Outcomes of intrauterine device insertion training for doctors working in primary care.

Background: Intrauterine devices (IUDs) are underused in Australia despite being one of the most effective, reversible methods of contraception.

Objective: The objective of this article is to report on the outcomes of a competency-based IUD training program by Family Planning NSW for general practitioners (GPs).

Methods: Pre-training and post-training questionnaires were used for a 12-month cohort study of GPs who undertook IUD insertion training.

Insertion of intrauterine contraceptive devices by registered nurses in Australia.

Background: In spite of many advantages, intrauterine contraception (IUC) is underutilised in Australia: only 5% of Australian women using contraceptive methods in 2011 were using IUC.

Aims: In 2012, Family Planning New South Wales (FPNSW) commenced training registered nurses (RNs) to insert IUC. This article reports outcomes of insertion attempts by the first four trained RNs and suggests strategies for increasing IUC utilisation in Australia.

Is it really crystal clear that using methamphetamine (or other recreational drugs) causes people to engage in unsafe sex?

Many studies have found associations between unsafe sexual behaviour and use of crystal methamphetamine (and many other recreational drugs). Researchers and authors of relevant articles in popular media have often interpreted these associations as meaning that using 'crystal' directly causes people to engage in unsafe sex, and that interventions should aim to reduce crystal use in order to reduce the prevalence of sexually transmissible infections such as HIV. There is consistent evidence that crystal users are a high-risk group in terms of sexual behaviour.

Randomized controlled trial of a novel cannabis use intervention delivered by telephone.

Aims: To evaluate the efficacy of a telephone-based intervention consisting of four sessions of motivational interviewing (MI) and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) designed to assist individuals to reduce their cannabis use and related problems.

Design: Random allocation to intervention or delayed treatment control with 4- and 12-week follow-up assessments.

Setting: Counsellors from the Cannabis Information and Helpline (CIH), an Australian reactive telephone service, delivered the intervention to callers seeking treatment.

Using taxes to curb drinking: a report card on the Australian government's alcopops tax.

Introduction And Aims: In 2008, the Australian government introduced an 'alcopops tax' on spirit-based ready-to-drink (RTD) beverages to reduce alcohol consumption and particularly binge drinking by young people.

Design And Methods: Data regarding sales of alcoholic beverages in Australia from 2004 to 2009 were used to examine the possible effects of the alcopops tax. In addition, population data were used to calculate and examine per capita consumption.

Caller satisfaction with the Cannabis Information and Helpline.

We assessed caller satisfaction with an illicit drug helpline in Australia (the Cannabis Information and Helpline, CIH). A 10-min telephone interview was conducted with 200 volunteers who called the service during 2009 (121 called regarding themselves and 79 called regarding another person's cannabis use). Callers were a mean of 43 years of age and typically female (59%).

Streaming by case complexity: evaluation of a model for emergency department Fast Track.

Objectives: To evaluate a patient flow streaming system within a teaching hospital's ED, using functional principles to separate patients into two streams on the basis of complexity rather than acuity, severity or disposition.

Methods: The project used conceptual principles, such as patient complexity and 'lean thinking' theory, to create a new Fast Track patient stream, which was separately resourced. Data collected before and after implementation of the Fast Track system were analysed to evaluate the system.

Equity of access to treatment, and barriers to treatment for illicit drug use in Australia.

Aims And Design: This study investigated equity of access to treatment and barriers to treatment for illicit drug use, using Andersen's behavioural model of health service utilization.

Setting And Participants: The study involved 492 drug users who had received treatment and 193 who had not.

Measurements: Participants were interviewed to gather data relating to 19 predisposing, need and enabling variables.

Cost-effectiveness analysis of maintenance agonist treatments in the NEPOD.

A total of 551 participants were randomized to treatment in three heroin-dependence treatment trials participating in the Australian National Evaluation of Pharmacotherapies for Opioid Dependence (NEPOD) project. A total of 272 patients (49%) received methadone maintenance, 238 (43%) received buprenorphine maintenance and 41 (7%) participants received levo-alpha-acetyl-methadol (LAAM). A total of 63% of participants in the methadone maintenance group were in treatment in the third month, with an average treatment episode lasting 69 days.

Follow-up difficulty: correlates and relationship with outcome in heroin dependence treatment in the NEPOD study.

Data collected from 317 heroin users who participated in four studies that were included in the Australian National Evaluation of Pharmacotherapies for Opioid Dependence were analysed to examine predictors of follow-up difficulty and whether follow-up difficulty was related to heroin use outcomes. Participants who were no longer receiving treatment were more difficult to contact and more likely to be lost to follow-up. Participants treated in general practice settings were also more difficult to contact and more likely to be lost to follow-up than participants treated at specialist clinics.

Short-term outcomes of five heroin detoxification methods in the Australian NEPOD Project.

This study included 380 participants in five heroin detoxification trials whose data were pooled to enable direct comparison of five detoxification methods in the Australian National Evaluation of Pharmacotherapies for Opioid Dependence (NEPOD). Rapid detoxification achieved similar initial abstinence rates with either anaesthesia or sedation (average 59%), which were higher than was achieved by inpatient detoxification using clonidine plus other symptomatic medications (24%), which in turn was higher than outpatient detoxification using either buprenorphine (12%) or clonidine plus other symptomatic medications (4%). Older participants and those using more illicit drugs were more likely to achieve abstinence.