) have significant health outcome disparities compared to dominant groups in high-income countries. The use of both navigators and interpreters are strategies used to address these disparities, but the intersections between these two roles can be poorly understood. AIM To gain an overview of the literature on health navigation and similar roles, with particular reference to the New Zealand context, and to explore the interface between these roles and that of interpreters for CALD populations with limited English proficiency. METHODS A narrative review of the literature was conducted using a range of search strategies and a thematic analysis was conducted. RESULTS There are several barriers to health-care access relating to health systems and CALD populations. For over 50 years, health workers who are members of these communities have been used to address these barriers, but there are many terms describing workers with wide-ranging roles. There is some evidence of efficacy in economic, psychosocial and functional terms. For health navigation services to work, they need to have staff who are well selected, trained and supported; are integrated into health-care teams; and have clearly defined roles. There may be a place for integrating interpreting more formally into the navigator role for members of communities who have limited English proficiency. CONCLUSION To achieve better access to health care for CALD populations, there is an argument for adding another member to the health team who combines clearly defined aspects of the roles of interpreter, community health worker and navigator. Organisations considering setting up such a position should have a clear target population, carefully consider the barriers they are trying to address and define a role, scope of practice and training requirements best suited to addressing those barriers.

Introduction: Supporting medical students' and junior doctors' development in busy clinical settings is challenging. As opportunities for developing trainees, for example, traditional bedside teaching, are decreasing, teaching outside of clinical practice is increasing. However, evidence suggests that effective learning through practice arises via an interplay between, first, what experiences are afforded by clinical settings and, second, how trainees engage with these affordances. Many studies investigating clinician learning through practice focus on only one of these two factors. Yet, a well-recognised methodological challenge of enabling learners to articulate how and what they are learning through practice exists. We need, therefore, to understand how this relationship plays out in practice in ways that enrich learning., Methods and Analysis: This protocol describes a video reflexive ethnographic approach to illuminate how learning through practice in hospital settings occurs and can be enriched. The study will be conducted in two phases. In phase I, senior clinicians from emergency medicine, medicine and surgical specialties will be interviewed about how they guide trainees' learning through practice. These forms of guidance, analysed using the framework method, will inform phase II comprising observations of practice in: (1) emergency, (2) medical and (3) surgical departments. Video recorded episodes of clinicians' guiding learning through practice will be shared and appraised in reflexive sessions with each clinical team. Relational interdependent learning theory informs the design and data analyses to elicit and evaluate strategies for guiding learning through practice., Ethics and Dissemination: Ethical approval has been received from both healthcare and university settings. The findings should provide important insights for clinicians about workplace learning practices. Findings will be disseminated across the project phases and to diverse audiences-locally, nationally and internationally. The dissemination strategy will use seminars, grand rounds, conference presentations and academic papers to articulate practical, theoretical and methodological findings., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2019. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Background: The rates of pre-diabetes and type 2 diabetes mellitus are increasing worldwide, producing significant burdens for individuals, families, and healthcare systems. In New Zealand, type 2 diabetes mellitus and pre-diabetes disproportionally affect Māori, Pacific, and South Asian peoples. This research evaluates the efficacy, acceptability, and economic impact of a probiotic capsule and a prebiotic cereal intervention in adults with pre-diabetes on metabolic and mental health and well-being outcomes., Methods: Eligible adults (n = 152) aged 18-80 years with pre-diabetes (glycated haemoglobin 41-49 mmol/mol) will be enrolled in a 2 × 2 factorial design, randomised, parallel-group, placebo-controlled trial. Computer-generated block randomization will be performed independently. Interventions are capsulated Lactobacillus rhamnosus HN001 (6 × 10 9 colony-forming units/day) (A) and cereal containing 4 g β-glucan (B), placebo capsules (O 1 ), and calorie-matched control cereal (O 2 ). Eligible participants will receive 6 months intervention in the following groups: AB, AO 1 , BO 2 , and O 1 O 2 . The primary outcome is glycated haemoglobin after 6 months. Follow-up at 9 months will assess the durability of response. Secondary outcomes are glycated haemoglobin after 3 and 9 months, fasting glucose, insulin resistance, blood pressure, body weight, body mass index, and blood lipid levels. General well-being and quality of life will be measured by the Short-Form Health Survey 36 and Depression Anxiety Stress Scale 21 at 6 and 9 months. Outcome assessors will be blind to capsule allocation. An accompanying qualitative study will include 24 face-to-face semistructured interviews with an ethnically balanced sample from the β-glucan arms at 2 months, participant focus groups at 6 months, and three health professional focus groups. These will explore how interventions are adopted, their acceptability, and elicit factors that may support the uptake of interventions. A simulation model of the pre-diabetic New Zealand population will be used to estimate the likely impact in quality-adjusted life years and health system costs of the interventions if rolled out in New Zealand., Discussion: This study will examine the efficacy of interventions in a population with pre-diabetes. Qualitative components provide rich description of views on the interventions. When combined with the economic analysis, the study will provide insights into how to translate the interventions into practice., Trial Registration: Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry, ACTRN12617000990325. Prospectively registered on 10 July 2017.

