Australian Naturopaths Approach to the Clinical Management of Patients Presenting with Sleep Disorders.

Naturopathic practitioners consult an estimated 6.2% of Australian adults, equating to 1,550,000 people receiving their care each year. Sleep is now recognized as a key pillar of health; however, nearly half of all Australian adults report inadequate sleep.

Oral Health Is Associated with Disorders of Gut-Brain Interaction in Adult Women.

Background: The disorders of gut-brain interaction (DGBI) form a heterogeneous group of gastrointestinal disorders that, to date, have no organic basis. The role of oral health in the development of these disorders has not been explored.

Objective: The objective of this study was to examine the relationship between oral health and the DGBI.

Adverse events associated with the use of cannabis-based products in people living with cancer: a systematic scoping review.

Purpose: To summarise the extent and type of evidence in relation to adverse events (AEs) associated with the use of cannabis-based products (CBP) in people living with cancer.

Methods: The Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) methodology for scoping reviews was applied. A search was performed in MEDLINE (Ovid), Embase (Ovid), CINAHL (EBSCOhost), Scopus, Web of Science Core Collections and AMED (Ovid) from their inception to 7 May 2023.

Evolving oncology care management trends in the United States: A survey among health care decision makers.

Background: There is limited knowledge of how US managed care professionals view and prioritize quality metrics/performance measures, care models, alternative payment models, and clinical pathways in oncology settings.

Objective: To characterize payor perspectives on, and the use of, oncology clinical pathways and performance measures in their reimbursement/access decision-making process.

Methods: A survey was implemented via SurveyMonkey software and distributed electronically to a national sample of the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP) Market Insights Panel members from July 11 through August 5, 2022.

Real-World Treatment Patterns and Outcomes of Cemiplimab in Patients with Advanced Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma Treated in US Oncology Practices.

Background: Prior to the Food and Drug Administration approval of cemiplimab in 2018, the median overall survival (OS) for adult patients with advanced CSCC receiving systemic therapy was approximately 8 to 15 months. Limited real-world data are available on cemiplimab for this indication in the US.

Patients And Methods: This retrospective cohort study included US patients with advanced CSCC initiating cemiplimab monotherapy in a real-world database (2018-2021).

Patient experiences of information-sharing and patient-centred care across the broad landscape of primary care practice and provision: a nationally representative survey of Australian adults.

Background: Australian government strategies and frameworks have been developed in recent years to encourage the integration and coordination of primary care delivery; including patient-centred approaches to clinical and preventative care, and health promotion. This study aims to explore patient experiences of information-sharing and patient-centred care across various primary care clinical settings, with a particular focus on clinical encounters with GPs, naturopaths, osteopaths and acupuncturists.

Methods: Data about healthcare utilisation and experiences from a 63-item cross-sectional survey obtained from a nationally representative sample of Australian adults aged ≥ 18 years were analysed.

Effects of monovalent and divalent cations on the rheology of entangled DNA.

In this paper we investigate the effects of varying cation valency and concentration on the rheology of entangled DNA solutions. We show that monovalent cations moderately increase the viscoelasticty of the solutions mainly by stabilising linear concatenation of DNA "monomers" hybridisation of their sticky ends. On the contrary, divalent cations have a far more complex and dramatic effect on the rheology of the solution and we observe evidence of inter-molecular DNA-DNA bridging by Mg.

Could pharmacy technicians play a role in supporting the appropriate and safe use of traditional and complementary medicines?

Across the world traditional and complementary medicine (T&CM) product use is prevalent with some countries reporting greater than 50% of the population using these products. T&CM products are primarily self-selected through retail outlets including pharmacies. Pharmacists across the world generally agree they should play a role in ensuring the appropriate and safe use of T&CM products but report being time and resource poor to do so.

Effect of probiotics and prebiotics on the composition of the equine fecal and seminal microbiomes and sperm quality: A pilot study.

Probiotic and prebiotic effects on equine semen and gastrointestinal microbiome composition and sperm quality are unknown. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of pre-, pro- or synbiotic supplementation on fecal and semen microbiome composition and sperm quality parameters of stallions. This Latin square crossover trial involved four miniature pony stallions receiving control diet only, or addition of a pro-, pre- or synbiotic formulation.

The semen microbiome of miniature pony stallions.

Context: Little is known about the microbial composition of stallion semen.

Aims: To describe the microbiota detected in equine semen of healthy miniature pony stallions.

Methods: Semen specimens were collected using a Missouri artificial vagina at a single time point.

Mental Health Literacy and Education of Complementary Medicine Practitioners: A Cross-Sectional Study.

An estimated 42% of Australians who consult complementary medicine (CM) practitioners have a mental health diagnosis. Preparedness of CM practitioners in managing such diagnoses is currently unknown. A cross-sectional survey of 257 CM practitioners who reported caring for people with a mental health diagnosis.

