A framework for considering the utility of models when facing tough decisions in public health: a guideline for policy-makers.

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought the combined disciplines of public health, infectious disease and policy modelling squarely into the spotlight. Never before have decisions regarding public health measures and their impacts been such a topic of international deliberation, from the level of individuals and communities through to global leaders. Nor have models-developed at rapid pace and often in the absence of complete information-ever been so central to the decision-making process.

Symptomatic hypercalcaemia following the use of calcium sulfate beads in periprosthetic joint infections.

Calcium sulfate beads (CSBs) are used as a method of delivery of antibiotics in periprosthetic joint infections, non-union and chronic osteomyelitis.[[1-3]] Symptomatic hypercalcaemia can occur as a complication following the insertion of CSBs however it is rare and few cases have been reported.[[4-7]] The cause of hypercalcaemia is poorly understood.

Risk factors for injuries in New Zealand older adults with complex needs: a national population retrospective study.

Background: Falls and falls-related injuries are common among older adults. Injuries in older adults lead to poor outcomes and lower quality of life. The objective of our study was to identify factors associated with fall-related injuries among home care clients in New Zealand.

Improving the prescribing practice of junior doctors through interprofessional collaboration and evidence-based education.

The last decade (2010-2019) has seen calls to action to improve the prescribing practice of junior doctors. An in-depth investigation into the causes of prescribing errors by foundation trainees in relation to their medical education (the EQUIP study) in the UK reported a prescription error rate of 8.9% for all prescribed medicines, and although that is a UK study, there are similarities with New Zealand prevocational training programmes.

Institutional and behaviour-change interventions to support COVID-19 public health measures: a review by the Lancet Commission Task Force on public health measures to suppress the pandemic.

The Lancet COVID-19 Commission Task Force for Public Health Measures to Suppress the Pandemic was launched to identify critical points for consideration by governments on public health interventions to control coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Drawing on our review of published studies of data analytics and modelling, evidence synthesis and contextualisation, and behavioural science evidence and theory on public health interventions from a range of sources, we outline evidence for a range of institutional measures and behaviour-change measures. We cite examples of measures adopted by a range of countries, but especially jurisdictions that have, thus far, achieved low numbers of COVID-19 deaths and limited community transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2.

Global hepatitis C elimination: an investment framework.

WHO has set global targets for the elimination of hepatitis B and hepatitis C as a public health threat by 2030. However, investment in elimination programmes remains low. To help drive political commitment and catalyse domestic and international financing, we have developed a global investment framework for the elimination of hepatitis B and hepatitis C.

Providing departments with regular reports on intern experiences using an adapted version of the PHEEM: completing the feedback loop to enable change in the education and training environment.

Aim: Collating quality feedback from interns on their training and educational experiences allows training institutions to identify issues or concerns within the learning environment and provides an opportunity for continuous quality improvement. This study aimed to investigate whether feedback obtained from a modified version of the Postgraduate Hospital Educational Environment Measure (PHEEM) was used by departments to facilitate change and enhance the education and training experiences of interns at Canterbury District Health Board (CDHB).

Method: Data from intern evaluations is collated and sent to departments at the end of each three-month period.

Risk factors for hip fracture in New Zealand older adults seeking home care services: a national population cross-sectional study.

Background: Hip fractures are a common injury in older people. Many studies worldwide have identified various risk factors for hip fracture. However, risk factors for hip fracture have not been studied extensively in New Zealand.

Cellular replacement and regenerative medicine therapies in ischemic stroke.

Worldwide, tissue engineering and cellular replacement therapies are at the forefront of the regenerative medicine agenda, and researchers are addressing key diseases, including diabetes, stroke and neurological disorders. It is becoming evident that neurological cell therapy is a necessarily complex endeavor. The brain as a cellular environment is complex, with diverse cell populations, including specialized neurons (e.

A survey of personal digital assistant use in a sample of New Zealand doctors.

Aim: To gather information about handheld computing hardware and software usage by hospital based doctors in New Zealand (NZ).

Method: An online tool (SurveyMonkey) was used to conduct the survey from 27 June to 10 September 2010. Distribution of the survey was via an email to all NZ District Health Boards (DHBs).

Are doctors team players, and do they need to be?

Evidence suggests that teamwork failures contribute to poor outcomes in hospitals and that changes in healthcare delivery have at times worked against the development of effective healthcare teams. Doctors' engagement with the concept of healthcare teams, although variable, has generally been supportive and there have been several successful initiatives. However, lack of evidence on the critical components that improve the performance of healthcare teams impedes growth in our understanding and development of effective teams.

General practice rotations for post graduate year 1 and 2 house officers--how feasible?

Aims: To study the needs and support requirements of general practitioners facilitating general practice rotations for post graduate year (PGY)1/PGY2 house officers at their surgeries.

Method: This was a telephone survey of general practitioners (GPs) from different practices in Canterbury Province, New Zealand. A semi-structured interview format was used as this allowed questions and responses to be clarified and provided the opportunity for respondents to make additional comments.

Older patients with hip fractures: evaluation of a long-term specialist orthopaedic medicine service in their outcomes.

Aims: To evaluate the long-term outcomes of a specialist orthopaedic medicine service in older patients up to 12 months after hip fracture.

Methods: All patients over the age of 65 years admitted with hip fracture under the shared care of geriatricians and orthopaedic surgeons over a 6-month period were identified in an initial audit. A follow-up postal questionnaire was sent to those patients asking about their place of domicile, level of functioning, compliance with osteoporosis treatment, and whether they had sustained further fractures in the 12 months following discharge from hospital.

Shared care between geriatricians and orthopaedic surgeons as a model of care for older patients with hip fractures.

Aims: To evaluate the effect of shared care between geriatricians and orthopaedic surgeons as a model of care for older patients with hip fractures.

Methods: All patients over the age of 65 years are under the shared care of an orthopaedic surgeon and geriatrician (the Ortho-Medicine Service) when they are admitted to the Orthopaedic Service, Christchurch Hospital, New Zealand. This retrospective case records audit includes all patients over the age of 65 years with hip fracture admitted to this service over a 6-month period from December 2002 to June 2003.

A new form of bacterial movement, dragging of multicellular aggregate structures over solid surfaces, is powered by macrofiber supercoiling.

Growing Bacillus subtilis macrofibers use twist and supercoiling to: power their own self-assembly, join fibers together into multiclonal aggregates, move themselves over solid surfaces, and to drag other structures (cargo) over solid surfaces. The dragging of multiclonal aggregates attached to the ends of growing macrofibers is analyzed here. The linkage between fibers and cargo arose naturally in macrofiber cultures.

The dynamic behavior of bacterial macrofibers growing with one end prevented from rotating: variation in shaft rotation along the fiber's length, and supercoil movement on a solid surface toward the constrained end.

Background: Bacterial macrofibers twist as they grow, writhe, supercoil and wind up into plectonemic structures (helical forms the individual filaments of which cannot be taken apart without unwinding) that eventually carry loops at both of their ends. Terminal loops rotate about the axis of a fiber's shaft in contrary directions at increasing rate as the shaft elongates. Theory suggests that rotation rates should vary linearly along the length of a fiber ranging from maxima at the loop ends to zero at an intermediate point.

Renegotiation of the Australian Health Care Agreements 2003-2008: from a state's perspective.

The renegotiation process for the next Australian Health Care Agreements 2003-2008 presents an opportunity for State and Territory Governments to suggest reforms to improve acute and sub acute health services and health outcomes. Four key issues to Victoria are discussed, emergency departments and primary care interface, workforce planning, aged care and the continuum of care.