It is now widely accepted that glia cells and gamma-aminobutyric acidergic (GABA) interneurons dynamically regulate synaptic transmission and neuronal activity in time and space. This paper presents a biophysical model that captures the interaction between an astrocyte cell, a GABA interneuron and pre/postsynaptic neurons. Specifically, GABA released from a GABA interneuron triggers in astrocytes the release of calcium ( Ca 2+ ) from the endoplasmic reticulum via the inositol 1, 4, 5-trisphosphate ( IP 3 ) pathway. This results in gliotransmission which elevates the presynaptic transmission probability rate (PR) causing weight potentiation and a gradual increase in postsynaptic neuronal firing, that eventually stabilizes. However, by capturing the complex interactions between IP 3 , generated from both GABA and the 2-arachidonyl glycerol (2-AG) pathway, and PR, this paper shows that this interaction not only gives rise to an initial weight potentiation phase but also this phase is followed by postsynaptic bursting behavior. Moreover, the model will show that there is a presynaptic frequency range over which burst firing can occur. The proposed model offers a novel cellular level mechanism that may underpin both seizure-like activity and neuronal synchrony across different brain regions.

Background: Healthcare professionals are recommended to use evidence-based practice (EBP) principles to update and improve clinical practice. Well-designed educational initiatives, together with practice and feedback opportunities can improve individuals' EBP knowledge, skills and attitudes., Methods: A concurrent mixed methods assessment was designed to evaluate the effectiveness and feasibility of four monthly workshops on allied health professionals' knowledge, skills, self-efficacy and behaviour. In between workshops, professionals were encouraged to practice and integrate EBP learnings with colleagues in their workplace. Participants completed three pre and post intervention assessments: Evidence-based Practice Confidence Scale; adapted Fresno test; and an adapted EBP Implementation Scale. A purpose designed satisfaction questionnaire was completed immediately after the educational intervention and follow up focus groups were conducted after 3 months. Mean change in assessment data was quantitatively assessed and comments from the clinician satisfaction questionnaire and focus groups were thematically analysed and interpreted together with quantitative data using the Classification Rubric for EBP Assessment tools in Education (CREATE)., Results: Sixteen allied health professionals participated in the EBP workshops and completed all baseline and post intervention assessments. Seven clinicians participated in follow up focus groups. All clinicians reported a positive reaction to the learning experience, preferring short monthly workshops to a full day session. They self-reported improvements in self-efficacy (mean change 15 p < 0.001) and implementing EBP behaviours (mean change 7, p < 0.001) from pre- to post-intervention. Although the positive change in EBP knowledge measured by the adapted Fresno test was not statistically significant (mean change 10, p = 0.21), clinicians described examples of improved knowledge and skills across all five key steps of EBP during the focus groups. A further, post hoc analysis of individual questions in the two self-reported scales indicated consistent improvement across key EBP knowledge and skills., Conclusions: A tailored small group EBP education intervention can enhance AHPs' self-efficacy to develop answerable questions, search the literature, critically appraise, apply and evaluate research evidence. Through practicing these behaviours and sharing new learning with their peers, allied health professionals can enhance their capability and motivation to use research evidence to potentially improve clinical practice.