Performance evaluation of the LumiraDx quantitative microfluidic point-of-care CRP test.

C-reactive protein (CRP) is an established acute-phase marker for infection, inflammation and tissue injury, used to guide clinical decision-making in primary and secondary care. This study compared the analytical performance of the quantitative microfluidic point-of-care LumiraDx CRP Test to a laboratory-based reference method (Siemens RCRP Flex assay on the Dimension® Xpand®) and evaluated equivalence of sample matrices (blood versus plasma) in point-of-care settings using samples from patients presenting with symptoms of infection or inflammation. The LumiraDx CRP Test demonstrated close agreement with the lab reference test (range, 5.

Effects of a prebiotic formulation on the composition of the faecal microbiota of people with functional constipation.

Purpose: Prebiotics are defined as substances which selectively promote beneficial gut microbes leading to a health benefit for the host. Limited trials have been carried out investigating their effect on the microbiota composition of individuals afflicted by functional constipation with equivocal outcomes. In a 21-day randomised, controlled clinical trial involving 61 adults with functional constipation, a prebiotic formulation with partially hydrolysed guar gum and acacia gum as its main ingredients, significantly increased complete spontaneous bowel motions in the treatment group.

What is integrative medicine? Establishing the decision criteria for an operational definition of integrative medicine for general practice health services research in Australia.

Background: Operational definitions outline how a conceptual definition will be measured for consistent, reproducible data collection and analysis. This article reports the decision criteria that will be used for an operational definition of integrative medicine (IM) in a secondary analysis of an Australian national survey of general practitioner activity.

Methods: A multidisciplinary team applied an iterative approach, informed by expert knowledge and literature reviews to establish decision criteria for categorizing the terms in the Australian clinical interface terminology of the International Classification of Primary Care, second edition (ICPC-2 PLUS) and the Coding Atlas for Pharmaceutical Substances, according to whether they reflected IM, conventional/mainstream medicine (MM), or both IM and MM (IM/MM).

Defining and supporting a professional role for pharmacists associated with traditional and complementary medicines: a cross-country survey of pharmacists.

An estimated 80% of the world's population use traditional and complementary medicine (T&CM) products as part of their healthcare, with many accessed through pharmacy. This cross-cultural study posed a set of professional practice responsibilities and actions to pharmacists related to T&CM products, with a view toward developing consensus, safeguarding, and promoting the health of the public. : Data were collected from 2,810 pharmacists across nine countries during 2022 via a cross-sectional online survey reported in accordance with the guidelines of STrengthening the Reporting of OBservational studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) and the Checklist for Reporting Results of Internet E-Surveys (CHERRIES).

Pharmacy education in traditional and complementary medicines - A systematic review.

Background: Traditional and complementary medicines (T&CMs) are not typically covered in medical curricula despite 80% of the world's population using some form of herbal product as part of their healthcare. Concurrent use of T&CMs with conventional therapies is common, and both are primarily accessed in pharmacies. There is an expectation that pharmacists should be knowledgeable about T&CMs.

An evaluation of the quality of Annona muricata leaf products.

Objectives: Annona muricata, also known as graviola, is traditionally used for the treatment of a range of disorders including cancer. Interest in A. muricata use has increased in recent years.

Interactions between complementary medicines and drugs used in primary care and oral COVID-19 antiviral drugs.

Background: Patient harm resulting from drug interactions between conventional and traditional or complementary medicines (CM) are avoidable.

Objective: To provide a clinical overview of a selection of CM interactions with drugs commonly used in Australian general practice or in the management of COVID-19.

Discussion: Many herb constituents are substrates for cytochrome P450 enzymes, and inducers and/or inhibitors of transporters such as P-glycoprotein.

Regulatory and HTA Considerations for Development of Real-World Data Derived External Controls.

Regulators and Health Technology Assessment (HTA) bodies are increasingly familiar with, and publishing guidance on, external controls derived from real-world data (RWD) to generate real-world evidence (RWE). We recently conducted a systematic literature review (SLR) evaluating publicly available information on the use of RWD-derived external controls to contextualize outcomes from uncontrolled trials submitted to the European Medicines Agency (EMA), the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and/or select HTA bodies. The review identified several key operational and methodological aspects for which more detailed guidance and alignment within and between regulatory agencies and HTA bodies is necessary.

Investigating the association between the symptoms of women with Fibromyalgia, Digestive function, and markers of the microbiota of the Gastrointestinal Tract (The FIDGIT Study): study protocol.

Background: Fibromyalgia a common idiopathic condition affecting around 1.4% of adults globally. Its signature symptom is chronic widespread pain, with a constellation of somatic and psychological symptoms.