It is now known that astrocytes modulate the activity at the tripartite synapses where indirect signaling via the retrograde messengers, endocannabinoids, leads to a localized self-repairing capability. In this paper, a self-repairing spiking astrocyte neural network (SANN) is proposed to demonstrate a distributed self-repairing capability at the network level. The SANN uses a novel learning rule that combines the spike-timing-dependent plasticity (STDP) and Bienenstock, Cooper, and Munro (BCM) learning rules (hereafter referred to as the BSTDP rule). In this learning rule, the synaptic weight potentiation is not only driven by the temporal difference between the presynaptic and postsynaptic neuron firing times but also by the postsynaptic neuron activity. We will show in this paper that the BSTDP modulates the height of the plasticity window to establish an input-output mapping (in the learning phase) and also maintains this mapping (via self-repair) if synaptic pathways become dysfunctional. It is the functional dependence of postsynaptic neuron firing activity on the height of the plasticity window that underpins how the proposed SANN self-repairs on the fly. The SANN also uses the coupling between the tripartite synapses and γ -GABAergic interneurons. This interaction gives rise to a presynaptic neuron frequency filtering capability that serves to route information, represented as spike trains, to different neurons in the subsequent layers of the SANN. The proposed SANN follows a feedforward architecture with multiple interneuron pathways and astrocytes modulate synaptic activity at the hidden and output neuronal layers. The self-repairing capability will be demonstrated in a robotic obstacle avoidance application, and the simulation results will show that the SANN can maintain learned maneuvers at synaptic fault densities of up to 80% regardless of the fault locations.

Background: Structured journal clubs are a widely used tool to promote evidence-based practice in health professionals, however some journal clubs (JC) are more effectively sustained than others. To date, little research has provided insights into factors which may influence sustainability of JCs within health care settings. As part of a larger randomised controlled study, this research aimed to gain understanding of clinicians' experiences of sustaining a structured JC format (TREAT- Tailoring Research Evidence and Theory) within their clinical context. The study also aimed to identify which strategies may assist longer term sustainability and future implementation of the TREAT format., Methods: We employed a qualitative methodology, informed by behaviour change theory. Clinicians (n = 19) from five different JCs participated in focus groups to explore their experience in sustaining the JC format six months after the formal trial period had completed. Clinicians were asked to describe factors which they perceived helped or hindered sustaining components of the JC format within their local context. Following a descriptive summary of the data, barriers and enablers were thematically analysed according to behaviour change theory domains: capability, motivation and opportunity and further mapped to targeted implementation strategies., Results: Participants reported perceived benefits of maintaining the TREAT format and described several components that promoted its sustainability. Sustaining factors linked to individuals' capability included building research knowledge and skills and having access to research experts. Sustaining factors that enhanced opportunities for behaviour change included management expectation to attend and a team culture which values evidence based practice, while factors found to enhance individuals' motivation included the JC having close application to practice and clinicians sensing ownership of the JC. Several implementation strategies to enhance these factors are described including graduated support to clinicians in facilitation of JCs and greater engagement with managers., Conclusions: Long-term sustainability of a structured JC is dependent on both individual and service level factors and a balance of implementation strategies that enhance capability, opportunity and motivation. Consideration of how clinicians can be engaged to take ownership and build their own capability from the commencement of the JC is important., Trial Registration: ACTRN12616000811404 .

INTRODUCTION Obesity is overtaking tobacco smoking in New Zealand as the leading potentially modifiable risk to health. International obesity guidelines recommend that health professionals opportunistically encourage weight management with their patients. However, research shows consistently low rates of weight management discussion, suggesting that health professionals may not be realising their full potential to address obesity. AIM To identify communication strategies used by General Practitioners (GPs) to open the topic of weight and weight management in routine consultations. METHODS A secondary analysis was conducted of 36 video-recorded consultations in general practices, selected for relevance from a database of 205 consultations. Content and interactional analysis was conducted in the context of the entire consultation. RESULTS The topic of weight was initiated more often by GPs than patients and was raised mostly once or twice in a consultation and occasionally as many as six times. GPs employed opportunistic strategies twice as often as they used structured strategies. DISCUSSION This study of naturally occurring consultations confirmed GPs do engage in opportunistic discussions about weight. However, such discussions are challenging and interactionally delicate. Highlighting the clinical relevance of weight appears to be effective. The high frequency of patient contact with GPs provides opportunity to reach and work with people at risk of chronic conditions associated with excess weight. Further research is required to identify suitable training and brief intervention tools for use in routine consultations that may be beneficial for both GPs and patients.

Objective: To establish the most effective approach and type of educational intervention for health professional students, to enable them to maintain a professionally safe online presence., Method: This was a qualitative, multinational, multi-institutional, multiprofessional study. Practical considerations (availability of participants) led us to use a combination of focus groups and individual interviews, strengthening our findings by triangulating our method of data collection. The study gathered data from 57 nursing, medical and paramedical students across four sites in three countries (Aotearoa/New Zealand, Australia and Wales). A content analysis was conducted to clarify how and why students used Facebook and what strategies they thought might be useful to ensure professional usage. A series of emergent codes were examined and a thematic analysis undertaken from which key themes were crystallized., Results: The results illuminated the ways in which students use social networking sites (SNS). The three key themes to emerge from the data analysis were negotiating identities, distancing and risks. Students expressed the wish to have material about professional safety on SNS taught to them by authoritative figures to explain "the rules" as well as by peers to assist with practicalities. Our interactive research method demonstrated the transformative capacity of the students working in groups., Conclusions: Our study supports the need for an educational intervention to assist health professional students to navigate SNS safely and in a manner appropriate to their future roles as health professionals. Because health professional students develop their professional identity throughout their training, we suggest that the most appropriate intervention incorporate small group interactive sessions from those in authority, and from peers, combined with group work that facilitates and enhances the students' development of a professional identity.

Family members continue to be used as interpreters in medical consultations despite the well-known risks. This paper examines participant perceptions of this practice in three New Zealand clinics chosen for their frequent use of interpreters and their skill in using them. It is based on a detailed study of 17 video-recorded interpreted consultations and 48 post-consultation interviews with participants (5 doctors, 16 patients and 12 interpreters, including 6 family members). All participants expressed satisfaction with the communication. Analysis of the interviews explored what participants liked or valued about family member interpreters (FMIs). Key themes were the FMIs' personal relationship and knowledge, patient comfort, trust, cultural norms, time efficiency and continued help outside the consultation. General practitioners (GPs) expressed awareness of potential risks and how to manage them, in contrast to patients and FMIs. Although the use of professional interpreters needs to be strongly promoted, a well-informed decision to use a family member is appropriate in some situations. GPs need to be well trained in how to assess and manage the risks. Rather than striving for 'best practice' (i.e. universal use of professional interpreters), it is better to aim for 'good practice' where a considered judgement is made about each situation on an individual basis.

Background: The recent growth of arts and humanities in medical education shows recognition that these disciplines can facilitate a breadth of thinking and result in personal and professional growth. However creative work can be a challenge to incorporate into a busy curriculum. Offering the option of creative media as a way of reflecting is an example of how this can occur. This study aimed to examine the medical student response to being given this option to explore a visit to a patient in a hospice., Methods: This was a mainly qualitative study. In the 2012 academic programme, the class of 86 students were given the option of using a creative medium to explore their responses to both the visit and their developing communication skills. Students were required to write an accompanying commentary if submitting the creative work option. Sixty-four percent of the class chose a creative medium e.g. poetry, visual art, narrative prose, music. These students were asked to take part in research including completing a short on-line survey and consenting for their creative work and commentaries to be further examined. The creative works were categorised by genre and the commentaries analysed using inductive thematic analysis., Results: Seventeen students completed the on-line survey and fifteen consented to their work being used for this research. Thematic analysis of the student commentaries revealed the following themes: effectiveness for expressing emotion or ideas that are difficult to articulate; engaging and energising quality of the task; time for reflection; flexibility for individual learning styles and therapeutic value., Conclusions: Teaching the art of communicating at end-of-life is challenging especially when it involves patients, and teachers want to ensure students gain as much as possible from the experience. Offering the option to use creative media means that students can choose a medium for reflection that best suits them as individuals and that can enable them to benefit as much as possible from their experience.

Background and Context: New Zealand is becoming more ethnically diverse, with more limited English proficiency (LEP) people. Consequently there are more primary care consultations where patients have insufficient English to communicate adequately. Because effective communication is essential for good care, interpreters are needed in such cases., Assessment of Problem: The literature on the use of interpreters in health care includes the benefits of using both trained interpreters (accuracy, confidentiality, ethical behaviour) and untrained interpreters (continuity, trust, patient resistance to interpreter). There is little research on the actual pattern of use of interpreters., Results: Our research documented a low use of trained interpreters, despite knowledge of the risks of untrained interpreters and a significant use of untrained interpreters where clinicians felt that the communication was acceptable. A review of currently available guidelines and toolkits showed that most insist on always using a trained interpreter, without addressing the cost or availability. None were suitable for direct use in New Zealand general practice., Strategies for Improvement: We produced a toolkit consisting of flowcharts, scenarios and information boxes to guide New Zealand practices through the structure, processes and outcomes of their practice to improve communication with LEP patients. This paper describes this toolkit and the links to the evidence, and argues that every consultation with LEP patients requires clinical judgement as to the type of interpreting needed., Lessons: Primary care practitioners need understanding about when trained interpreters are required.

Aims: To explore clinicians' perceptions of the communication difficulties experienced with Limited English Proficiency (LEP) patients and the clinical risks these difficulties pose in hospitals, as well as patterns of interpreter use among these clinicians., Methods: Senior health professionals in the two District Health Boards (DHBs) in the Wellington Area (about 900) of New Zealand were sent an electronic survey. Twenty clinicians were interviewed about their experience in 22 consultations with LEP patients, and an equal number with English proficient patients. Descriptive statistics were calculated, and 95% confidence intervals and formal statistical tests., Results: 141 responses were received to the survey. There was a high level of awareness of how to access interpreters (84%) and lesser awareness of DHB interpreter policy (65%). Most respondents felt that communication difficulties with LEP patients have a significant effect on care at least sometimes, but there is a wide variation in reported actual use of interpreters, with only 14% always using an interpreter. In the actual consultations studied, no professional interpreters were used despite clinician acknowledgement of increased clinical risk., Conclusion: Even when clinicians are aware of policy, of how to obtain interpreters, and of the increased clinical risk in the situation, this does not necessarily lead to high levels of interpreter use with LEP patients.

Australia and New Zealand both have large populations of people with limited English proficiency (LEP). Australia's free telephone interpreter service, which is also used by New Zealand through Language Line (LL) but at a cost to the practices, is underused in both countries. Interpreter guidelines warn against the use of family members, yet the lack of uptake of interpreter services must mean that they are still often used. This paper reviews the literature on medical interpreter use and reports the results of a week-long audit of interpreted consultations in an urban New Zealand primary health centre with a high proportion of refugee and migrant patients. The centre's (annualised) tally of professionally interpreted consultations was three times more than that of LL consultations by all other NZ practices put together. Despite this relatively high usage, 49% of all interpreted consultations used untrained interpreters (mostly family), with more used in 'on-the-day' (OTD) clinics. Clinicians rated such interpreters as working well 88% of the time in the OTD consultations, and 36% of the time in booked consultations. An in-house interpreter (28% of consultations) was rated as working well 100% of the time. Telephone interpreters (21% of consultations) received mixed ratings. The use of trained interpreters is woefully inadequate and needs to be vigorously promoted. In primary care settings where on-going relationships, continuity and trust are important - the ideal option (often not possible) is an in-house trained interpreter. The complexity of interpreted consultations needs to be appreciated in making good judgements when choosing the best option to optimise communication and in assessing when there may be a place for family interpreting. This paper examines the elements of making such a judgement.